As the bombs rained down upon London and America was plunged into another World War, nothing was more important to the Allied effort than keeping morale high. And for soldiers, sailors, and airmen fighting in far-off places, a little reminder of home—and of what they were fighting for—was the reassurance they needed to fight just one more day. For providing this inspiration, few voices were so famous as those of Patty Andrews, Vera Lynn and Lena Horne.

To the veterans of World War II, the Andrews Sisters need no introduction. Traveling the country to tirelessly entertain the troops, the Andrews Sisters remain, even sixty years after the end of the war, one of the most recognizable musical groups of all time. Led by lead soprano Patty Andrews, their hits included “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree,” “Rum and Coca-Cola,” and, of course, “Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy.” They performed with such legends of stage and screen as Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Les Paul, and Burl Ives, and would appear in 17 films. Their cheerful music and upbeat attitude were of immeasurable value to an entire country immersed in the hardships of war, earning them the nickname of “America’s Wartime Sweethearts.”

Rising to international fame in the early 1940s with her rendition of “Stormy Weather” in the movie of the same name, Lena Horne was the first black performer to sign a contract with a major Hollywood studio. During the war years, she also appeared in the films Cabin in the Sky, Thousands Cheer, Boogie-Woogie Dream, and Two Girls and a Sailor. Legendary for her sultry voice and striking looks, Lena Horne was not only a pioneer for black musicians and actresses, but one of the enduring symbols of American patriotism during World War II.

Known as the “Forces Sweetheart,” Vera Lynn traveled the world to entertain British troops, even to far away Burma, singing her trademark songs “We’ll Meet Again” and “White Cliffs of Dover.” On her BBC radio show, “Sincerely Yours,” she often read messages from men in the field to their loved ones at home, and was seen as the link between the fighting soldiers and their wives and girlfriends at home.