The Kissing Sailor – The Kiss Seen Around The World.
This picture is one that I’m sure a considerable majority of people have seen in their lives. It is a photograph associated with war, peace, and celebration at the victory of Japan in WWII. Called The Kissing Sailor, this image had been used on stamps, postcards, newspapers, nearly everywhere because of how it encapsulated the spirit the people felt as they approached a new age with the promise of peace.
What about the story behind the picture, however? Well, it is an interesting situation. The nurse in the picture was actually a dental assistant by the name of Greta Zimmer. She was just an everyday bystander on her way to work when the big news broke out. While in Times Square, she read the headline that flashed by on the news monitor in the area, “VJ.” This headline meant victory over Japan had been achieved.
The square exploded in a burst of enthusiastic energy as the people cheered and leapt for joy. It was finally done, the brutal conflict was finally finished. Celebration was in order. Enter the sailor, a young man bearing the name of Petty Officer First Class George Mendonsa.
This young man was a sailor who had been fighting in the Pacific for quite some time but was now on leave. He was wearing his uniform because in the evening of that day he was scheduled to return to the action. Now, he was free. To celebrate, he gave in to his surge of joy that now filled his heart and mind and grabbed the nearest girl, pulling her into a passionate embrace. A nearby photographer captured the moment and thus, The Kissing Sailor was created.
Writer / Quiz Creator
Andrew Nicholas is a passionate reader and writer on the subjects of history and mankind. He is a published author, critic, and poet who grew up in the friendly scenery of rural Ohio. He is a graduate of Wright State University and a regular student of historical curiosities.