One of the hundreds of ships that transported veterans back home following the defeat of Japan in World War II, USS General George O. Squier departed Karachi on October 13, 1945. Passing through the Suez Canal and then heading west along the northern coast of Africa, it arrived at the Port of New York on November 2. TSgts James H. Mills and Robert N. Solyn, two of Squire's 3,343 passengers who passed through customs that day, were back home in time to celebrate Thanksgiving with their families.

With V-J day a reality at last, personnel of the 3rd Bomb Squadron and others of the Chinese-American Composite Wing (now disbanded), needed to be transported back to North America, but how could such a monumental task be accomplished? It was accomplished by bringing most of them home via "Magic Carpet Cruises." It proved to be the greatest mass movement of humanity ever attempted in history.