Rebellious Dating, Japan, 1946

Oh, those American soldiers. Whether it's a fling in 1944 London or a date in 1945 France, local girls and foreign soldiers sure get along. So well, in fact, that this set of photographs in LIFE accompanies an article laying out the 'do's and 'don'ts' of dating for American soldiers and Japanese girls in Japan, 1946. 

Photographs by John Florea

John Florea, LIFE © Time Inc.

Holding hands in public is fine. Source

John Florea, LIFE © Time Inc.

Sharing chocolate might be fine... giving away cigarettes isn't. Source

John Florea, LIFE © Time Inc.

Rowing on a pond is permissible. Source

John Florea, LIFE © Time Inc.

So is going to a dance. Source

John Florea, LIFE © Time Inc.

Taking the train could be iffy. Source

John Florea, LIFE © Time Inc.

Going for dinner, as he is taking off his shoes to do, is off-limits. Source

John Florea, LIFE © Time Inc.

It's okay for an American soldier to eat in a Japanese home....as long as he brings his own food. Source

John Florea, LIFE © Time Inc.

Riding a bicycle is okay, but handlebar riding is forbidden. Source

John Florea, LIFE © Time Inc.

Giving Japanese girls rides while they are on Red Cross tours is all right. Source

John Florea, LIFE © Time Inc.

Giving a civilian girl a ride is a military jeep isn't. Source

John Florea, LIFE © Time Inc.

Giving away cigarettes is forbidden . Source

John Florea, LIFE © Time Inc.

And kissing is totally, totally not allowed. Source

Lest We Forget

Today, at 11 o'clock in 1918, World War One finally ended*. As readers of this blog will know, I find this war especially touching and sad. It gets to me that anyone ever had to endure such miserable conditions, let alone very young men from very far away places fighting for no good reason at all.

It is Remembrance Day today in Canada and many other countries (Veteran's Day in the US); let us spend some time to think about what our compatriots had to go through-- to think about those young men who went and never came back, and those who did. No one should ever have to endure anything like this, ever.

In their memory.

*I know it's not as simple as that; but essentially.

The graves of three Canadian soldiers where they fell, amongst the barbed wire. Source

Two German soldiers helping in an injured Canadian. Source

The first men to cross the Somme. Source

Digging a trench. Source

Cycle orderlies under shell fire. Source

Soldiers in the mud. Source

Soldiers resting on the way up to the trenches. I think this is made even more potent by the man in the middle smiling his head off. Source

Scene on the Somme Front. Source

A thanksgiving service in the ruins of the cathedral, Chambrai. Source

British soldiers going up to the trenches. Source

British soldier washing from a bucket. Source

Winter scene on the Western Front. Source

Cooking dinner amid the ruins of a village. Source

A town after bombardment. Source

Army chaplain conducting a service from the cockpit of an airplane. Source

The town of Amiens under shellfire. Source

Muddy grave of an unknown soldier. Source

Moving ammunition past a row of graves. Source

War memorial for fallen Newfoundland soldiers. Source

The graves of British soldiers in France. Source

A British soldier at the grave of a comrade. Source

Selected World War One posts:

Sleeping on the Western Front

Letters Home

Faces of World War One, 1 and 2

Experiencing the Front

Smiling at the Front

Colour Photographs of World War One, 1 and 2

Armistice Day

Another Cup of Coffee

We enjoyed a cup of coffee with the Flickr Commons; now let's have another, this time with LIFE!

"Eat Drink Coffee"... the caption doesn't give me any more than this! But nice, eh? Source

Actress Myrna Loy serving coffee to sailors at a canteen, California, 1942. Source

Coin operated coffee machine, 1947. Source

An exhausted country doctor having a much-needed coffee, USA, 1948. Source

A 6 year old cowboy pouring a cup of coffee, USA, 1954. Source

Actress Jane Mansfield on the phone with a cup of coffee. Source

A soldier mixing his powdered coffee at Fort Myers, USA, 1940. Source

Women in fancy dresses and cadets from the local Army Flying School having coffee at a party, Missouri, 1943. Source [Photo by the incomparable Alfred Eisenstaedt, by the way]

Enrico's coffee house, 1961, San Francisco. Source

Another "Eat Drink Coffee". Source

A Greek coffee house in New Hampshire, 1952. Source

Actor Maurice Chevalier drinking coffee at a rehearsal break, 1961. Source

Navy crewmen aboard a nuclear sub having a coffee break, 1963. Source

Fellow submarine crewmen taking coffee at their controls. Source

Office workers on a coffee break, 1957. Source

Santa taking a coffee break, NYC, 1962. Source

Ingrid Bergman with coffee, 1941. Source

An Italian coffee house in NYC called The Peacock, 1953. Source

Again, at The Peacock. Source

Joe Dimaggio with a cup of coffee, 1939. Source

Man with doughnuts and coffee, 1964. Source