From World War I to World War II and beyond, this is what a kiss looks like when both people know it could be their last.
British Leading Aircraftswoman Dorothy Hall, says a tearful goodbye to American soldier Sgt. John A. Babcock of the 8th Air Force before the later returned to the United States. England. 1945.PhotoQuest/Getty Images
Early holiday-makers to Butlin’s Camp at Clacton, England wave goodbye to the last of the troops leaving the camp in 1946Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis/Getty Images
A woman kissing a soldier goodbye before leaving for WWII in 1941. Location unspecifiedBettmann/Getty Images
Girls board a truck to go to a last dance with American soldiers. Location and date unspecifiedHulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis/Getty Images
A man, his girl, and his dog stage a poignant farewell scene in Washington. 1942.Bettmann/Getty Images
At London’s King’s Cross station, a serviceman leans out of a train window to kiss his lover goodbye at the end of a period of leave. 1944.Ministry of Information Photo Division Photographer/ IWM/Getty Images
Soldier of the British Coldstream-Garde says goodbye to his wife in 1935. Location unspecified.Imagno/Getty Images
English soldiers say goodbye to their wives in 1937. Troops heading for Egypt. Location unspecified.Imagno/Getty Images
Soldier consoles his weeping wife in 1944 as he says goodbye at Pennsylvania Station before returning to duty after brief furlough during WWII.Alfred Eisenstaedt/Pix Inc./The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
A soldier’s girl kisses the boy goodbye in a 34th Street bus terminal, while another soldier cooperates by holding her up to reach him. New York. 1941.Bettmann/Getty Images
Goodbye kiss of a marine soldier at the pier of Southampton Docks in England. 1933.Imagno/Getty Images
A Russian partisan in the Leningrad region kisses his mother goodbye before leaving with his detachment to fight in WWII. Date unspecified.Sovfoto/UIG/Getty Images
A soldier leans out of a carriage window to kiss his wife goodbye at Paddington station in London. 1942.Bert Hardy/Picture Post/Getty Images
Soldiers wave farewell from a train. Brisbane, Australia. 1940.Wikimedia Commons
A fond farewell for this little boy from a guardsman who is returning to duty after leave. London. 1941.Planet News Archive/SSPL/Getty Images
Two American soldiers say goodbye to local children with their last sticks of chewing gum. Buckden, England. 1945.Francis Reiss/Getty Images
A soldier’s goodbye to his lover and to Bobby the cat. Location unspecified. Circa. 1939-1945.Sam Hood/ State Library Of New South Wales/Flickr Commons
The Main Body of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) leaves Wellington on October 16, 1914.Archives New Zealand/Wikimedia Commons
Mrs. Buggins waves off her son as his troopship sails for the far east. Location unspecified. April 30, 1953.Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix/Mirrorpix/Getty Images
Soldier writes a farewell card home. Location unspecified. 1944.Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix/Mirrorpix/Getty Images
Women say goodbye to the 69th regiment soldiers in Washington, D.C. during World War I. CIrca 1917-1918.Photo12/UIG/Getty Images
Women wave goodbye to troops, as they march off to WWII. England. 1939.Chris Ware/Keystone/Getty Images
A couple in New York’s Penn Station share a farewell kiss in 1943 before he ships off to war during WWII.Alfred Eisenstaedt/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Another couple in Penn Station in 1943 kiss goodbye before the man ships off to war during WWII.Alfred Eisenstaedt/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Soldiers packed into a car wave goodbye to Camp Dix upon their mustering-out at the end of World War I in 1918.