History Main / MyGirlBackHome

* The trope gets Played With in the [=WWI=] serial ''ComicBook/GoldenEyesAndHerHeroBill'', which follows the adventures of American girl "Golden Eyes," her dough-boy sweetheart Bill, and their CanineCompanion Uncle Sam during the first world war. The comic was published concurrently with the end of the way, between 1918 and 1919, showing the interesting ways authors were playing off the trope even a century ago:

* In the Czech [=WW2=] ''Dark Blue World'' (2001), the girl is more attracted to dashing fighter pilot Franta than the station master who serenades outside her window every night. But Franta has to go to England after the occupation of Czechoslovakia; when he returns he finds she's married the station master and even his dog doesn't recognise him. He faces this stoically, along with his subsequent imprisonment by the Communist authorities [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished for having served in a foreign air force]].

* Towards the end of ''[[Series/{{Blackadder}} Blackadder Goes Forth]]'' Captain Darling reveals that he has a girlfriend, Doris, waiting for him back in England. Unfortunately the final episode sees him reassigned to the front lines to take part in the "Big Push" across No-Man's Land. On arriving in the trenches he reveals he's made a list of things he'd planned to do once the war was over, the last of which is [[Tearjerker/{{Blackadder}} "Marry Doris".]]

* In his memoir, ''Quartered Safe Out Here'', Creator/GeorgeMacDonaldFraser tells how [[ApronMatron Grandmother McDonald]] on hearing the news of the outbreak of war simply said, "I guess the men will be going away again." Fraser lived in a part of Britain that had long provided soldiery and the people adjusted accordingly.

''Eliza:''' But you deserve a chance to meet your son

Related to IWillWaitForYou and LongDistanceRelationship (although that one is a bit more gender-neutral in who gets left behind). You may have to return abruptly for YouHaveWaitedLongEnough. Compare and contrast DadsOffFightingInTheWar.

Related to IWillWaitForYou and LongDistanceRelationship (although that one is a bit more gender neutral in who gets left behind). You may have to return abruptly for YouHaveWaitedLongEnough. Compare and contrast DadsOffFightingInTheWar.

* In ''Literature/MemorySorrowAndThorn'', the diminutive [[AllTrollsAreDifferent troll]] Binabik is betrothed to the daughter of the King and Queen of his people, but is forced by his oaths to his master and to the League of the Scroll to embark on long missions in the lands of the big people. Sisqi is not pleased to be kept waiting, but when, upon returning home, he is condemned to death for his apparent betrayal of his duties, she aids in rescuing him and later joins him as an emissary of their people.

* Auggie and Annie in ''Series/{{Covert Affairs}}'' have each been this to each other. However it is usually Auggie who is the Guy Back Home because Auggie is blind and episodes where this is reversed are rare. Sometimes they work together in the field on the same mission but this is also rare; more commonly Auggie is MissionControl.

* Common enough in RealLife for [[UsefulNotes/{{Mormonism}} Mormon girls]] - most Mormon men, usually right after high school or college, go on two year missions. These missions can be in places as diverse as Iowa, Australia, the Czech Republic, or Argentina - but they are designed to keep the man far away from home. Even if he stays close, he is forbidden to see his girlfriend, so waiting for a missionary is a common event for LDS girls.

* In the UsefulNotes/FrenchForeignLegion, a photo of "the girl back home" is one of the six personal items a legionnaire is permitted to keep with them during basic training (the others being a cigarette case, a lighter, a tooth brush, a razor and a French dictionary).

Related to IWillWaitForYou and LongDistanceRelationship (although that one is a bit more gender neutral in who gets left behind). You may have to return abruptly for YouHaveWaitedLongEnough.

* Theme song for the western ''Rawhide'': Rawhide's contemplatin', his true love will be waitin', be waitin', at the end of the line.

* In ''Film/{{Midway}}'' (starring Henry Fonda), when the ships return from battle, a crowd of civilians is gathered at the navy yard. This includes the girlfriends of two of the main characters.

[[folder:Theater]]

[[folder: VideoGame]]

* This was also featured in his ''Literature/McAuslan'' series of short stories, where both sets of grandmothers have experienced waiting for soldiers to return from combat.

* A very extreme version is found in {{CIA}} spouses. They are often parted for long times and the girl or boy back home often has no idea what is happening. Not to mention they have to give an extraordinary amount of [[ThePowerOfTrust trust]] to someone who is after all a trained deceiver. It causes unusual strain on marriages, but in those cases where it actually [[HappilyMarried does work]], it can be an example of ThePowerOfLove.

* A very extreme version is found in {{CIA}} spouses. They are often parted for long times and the girl or boy back home often has no idea what is happening. Not to mention they have to give an extraordinary amount of [[ThePowerOfTrust trust]] to someone who is after all a trained deceiver. It causes unusual strain on marriages, but in those cases where it actually [[HappilyMarried does work]], it can be an [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome awesome]] example of ThePowerOfLove.

-->'''Eliza:''' I knew you'd fight until the war was won--

* The song "My Girl Back Home" in ''Theatre/SouthPacific''. Possible TropeNamer. The song was cut from the original production, but has been reinstated for the 2008 revival. Ironically the hero was singing that to rationalize cheating on his girl back home.
** Used in the film, however.

-->-- "The Girl I Left Behind Me" (a traditional departure song of [[BritsWithBattleships the British Army]])

* A very extreme version is found in {{CIA}} spouses. They are often parted for long times and the girl or boy back home often has no idea what is happening. Not to mention they have to give an extraordinary [[ThePowerOfTrust trust]] to someone who is after all a trained deceiver. It causes unusual strain on marriages, but in those cases where it actually [[HappilyMarried does work]], it can be an [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome awesome]] example of ThePowerOfLove.

*** Interestingly, it is implied that the strain of being the [[MyGirlBackHome girl/boy back home]] for their respective friends is what drew them together in the first place. They wound up happily married by the end of the series.

* A very extreme version is found in {{CIA}} spouses. They are often parted for long times and the [[MyGirlBackHome Girl or Boy back home]] often has no idea what is happening. Not to mention they have to give an extraordinary [[ThePowerOfTrust trust]] to someone who is after all a trained deceiver. It causes unusual strain on marriages, but in those cases where it actually [[HappilyMarried does work]], it can be an [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome awesome]] example of ThePowerOfLove.

* In the Czech WW2 ''Dark Blue World'' (2001), the girl is more attracted to dashing fighter pilot Franta than the station master who serenades outside her window every night. But Franta has to go to England after the occupation of Czechoslovakia; when he returns he finds she's married the station master and even his dog doesn't recognise him. He faces this stoically, along with his subsequent imprisonment by the Communist authorities [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished for having served in a foreign air force]].

* Kaya from ''Manga/OnePiece'' could be considered this.

** Winry can sometimes be this.

** In other cases the trope is averted. If the place they are posted to is relatively safe they can bring their family with them. After all, "cover" basically means lying about your job--the vast majority of agents make absolutely no attempt to hide their ''names'', they merely claim to work for someone other than the CIA (usually the Department of State, but it can also be [[CovertGroupWithMundaneFront another government agency or even a private company]]).[[note]]Claiming to work for the government is called "official cover," since you get [[DiplomaticImpunity diplomatic immunity]]; claiming to work for a private company is "unofficial" cover and is thus much riskier.[[/note]] So as long as you do a good job of that, your family isn't at further risk of leak or of being killed (your spouse or Significant Other generally knows, and the kids will just assume, along with everyone else, that Dad/Mom is a diplomat or something).

* "Girl At Home," on the extended edition of the RED Album by TaylorSwift. It's talking about how the guy in the song shouldn't pursue her because 'he has a girl at home and everybody knows it'. Interesting inversion in that it's in the perspective of the girl who's being pursued.

-->-'''"The Girl I Left Behind Me"''', a traditional departure song of [[BritsWithBattleships the British Army]]

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* Winry in ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' can sometimes be this.

* Kaya from ''OnePiece'' could be considered this.

[[folder:Film]]

* Sinead Terekhov, to her husband Aivars, in the {{Honorverse}} sub-series ''Saganami Island''. The novel ''The Shadow of Saganami'' essentially opens with them facing yet another separation as he is deployed to a distant part of the galaxy.

-->"How do we convince them that we're miserable?" asked Private Roger Litwhiler.\\
"Easiest thang in the world," said Opie. "Tell 'em how lonesome you are for the gal you left back home."\\
"Tell the ''new'' girl about the ''old'' girl?" asked Private Ernest J. Hoffman incredulously.\\
"Why, shore," said Opie. "Then she knows she ain't scratchin' after a prize that nobody else wants."\\
"Ah!" said the citizen-soldiers.\\
"But what if you haven't got a girl back home?" asked Private Gustave Morrissette.\\
"Then lie," said Opie. "But lie ''from the hort!''"

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

* Penny is this for Desmond in ''{{Series/Lost}}''.

* "The Girl I Left Behind Me" in numerous JohnWayne films

--> It was way out in Flanders at the back of the line,
--> We were talking 'bout sweethearts we'd all left behind,
--> When one Irish soldier says, "I have a queen,"
--> And she works in John Ross's of Bonnie Woodgreen."

[[folder: Real Life ]]

** This was also featured in his McAuslan series of short stories, where both sets of grandmothers have experienced waiting for soldiers to return from combat.

[[folder:Theater]]

* The song "My Girl Back Home" in ''Theatre/SouthPacific''. Possible TropeNamer.
** The song was cut from the original production, but has been reinstated for the 2008 revival.
** Ironically the hero was singing that to rationalize cheating on his girl back home.

[[/folder]]