I am a little ahead of you then, but not much - it was 1947 when I was taken. Not long enough to really see things settling back to normal yet, particularly in some parts. America was better of course, and South America was barely affected at all, but a lot of the other countries we've been able to get back to since are painful to see how they've changed.
That doesn't surprise me. A lot of servicemen I've met are geniuses with a needle. I'm Poppet.