Historical Article: Last Train Home
After World War II, fallen American service personnel rode the rails to their resting places
By James I. Murrie and Naomi Jeffery Petersen @ American History Magazine
ON THE CALENDAR, World War II ended with Japan’s surrender on September 2, 1945. For millions of American military personnel who made it through the hostilities, the duration dragged on into 1946. However, for the families of more than 279,000 Americans who died overseas, the war continued until loved ones reached their final resting places. Often this was through a U.S. Army program repatriating deceased servicemen and women aboard mortuary trains that in their day were front-page news but now are forgotten.
