Controversial Statue to Remain on Bayfront

SARASOTA – Sarasota City Commissioners voted 4 to 1 this week to keep the statue depicting the iconic photograph of a WWII sailor forcing a kiss on what appears to be a nurse (the actual subject was a dental assistant) on the city's bayfront. Titled, Unconditional Surrender, the statue will be relocated a short distance from its current location to a space between O'Leary's Tiki Bar and Marina Jack's.

The relocation will occur by the 15th of January in order to make way for the construction of a new roundabout at U.S. 41 and Gulfstream Avenue. The statue was originally installed temporarily as part of a tour of cities. However, an anonymous donor purchased it and donated it to the city, sparking a debate on whether and where it should be displayed.

Public opinion on the statue was mostly split with many in the arts community citing the fact that it was essentially copyright infringement, as it depicted a copyrighted photograph without permission. They also noted that it was not unique to the city, as several others in the United States have the same reproduction.

Others cited the now well-documented story of the image itself. In August 1945, George Mendonsa was a 22-year-old Navy quartermaster on leave from the Pacific theater and on a movie date with his future wife when news that the Japanese had just surrendered, ending the war, was announced.

The couple spilled into the streets, where George, who later said he was too drunk to remember the kiss, grabbed what he thought was an Army nurse and planted one on her. His future wife, Rita, can actually be seen in the photo.

The girl George kissed was Greta Zimmer, then 22, who had emigrated from Austria a few years earlier. She later said she was shocked when the strong young man grabbed her and kissed her mouth, noting that she hadn't kissed him back.

Congressman Vern Buchanan (R-Longboat Key) applauded the commission's decision.

"The statue symbolizes the end of World War II and should be celebrated, not relegated to a less prominent location,“ Buchanan said in a statement. "I applaud the commission for listening to the will of the people."

In September, Buchanan sent a letter to the city commission urging them to keep the statue on the Bayfront. In his letter, Buchanan highlighted the statue’s significance to veterans and its popularity among area residents and visitors.