Glenn McDuffie, the man identified as the Kissing Sailor in a WWII-era picture passed away last week. Mr. McDuffie was identified as the kissing sailor by a forensic artist about 6 years ago – Glenn posed for over 100 photos reenacting the photo in question.
How did that picture even take place, you ask? McDuffie had told the AP he was changing trains in New York when he was told that Japan had surrendered.
“I was so happy. I ran out in the street,” said McDuffie, then 18 and on his way to visit his girlfriend in Brooklyn.
“And then I saw that nurse. She saw me hollering and with a big smile on my face. … I just went right to her and kissed her.”
“We never spoke a word,” he added. “Afterward, I just went on the subway across the street and went to Brooklyn.”
There were a lot of men who had claimed to be that famous “kissing sailor”, but after the forensic artist was able to match the ears, muscles, and other features “perfectly”.
RIP to a man that wasn’t “well-known” in history personally, but iconically.
photo credit: TV19 – DD Meighen via photopin cc
Leave a Reply