WHY ARE VA OFFICIALS WANTING TO BAN THE ICONIC WW2 KISS PHOTO?


By jlustig
The WW2 kiss photo.

Are you a sucker for romance? If so, you've probably seen the famous WWII photo of the Sailor kissing the nurse. Well, this memorable World War II picture of the Sailor and a nurse kissing might be removed after some controversial conversations. Top officers have ordered that the WW2 kiss photo be taken down, because it is non-consensual. VA Secretary Denis McDonough seems to disagree with the removal of this iconic image. Find out what others are saying about this potential action.Suggested read: New York National Guard Sent to NYC Subways to Stop Violence

The Story Behind the Iconic WWII Kiss Photo

The V-J Day Times Square kiss took place on August 14, 1945, after the United States celebrated Japan's surrender to Allied forces and the end of World War II. Photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt captured the iconic moment.The picture itself was published a week later in LIFE magazine. It made Eisenstaedt famous, and became an iconic image of the war ending. For years following the release of the photo, the two individuals remained unidentified. However, in the years following the release of the photo, the true story behind the kiss came out. Here's how the iconic WW2 kiss photo came to be.Related read: State of the Union Talking Points: Gaza Port, Biden Hot Mic

Who Were the Individuals In the Photo?

Greta Zimmer Friedman and George Mendonsa are the two individuals in the iconic WW2 kiss photo. Greta first saw the photo in the 1960s, and instantly recognized that she was the woman being kissed. So, she sent in the photos to LIFE magazine who told her to bring the images to Mr. Eisenstaedt. At the time the photo was taken, Ms Friedman was working as a dental assistant in an office in Times Square. She heard people celebrating and stepped outside to see what was causing the commotion. Suddenly, she found herself in the arms of a Sailor, George Mendonsa. She was completely caught off guard. In an interview she explained, "I felt that he was very strong. He was just holding me tight. I'm not sure about the kiss..it was just somebody celebrating. It wasn't a romantic event." She further explained, "It wasn't my choice to be kissed. The guy just came over and grabbed!"

Why Was the V-J Day Kiss Photo Was Almost Banned?

Now, some individuals within the VA want the WW2 kiss photo taken down because it does not align with the VA’s no-tolerance policy toward sexual harassment and assault. The VA secretary has officially reversed a memo that aimed to ban the photograph. Secretary Denis McDonough took action in the hours after this memo was shared on the social media of all VA health facilities. Thus, the memo sent out said that the photo "depicted a non-consensual act" and is inconsistent with the department's sexual harassment policy. However, McDonough later tweeted the following message, "Let me be clear: This image is not banned from VA facilities - and we will keep it in VA facilities." McDonough apologized for the posting of the original memo message and Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre went on to confirm that the VA will not ban the WW2 kiss photo.

Eisenstaedt Thoughts Behind the Lens

Alfred Eisenstaedt wrote two books and he gave two different accounts of taking the WW2 kiss photo. In his first book, Eisenstaedt explains that he saw a sudden flash and someone wearing white being grabbed. Consequently, he turned around and clicked the moment. If the two individuals were wearing something different such as the nurse being dressed in a dark dress he wouldn’t have taken the photo, the same goes with the Sailor. In his second book, The Eye of Eisenstaedt, he says “I noticed a Sailor coming my way. He was grabbing every female he could find and kissing them all – young girls and old ladies alike.” He then noticed the nurse and focused on the iconic moment. Additionally, what both the nurse and Sailor were wearing played a huge role in the contrast and how the WW2 kiss photo turned out. Read next: Did Joe Biden Serve in the Military?


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