The “Unconditional Surrender” statue in Sarasota, Fla. that commemorates the iconic photo of a sailor kissing an unidentified nurse in Times Square on VJ Day was vandalized overnight by a #MeToo activist who spray-painted the hashtag on the woman’s leg.
From the Sarasota Police Department:
At approximately 12:53 am, our Officers were dispatched to the intersection of N Gulfstream Ave & Bayfront Dr reference to an unknown individual spray painting ‘# MeToo’ on the Unconditional Surrender statue. Additional information is at https://t.co/gv10lGhcja pic.twitter.com/JakU8aI7QY
— SarasotaPD (@SarasotaPD) February 19, 2019
What makes this doubly worse is that the sailor in the photo, George Mendonsa, just passed away at the age of 95:
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of George Mendonsa, World War II veteran known as the kissing sailor in the famed photo #VJDayinTimesSquare. Many know the photo, but few know the story. Take a moment to listen here: https://t.co/xvxAe5xpzC #RIP pic.twitter.com/NsmHMpPBSN
— American Veterans Center (@AVCupdate) February 18, 2019
Mr. Madonsa, who had just returned from 2 years in the Pacific aboard the USS Sullivans, explained the moment in this profile by The American Veterans Center. Have a watch:
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