OT: V J Day sailor dies

[Bama fan]

George Mendonsa, the young sailor photographed kissing a young nurse on V J Day in an iconic moment in our history, has passed away at age 95. I think he lived in Rhode Island.

 

[meyers7]

Here you go.

 

[Bama fan]

Here you go.

And there he goes!

 

[IWearShoes]

They both lived into their 90's. Here's the story of the photo, from the nurse, if you didn't know it...

The Woman in the Iconic V-J Day Kiss Photo Died at 92, Here's Her Story | Smart News | Smithsonian

ETA Here's Mr. Mendonsa's story (that is the face of his future wife of 70 years over his right shoulder)...

George Mendonsa, whose Times Square kiss became an iconic photo, dies at 95 - The Boston Globe

 

[oldude]

Just to be clear, there were at least 12 sailors who claimed to be the sailor in the original Life Magazine photo as well as 3 women. Mendonsa actually sued the magazine to verify he was the sailor pictured, although nothing ever came of the suit. Many years later, advanced graphics were used that identified Mondonsa as the likely sailor in the photo.

The fact that so many individuals claimed to be the people in the iconic photo indicates there was a whole lot of random kissing going on in Times Square on V-J day.

 

[mbr33ct]

Just to be clear, there were at least 12 sailors who claimed to be the sailor in the original Life Magazine photo as well as 3 women. Mendonsa actually sued the magazine to verify he was the sailor pictured, although nothing ever came of the suit. Many years later, advanced graphics were used that identified Mondonsa as the likely sailor in the photo.

The fact that so many individuals claimed to be the people in the iconic photo indicates there was a whole lot of random kissing going on in Times Square on V-J day.

True also to identify all the Marines and the one Navy Corpsman in the Iwo Jima flag raising iconic photo.

 

[Bama fan]

Just to be clear, there were at least 12 sailors who claimed to be the sailor in the original Life Magazine photo as well as 3 women. Mendonsa actually sued the magazine to verify he was the sailor pictured, although nothing ever came of the suit. Many years later, advanced graphics were used that identified Mondonsa as the likely sailor in the photo.

The fact that so many individuals claimed to be the people in the iconic photo indicates there was a whole lot of random kissing going on in Times Square on V-J day.

A regular Tailhook convention scandal, eh? Hey ,sailor!

 

[oldude]

True also to identify all the Marines and the one Navy Corpsman in the Iwo Jima flag raising iconic photo.

Of course there were two flag raisings on IwoJima with the 2nd one replacing the smaller flag with the much larger one. The 2nd one is the iconic photo.

It is now pretty well documented who the marines were in the photo. Unfortunately, several died on Iwo before the battle was over. There is a great book, “Flags of our Fathers”, written by James Bradley, the son of the Navy Corpsman pictured in the photo.

 

[CL82]

Always liked the full picture.

 

[j66kicker]

Always liked the full picture.

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There is a huge statue of this in San Diego - down by the water in the Embarcadero area.

 

[UConnNick]

Always liked the full picture.

View attachment 39856

She sure looks like she's enjoying that lip smack!

 

[vtcwbuff]

A similar statue celebrating the event/photo was defaced yesterday in Sarasota. Somebody spray painted #ME TOO on the statue obviously considering the moment a sexual assault.

 

[CL82]

A similar statue celebrating the event/photo was defaced yesterday in Sarasota. Somebody spray painted #ME TOO on the statue obviously considering the moment a sexual assault.

If you read the article, she makes it clear that she didn't give prior consent. She didn't consider to be an act of affection more an act of spontaneous celebration.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Great book on how they found out who the sailor and the nurse are from that famous photo!
"Since Aug. 14, 1945, the identities of the smooching sailor and the nurse in Alfred Eisenstaedt’s Times Square V-J Day photograph have never been determined — until the publication, last week, of the book “The Kissing Sailor: The Mystery Behind the Photo that Ended World War II.”
You can read the NY POST article on this at:
https://nypost.com/2012/06/17/the-true-story-behind-the-iconic-v-j-day-sailor-and-nurse-smooch/

 

[phil sampieri]

same scene in Bristol CT downtown remember as if it were yesterday.
I was selling newspapers in the street for 5 cents, yes 5 cents. Proud to be an American

 

[BroadwayVa]

George Mendonsa, the young sailor photographed kissing a young nurse on V J Day in an iconic moment in our history, has passed away at age 95. I think he lived in Rhode Island.

While an iconic pix. As a Sailor, that didn't show us in a great light--perpetuation the myth.
Much more deserving was Desmond Doss, who as a Medic personally saved 75 lives plus 3 Japanese in combat--died with not one national word or the 50 or so kids from one Va town that died together on D day, they deserve recognition, but are not iconic.

 

[BroadwayVa]

same scene in Bristol CT downtown remember as if it were yesterday.
I was selling newspapers in the street for 5 cents, yes 5 cents. Proud to be an American

The Bristol Press, I followed the losses of the Kangaroo's in that.
Mom cried for a week: her brothers and son were going to live. From day one I have always been proud to be American.

 

[oldude]

While an iconic pix. As a Sailor, that didn't show us in a great light--perpetuation the myth.
Much more deserving was Desmond Doss, who as a Medic personally saved 75 lives plus 3 Japanese in combat--died with not one national word or the 50 or so kids from one Va town that died together on D day, they deserve recognition, but are not iconic.

It wasn’t as if Desmond Doss was overlooked. He was the only conscientious objector to ever receive the Congressional Medal of Honor and did have a movie made about his incredible exploits on Okinawa (Hacksaw Ridge).

 

[BroadwayVa]

She sure looks like she's enjoying that lip smack!

It was the moment, not the kiss. The joy of knowing the whole war was over.
Like walking to the gallows and then walk right past it. Reprieve!

 

[BroadwayVa]

It wasn’t as if Desmond Doss was overlooked. He was the only conscientious objector to ever receive the Congressional Medal of Honor and did have a movie made about his incredible exploits on Okinawa (Hacksaw Ridge).

No he wasn't totally overlooked. He was a hero's hero.

 

[oldude]

No he wasn't totally overlooked. He was a hero's hero.

Doss was certainly famous on Okinawa. My dad was a mechanic in the Marines at the airfield in Okinawa. When he wasn’t dodging Japanese kamikaze planes, he worked on mostly Vought F4U Corsairs.

While dad was nowhere near the fighting on Hacksaw Ridge, he, along with every other Marine and service member on the island, heard stories through the grapevine about Doss’s exploits.

Of course the grapevine had a way of inflating facts just a bit. Dad remembered hearing about this medic named Doss who saved “hundreds of wounded Marines.”

 

[winlots]

George Mendonsa, the young sailor photographed kissing a young nurse on V J Day in an iconic moment in our history, has passed away at age 95. I think he lived in Rhode Island.

BAMA = thanks for this latest of your great posts. And thanks to all you others who have added to it in positive and interesting fashion. Always good to be among those who "get it" as Kara would say.
Am in touch with, and have met with, a number of Iwo survivors by the way, all of whom were wounded there. Inspirational bunch of men.

 

[vtcwbuff]

While an iconic pix. As a Sailor, that didn't show us in a great light--perpetuation the myth.
Much more deserving was Desmond Doss, who as a Medic personally saved 75 lives plus 3 Japanese in combat--died with not one national word or the 50 or so kids from one Va town that died together on D day, they deserve recognition, but are not iconic.

Apples and oranges VA. One man was symbolic and the other heroic. Mendosa was merely the subject. The photo was the true story.

Doss is an entirely different story. No symbolism there, just pure heroics. Doss was widely recognized for his actions. Not only by the military, (BSX2 and MOH) but also by the American people. Several biographical books were written about him and an award winning movie was released just a couple of years ago. Highways were named after him as were several schools. There are statues dedicated to him in Georgia and Tennessee.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Doss was certainly famous on Okinawa. My dad was a mechanic in the Marines at the airfield in Okinawa. When he wasn’t dodging Japanese kamikaze planes, he worked on mostly Vought F4U Corsairs.

While dad was nowhere near the fighting on Hacksaw Ridge, he, along with every other Marine and service member on the island, heard stories through the grapevine about Doss’s exploits.

Of course the grapevine had a way of inflating facts just a bit. Dad remembered hearing about this medic named Doss who saved “hundreds of wounded Marines.”

I had uncles, cousins and friends in the area none on Okinawa. The Vought/Sirkosky (sp) Corsair (the two names remain in my brain) was whispering death, and I loved them. We used in Korea as close air support for Marines drop those flaps and stand still-.
I hope your dad is alive. If he is give him a kiss from me. God knows I hold those Marines is high respect---how they earned it. FYI--Marine air mechanics were first (like all Marines) trained to fight with the infantry-cuz they were always that close to the front (in Okinawa that was 360 degrees). The enemy tried to take out the support personnel, Army and Marines. God love him..

 

[MilfordHusky]

There is a huge statue of this in San Diego - down by the water in the Embarcadero area.