I think most of us remember the famous picture taken in Times Square on V-J day (victory over Japan) August, 1945 that involved a nurse and an enthusiastic sailor. It is known as The Kissing Sailor. This famous photograph was taken by Life photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt and it has become one of the most recognized photographs of the war.
While visiting San Diego earlier this year, we were wandering around the harbor area and I was excited to see this massive statue of the pair held in time forever. I focused mainly on the lip lock for this shot, as the entire statue is at least 50 feet tall, if not more. It stands in a small walking and resting area along side the USS Midway that is docked there. It is a very cool place to visit even if you are not into military history. This is not the greatest picture as it was dusk, but I love the reminder of the event and the original picture.
I love this statue and I think that taking the picture at dusk adds a different feel to it. It is a perfect photo for this time fo the year as we near July 4th. I didn’t know that this statue existed in San Diego – another reason to visit the west coast.
My whole family visited the Midway a few years and LOVED it – a highly recommended thing to do when in San Diego (also Legoland, the Zoo and the wild animal park of the Zoo). However, we did not see this statue – bummer!
How do they manage to keep the nurse’s dress so white, I wonder?
I love this statue and photo, not only because I am a nurse, but also because I love a man in uniform, lol. Thanks for featuring it. I do love military history and big fan of WWII stuff.