Soldiers repatriated on the USS Saratoga.
After World War II ended, the Allies’ biggest task was to repatriate millions of soldiers spread across the globe.
Since 1943, the US War Transport Administration (WSA) was tasked with planning the `Magic Carpet` operation.
In December 1945, the `Magic Carpet` operation began with the repatriation of soldiers stationed in Southeast Asia and territories in the Pacific.
A total of 370 ships participated in the campaign, including aircraft carriers, battleships and destroyers.
Destroyers and aircraft carriers were improved to suit the task of transporting large numbers of troops.
During the 14 months of the campaign, an average of 435,000 soldiers were brought home each month.
Upon returning to America, these soldiers continued to encounter difficulties during their journey overland.
Traffic jams occur across the United States, while trains are often delayed from 6-12 hours, not to mention there are not enough trains to bring every soldier home.
The sleeping area of repatriated soldiers on the USS Wasp amphibious ship.
Soldiers who could not return home in time were helped by people living near the repatriation center and invited to a Christmas meal.
Their journey home also received maximum support from the people, as passengers often gave up their seats on the train for veterans.
The phase of repatriating soldiers in Europe was completed in January 1946, but the final repatriation campaign in the Pacific only ended in September 1946.
