Statue of WWII sailor kissing nurse vandalized with "#MeToo"
By Christopher Brito
/ CBS News
A day after the sailor seen kissing a woman in the iconic World War II photo died, a statue commemorating the couple was found vandalized early Tuesday, Florida police said. According to the Sarasota Police Department, the vandal used red spray paint to emblazon the phrase "#MeToo," which refers to the movement against sexual assault and harassment.
Authorities were dispatched to the Unconditional Surrender statue in downtown Sarasota after midnight Tuesday and discovered red lettering covering the length of the nurse's leg. After a canvas of the area, officers did not find other objects that were defaced.
Sarasota PD said there's no available surveillance video that captured the incident and no known witnesses. They believe it happened between the mid-afternoon and evening hours, but, it is unknown exactly what time.
"The approximate damage is estimated to be more than $1,000 due to the large area that the graffiti covers, and the resources needed to repair it," police said.
George Mendonsa, the ecstatic sailor shown kissing a woman in Times Square celebrating the end of WWII, died Monday at the age of 95 – two days before his 96th birthday. He was shown kissing Greta Zimmer Friedman, a dental assistant in a nurse's uniform, on Aug. 14, 1945. Known as V-J Day, it was the day Japan surrendered to the United States.
The photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt became one of the most famous photographs of the 20th century. It was years before Mendonsa and Friedman were confirmed to be the couple. Friedman died in 2016 at age 92.
"It was the moment that you come back from the Pacific, and finally the war ends," Mendonsa told CBS News' Michelle Miller in 2012.
During the #MeToo era, the timeless kiss has been seen in a less positive light. Critics argue the photograph didn't depict romance because Mendonsa, who said he was drinking, simply grabbed and kissed Friedman without knowing her.
"I did not see him approaching, and before I know it I was in this vice grip," Friedman told CBS News.
Others said the image was symbolic of a time when men controlled women and normalized sexual assault.
"It was just somebody really celebrating," Friedman said in a 2005 interview. "But it wasn't a romantic event. It was just an event of 'thank God, the war is over' kind of thing because it was right in front of the sign."
First published on February 19, 2019
© 2019 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Deputy Press Secretary Lindsay Walters to leave White House
Walters departs her role as deputy press secretary for a job with Edelman public relations
17M ago 
Legendary Dodgers pitcher Don Newcombe has died at 92
"The Dodgers meant everything to him and we are all fortunate he was a part of our lives," team president says
19M ago 
Pence names ex-White House aide Marc Short as next chief of staff
Short, who served as the White House legislative director, has been working at the University of Virginia
30M ago 
Roger Stone's FBI-raided Florida home now up for rent
The longtime associate of President Trump is moving out of his Fort Lauderdale residence
49M ago 
Trump denies asking ex-acting AG about hush-money probe
The president responded to a New York Times story at an event establishing Space Force
1H ago
Deputy Press Secretary Lindsay Walters to leave White House
Walters departs her role as deputy press secretary for a job with Edelman public relations
17M ago
Pence names ex-White House aide Marc Short as next chief of staff
Short, who served as the White House legislative director, has been working at the University of Virginia
30M ago
Roger Stone's FBI-raided Florida home now up for rent
The longtime associate of President Trump is moving out of his Fort Lauderdale residence
49M ago
Trump denies asking ex-acting AG about hush-money probe
The president responded to a New York Times story at an event establishing Space Force
1H ago 
It's Ruth Bader Ginsburg's first day back on the bench
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is back for arguments at the Supreme Court after lung surgery
3H ago 
Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel fashion icon, has died at 85
A decades-long fashion career led to Vogue magazine dubbing him the "unparalleled interpreter of the mood of the moment"
1H ago 
"Several people buried" in avalanche at Swiss ski resort
Officials in Switzerland's Valais region say snow cascaded down a slope at the Crans Montana resort, burying skiers
4H ago 
Honda's U.K. plant closure adds to rising Brexit worries
The decision threatens at least 3,500 jobs, making uncertainty about Britain's divorce from the EU even worse
6H ago 
Huawei CEO: "We will never" provide China with any information
In his first TV interview with an American journalist, Ren Zhengfei spoke with "CBS This Morning" co-host Bianna Golodryga
8H ago 
Vatican confirms secret guidelines for priests who father kids
Church forbids clergymen from sex and marriage, but sometimes vows are broken, and until now, many children have suffered in silence
8H ago
Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel fashion icon, has died at 85
A decades-long fashion career led to Vogue magazine dubbing him the "unparalleled interpreter of the mood of the moment"
1H ago 
Brothers questioned in Jussie Smollett case speak out
Ola and Abel Osundairo went from persons of interest in the case to potential suspects to being released without charges
Feb 18 
21 Savage on his immigration case: "I'm not leaving without a fight"
The rapper opened up about his time in ICE custody and how his uncertain immigration status shaped him into the man he is today
Feb 18 
Preserving the sounds of rare Stradivarius violins
In Cremona, Italy, the birthplace of Antonio Stradivari, an ambitious recording project aims to immortalize some of the finest musical instruments ever made
Feb 18 
Jussie Smollett: Timeline of alleged hate crime on "Empire" actor
The alleged attack of "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett has sprawled into a three-week saga of confusing reports and contradictions
Feb 17 
Scientist who popularized term "global warming" dies at 87
Longtime Columbia University professor and researcher Wallace Broecker was known as the "grandfather of climate science"
8H ago 
"Snow moon" 2019 will be this year's brightest "supermoon"
All 3 of this year's supermoons fall between January and March; here's how to get the best views of this one
8H ago 
Misinformation online helps fuel measles outbreak
Tech companies like Facebook and Google are being criticized for the role false medical information may have played in the ongoing measles outbreak in the Pacific Northwest
Feb 18 
Amazon wants half of shipments to be carbon neutral by 2030
Ecommerce giant has faced criticism for not doing enough in the fight against climate change
Feb 18 
Black snow falls from the sky in Siberia, and it's toxic
A pall of eerie black snow covered several towns in the Siberian region of Kuzbass, home to 2.6 million people and one of the world's largest coal fields
Feb 18 
Nature's Path recalls gluten-free cereal due to undeclared gluten
Food maker recalls some batches of gluten-free product sold around the U.S. because it may contain wheat and barley
1H ago 
Scientifically proven ways to lose weight
Experts say it's the quality, not just the quantity, of what you eat that matters
2H ago 
Grand Canyon tourists reportedly exposed for years to radiation
A safety manager for the park says the exposure came from uranium rocks stored in buckets
5H ago 
Salmonella outbreak hitting pet food brands
At least two makers of animal food have been affected by a widespread turkey recall that has sickened hundreds
8H ago 
Mediation program helps patients fight surprise medical bills
In 2018, the Austin, Texas, program negotiated $9.7 million worth of bills, saving patients $8.4 million in medical expenses
20H ago
Nature's Path recalls gluten-free cereal due to undeclared gluten
Food maker recalls some batches of gluten-free product sold around the U.S. because it may contain wheat and barley
1H ago 
How to make money in the stock market over time
Watching stocks swing up and down can be scary — but not if you keep these basic investment tips in mind
4H ago
Honda's U.K. plant closure adds to rising Brexit worries
The decision threatens at least 3,500 jobs, making uncertainty about Britain's divorce from the EU even worse
6H ago 
Americans shocked by impact of new tax law: "My jaw hit the floor"
The first tax filing season under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is confusing and, in some cases, expensive for taxpayers
6H ago
Salmonella outbreak hitting pet food brands
At least two makers of animal food have been affected by a widespread turkey recall that has sickened hundreds
8H ago 
Ex-cop who killed teen contests rare challenge to his sentence
Jason Van Dyke's attorneys say such the challenge from prosecutors is only warranted in extraordinary circumstances
3H ago 
4 dead, including children, in western Michigan shooting
Officials in Kent County, Michigan, say they are not searching for a suspect in the shooting at a home Monday
16H ago 
Vatican hopes sexual abuse summit will be a turning point
Organizers of an extraordinary summit said they hope it will mark a "turning point" in the Catholic church's approach to clergy sex abuse
20H ago 
Illinois guns "honor system" in question after deadly workplace shooting
Aurora's police chief says Gary Martin shouldn't have had the gun he allegedly used to kill five of his colleagues Friday
20H ago
Brothers questioned in Jussie Smollett case speak out
Ola and Abel Osundairo went from persons of interest in the case to potential suspects to being released without charges
Feb 18 Original Article
