Vandal Paints #MeToo On Iconic WWII Statue Of Sailor Kissing Nurse

Vandals need no excuse to unleash their creativity. In the latest case of vandalism, a miscreant on Monday used the #MeToo issue to damage an iconic statue in Sarasota, Florida. The vandal spray-painted #MeToo on the statue of a nurse grabbed and kissed by a sailor. The statue was made after a photo taken in Times Square in 1945, showing a woman dressed in a white uniform being embraced and kissed by a sailor to celebrate the end of World War II.

Florida Police is investigating the case of vandalism in which the vandals spray-painted the famous hashtag on the nurse’s leg.

The sailor and the nurse portrayed in the statue were identified as George Mendosa and Greta Friedman—21 at the time when her picture was taken. Friedman later told Veterans History Project in 2005 that the sudden kiss. “Suddenly, I was grabbed by a sailor,” she said, adding that it wasn’t really a kiss, but a moment of jubilation for the sailor who did not have to back in the war.

“He was just holding me tight. I'm not sure about the kiss... It was just somebody celebrating. It wasn't a romantic event. It was just ... 'Thank God, the war is over’.”

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She also said that the sailor was “very strong”. “He was just holding me tight. I'm not sure about the kiss... It was just somebody celebrating. It wasn't a romantic event. It was just ... 'Thank God, the war is over’.”

On his part, Mendosa recalled, “So we get into Times Square and the war ends and I see the nurse,” he told CNN in 2015. “I had a few drinks, and it was just plain instinct, I guess. I just grabbed her.”

Police found out about the act of vandalism on Tuesday morning and believe that it must have occurred sometime on Monday afternoon or evening. Officers have not been able to locate any evidence in the area or surveillance video capturing the incident.

The #MeToo movement has spread worldwide, with people speaking up about being subjected to sexual harassment.

Picture credit- Sarasota Police Department

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