Why would soldiers returning from World War 2 have such a strong desire to start families?

Answer 1

Prior to the end of the cold war in 1990 and the accompanying "equal opportunity" employment (all volunteer militaries)/political correctness, etc. The military (generally world wide) and War were a man's world. Fighting men (Sailors, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, Airmen, Soldiers) from all, or most nations, often NEVER saw a woman while in the combat zone; sometimes for over a YEAR or LONGER! Some GI's in the Vietnam War never saw an American woman until they either went on R & R or DEROS or ETS'd out (DEROs=rotating out of country/ETS=Estimated Time of Service). This is why servicemen often just "stared" at women when they saw them, and women and civilian men would make fun of the serviceman...not realizing he hadn't seen a women in YEARS.