The USS General M.C.Meigs (AP-116) arriving at the port of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, bringing back home Brazilian soldiers (pracinhas) who fought in Italy. July 18, 1945.

Back home!

The badge of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force (FEB) depicts  a snake smoking a pipe.
FEB’s lemma was “The snake is smoking”. It was a joke with a statement made by the then Brazilian President, Getúlio Vargas, who said that “it was easier for a snake to 
smoke than Brazil ever enter the war”. He was charged of being Hitler’s admirer, but was forced by circumstances to declare war to Germany.   


FEB's Badge

brazilian army soldier guarding a german prisoner, italy 1945