Iwo Jima Speech

The ticker tape and the confetti are raining down upon you and the countless other Americans who are celebrating the end of the second World War. As you look around Times Square in New York, you see the Uncle Sam poster that help draft many of the brave soldiers who fought. You also see the Rosie the Riveter poster that inspired so many women to go and work. You then turn and see a navy soldier kissing a nurse. You remember hearing about Old

Balint / People Behind / 2
Glory being raised on Iwo Jima. This is one day that you will forever have engrained in your mind. The posters of Uncle Sam and Rosie the Riveter, along with the photos of the Flag Raising on Iwo Jima and the Kissing on VJ Day have been remembered as some of the most famous
Mendonsa said “My ship had seen a lot of action. We were sent back to the States until the Army could get strong enough [to attack].” He decided to take his soon-to-be-wife Rita Petry out to lunch and see a movie. The two never did get to see the end of the movie because the news of the Japanese surrender. George and Rita left Radio City Music Hall to join the throngs of people already gathered on the streets. George thought he saw a nurse he knew from a few months before and ran towards her, leaving Rita behind. George grabbed the nurse and kissed her. But poor George had it all wrong. The girl who he thought was the nurse was actually Austrian native, Greta Zimmer, who was a dental assistant. Greta did not know what was happening until George grabbed her and was kissing her. The man responsible for capturing this moment in history was Alfred Eisentaedt. His picture of George kissing Greta would appear in LIFE Magazine and would show some of the celebration after the Japanese surrendered. Greta said "It wasn't that much of a kiss. "It was just somebody celebrating. It wasn't a romantic event.” Little did Greta and George know that their picture would soon be one of the most iconic photos from Work War