It is arguably the most famous photograph in American history. You know the one. A sailor in a dark uniform grips a woman in a white dress, dipping her back in a back-breaking arch as he plants a kiss on her lips amidst the madness of New York City. The soldier kissing nurse picture—officially titled V-J Day in Times Square—has been plastered on posters, dorm room walls, and coffee mugs for decades. It feels romantic. It feels like the ultimate "we won" moment.
But honestly? The real story is kinda messy.
If you look closely at the shot taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt on August 14, 1945, you aren't seeing a couple in love. You're seeing two total strangers. They didn't know each other’s names when the shutter clicked. They didn't even speak. In the years since that day, the image has transformed from a symbol of national relief into a subject of intense debate regarding consent, memory, and how we curate our history.
The Chaos of August 14, 1945
Truman had just announced the Japanese surrender. World War II was over. Imagine the sheer, unbridled electricity of two million people flooding the streets of Manhattan. People were screaming. They were crying. They were, quite literally, grabbing anyone within arm's reach.
Alfred Eisenstaedt, a photographer for Life magazine, was wandering through this sea of humanity looking for "the shot." He saw a sailor running down the street, grabbing every woman in sight and kissing them. Whether they were young, old, tall, or short didn't matter to him. Eisenstaedt followed him, waiting for the right visual contrast. He needed a "white dress" to pop against the sailor's dark blue wool.
Then he saw Greta Zimmer Friedman.
She wasn't actually a nurse, though the soldier kissing nurse picture title stuck forever. She was a 21-year-old dental assistant wearing her white uniform. She had stepped out of her office to see if the rumors of peace were true. Suddenly, she was grabbed.
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Identifying the Faces in the Crowd
For decades, nobody actually knew who these people were. Eisenstaedt didn't get their names; he was too busy trying to get his Leica camera settings right in a crowd that was pushing and shoving. It wasn't until 1980 that Life magazine asked the "kissers" to come forward.
Dozens of men claimed to be the sailor. Several women claimed to be the nurse.
It took forensic analysis, 3D face modeling, and even lie detector tests to narrow it down. The sailor was George Mendonsa. He was a Navy Quartermaster on leave, and—here is the kicker—he was actually on a date with another woman when he kissed Greta. His future wife, Rita Petry, is actually visible in the background of some of the other photos taken that day, smiling.
Greta, for her part, didn't even see the photo until the 1960s when she was flipping through a book of Eisenstaedt’s work. She recognized her hair, her clothes, and the way George was holding her.
Why the "Nurse" Label Stuck
We call it the soldier kissing nurse picture because, in 1945, that was the archetype. The brave soldier coming home to the healing nurse. It fit the narrative of the "Greatest Generation."
If Greta had been wearing a floral sundress, the photo might still be famous, but it wouldn't have that same iconic, almost mythological status. The white uniform created a visual shorthand for purity and care. In reality, George was just a guy who had seen too much combat in the Pacific and had probably had a few too many drinks to celebrate the fact that he wouldn't have to go back.
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He later said that his "celebratory" kissing spree was a reaction to the horrors he’d seen at sea, specifically seeing nurses care for wounded sailors. When he saw Greta’s white uniform, his brain just sort of triggered a "thank you" response. A very aggressive, physical thank you.
The Modern Controversy: Romance or Assault?
In recent years, the way we look at this image has shifted dramatically. If a man grabbed a random woman on the street today and forced a kiss on her like that, he’d be arrested.
Greta herself was always very clear about this in interviews before she passed away in 2016. She said, "It wasn't my choice to be kissed. The guy just came over and grabbed!" She didn't view it as a romantic moment. She viewed it as someone celebrating. She described his grip as "very strong."
This creates a complicated relationship with the art. Can we still appreciate a photo that captures a historic high point if the act itself was non-consensual? Some historians argue that you have to view it through the lens of 1945—a day when the entire world felt like it had been given a second chance at life. Others say that "the times" don't excuse the lack of agency Greta had in that moment.
The Competing Photograph
Most people don't realize there is actually a second photo of this exact moment.
While Eisenstaedt was working for Life, a Navy photographer named Victor Jorgensen was also standing nearby. His shot, titled Kissing the War Goodbye, shows the same scene but from a different, less "artistic" angle. It doesn't show the full bodies, and it lacks the perfect "dip" that Eisenstaedt captured.
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The fact that the Eisenstaedt version became the "official" soldier kissing nurse picture is a testament to composition. He caught the legs, the shoes, and the curve of the street perfectly. It looks staged because it's so well-framed, but it was purely a split-second catch.
Why It Still Matters Today
We are obsessed with this image because it represents the end of an era. It was the moment the United States pivoted from a wartime footing to the prosperity of the 1950s.
When you look at the soldier kissing nurse picture, you're looking at the exact second the weight of the world was lifted off a generation's shoulders. Even with the messy reality of George’s date standing five feet away and Greta being caught off guard, the image persists because of what we want it to be.
It represents a time when the world was black and white, and the "good guys" had won.
Actionable Insights for History Buffs
If you're looking to dive deeper into the history of this photograph or photography of that era, here is how you can verify the facts for yourself:
- Visit the Rhode Island Historical Society: George Mendonsa was from Rhode Island, and much of the primary research regarding his identity and the forensic confirmation of the photo is archived in local historical records there.
- Read "The Kissing Sailor": This book by Lawrence Verria and George Galdorisi is widely considered the definitive account. It uses forensic mapping to prove once and for all that Mendonsa and Friedman were the pair in the photo.
- Analyze the shadows: If you ever want to win a trivia night, look at the shadows on the ground in the photo. Physicists and astronomers have actually used the shadow of the buildings in Times Square to pinpoint the exact time the photo was taken: 5:51 PM.
- Check the Library of Congress: You can find high-resolution versions of the Jorgensen photo (the "other" kiss photo) which is in the public domain, unlike the Eisenstaedt version which is still under strict copyright.
The soldier kissing nurse picture isn't just a piece of paper; it’s a mirror. It shows us how we used to celebrate, how we used to document history, and how much our standards for personal space and consent have evolved since that chaotic Tuesday in August.