The Navy Sailor who was captured in an iconic photo kissing a nurse while celebrating victory over the Japanese in World War II has died, just days before his 96th birthday. George Mendonsa's daughter, Sharon Molleur, told the Providence Journal that her father had fallen at his assisted living facility in Middletown, Rhode Island and suffered a seizure.
The photo of Mendonsa was taken in New York City's Times Square on August 14, 1945, by Alfred Eisenstaedt and later published in Life magazine.
At the time nobody knew that it was Mendonsa in the photo because it was not published with a caption. Over the years, others claimed to be the iconic sailor, but the matter was settled in 2012 using facial recognition technology.
"He was very proud of his service and the picture and what it stood for," Molleur told NBC News. "Always, for many, many years later, it was an important part of his life."
Photo: Getty Images