Sailor from Iconic Photo Passes Away

It's rare to find a photo that stands the test of time while still provoking so much emotion.

Alfred Eisenstaed did just that with one photo. That photo is simply known as "The Kiss."

That photo is of George Mendonsa kissing Greta Zimmer Friedman on V-J Day August 14, 1945. They day Japan surrendered to the United States. People piled into the streets to celebrate and Mendonsa became a symbol of freedom, celebration, and victory.

George Mendonsa passed away at age 95 over the weekend, just two days before his 96th birthday. He was living in a nursing facility with his wife of 70 years.

Mendonsa served on a destroyer during the war and was on leave when the end of the war was announced. He decided to kiss Friedman because she reminded him of the nurses that cared for wounded soldiers.

[via WPHT]