Photo: Victor Jorgensen/U.S. Navy
George Mendonsa, the World War II veteran identified as the sailor who was photographed kissing a woman in Times Square in celebration of the end of the war, has died.
At the time of his death, Mendonsa was residing in an assisted living facility in Middletown, Rhode Island with his wife of 70 years.
On Sunday, Mendonsa’s daughter Sharon Molleur received a call from the facility, saying her fatherhad fallen and had a seizure, Molleur told theProvidence Journal.
His death came just two days before his 96th birthday.
In the iconic photograph taken on Aug. 14, 1945, also known as V-J Day — the day Japan surrendered — Mendonsa was captured kissing Greta Zimmer Friedman.
Mendonsa hadnever metFriedman, a dental assistant wearing a nurse uniform, before that moment, the Associated Press reported.
The popularity behind the photo prompted a number of men and women to come forward claiming to be “the couple,” but it waslater confirmedas Mendonsa and Friedman, the Associated Press reported.
George Mendonsa.Patrick Raycraft/Hartford Courant/MCT via Getty
Lawrence Verria and George Galdorisi, authors ofThe Kissing Sailor, which was published in 2012, saidfacial recognition technology confirmedMendonsa and Friedman’s identity.
“The evidence is so overwhelming,” Verria toldProvidence Journal. “There really is no doubt… This man deserves the credit during his lifetime.”
In 2015, Mendonsaspoke about the kissas he was honored at the Rhode Island State House.
During the war, Mendonsa served on a destroyer, the AP reported, which is a long-endurance warship used to escort larger vessels in the fleet and defend them against attackers.
When the victory over Japan was announced, Mendonsa was on leave and happened to be in Times Square,Providence Journalreported.
Mendonsa revealed the reason behind the kiss was that Friedman reminded him of the nurses that would care for wounded sailors on the ship — and he had drunk a few alcoholic beverages.
Neither Mendonsa or Friedman knew of the photo until years later as they went their separate ways after the kiss, Verria explained,Providence Journalreported.
Friedman also spoke about the incident,tellingthe Library of Congress it “wasn’t romantic.”
“It was just somebody really celebrating,” Friedman said.
Friedman died in 2016 in a hospital in Richmond, Virginia, the Associated Press reported. She was 92.
source: people.com
