Nurse in iconic Times Square kissing photo from the end of World War II dies aged 92
Greta Friedman, 92, was believed to have been the nurse in one of the most iconic photos of the 20th century
THE woman widely believed to be the nurse in the iconic image of two people kissing in Times Square to celebrate the end of World War II has died.
Greta Friedman died at 92 after developing health complications on Thursday.
Her son, Joshua Friedman, who confirmed the 92-year-old's death, said his mother had been living in an assisted living facility for the past two years.
She died on Thursday with , Mischa Elliot Friedman, who was buried at the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
While there have been many claims over the identity of the nurse in the photograph, author Lawrence Verria claimed to have proven that Friedman, along with sailor George Mendonsa, were the people in the iconic image taken in New York as crowds celebrated VJ Day.
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The author of "The Kissing Sailor: The Mystery Behind the Photo that Ended World War II", Verria said Friedman's height, hairstyle and uniform matched other photographs of her taken at the time and therefore proved she was the woman in the iconic image.
Attempts to solve the mystery around the true identities of the couple also included Life Magazine issuing a plea for the couple involved in the photograph to come forward in 1980, receiving multiple claims.
Speaking about the image, which was taken by Life Magazine photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt, Friedman told CNS in 2012: "I did not see him approaching, and before I knew it I was in this tight grip."
The photograph has been controversial after concerns the kiss may have been sexual assault, but Friedman, who was actually a dental assistant, since said she understood the excitement and the sailor being swept up in the moment.
Friedman, who went on to marry a doctor in 1956, said the kiss did not go for long.
The iconic image has since been re-enacted by couples thousands of times in Times Square.
George Mendonsa, who is widely believed to have been the sailor in the photograph said: "The excitement of the war being over, plus I had a few drinks, so when I saw the nurse I grabbed her, and I kissed her."
The couple formally met in the 1980s, exchanging Christmas cards to stay in touch, even re-enacting the kiss in 2012.
Friedman is survived by her two children and her three grandchildren.
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