Unfortunately the blogger from the UK who has concluded the kiss was a sexual assault is taking Greta's comments out of context to support her cause. The UK blogger could have contacted Greta (the nurse - actually a dental assistant) to ask her if she felt violated. Greta is very much alive and can address this issue. It very wrong and a great disservice to George and Greta to portray their kiss as sexual assault by drawing a conclusion from a quote taken out of context.

I have personally heard both George and Greta give their account of the kiss. Both say that it was an impulsive clebratory kiss, not an assault. George didn't ask Greta if he could kiss her, in the excitement of the day, he just did it. That day was a very special day for our country. Half a million lives had been lost. Almost every American had known some one or was related to some one who died. Food, gas, tires, sugar and even ladies nylons were rationed. This day all the killing ended, service men did not have to return to the war, and there was a short time when the releif and euphoria auperceded the rules of deportment. George was on the second date with Rita Petry, who can be seen over the sailors right shoulder. She is now his wife of 67 years. She saw the kiss and said that she thought nothing of it at the time because of the craziness and wild celebration that was going on. The wife of Victor Jorgensen, the photographer who took the photo above was with him at the time and an eye witness to the famous kiss. She described the scene in a letter to her family. ...We were in "Times Square only few minutes after the news was flashed on the Times sign. It was terribly exciting -- service men kissing girls--women openly crying -- horns tooting -- cheering and shouting -- confetti and paper streamers filling the air... " He was walking to the subway station with his date to return to her parents' home where he had spent the night. There is a great read with an accurate account in the book The Kissing Sailor by Larry Verria and George Galdorisi which is published by the U.S. Naval Institute. Greta and George came back to Times Square in 1980 at the invitation of Life Magazine. There is a photo of them reenacting the kiss beneath the Times building marquee which says "It had to be you." George, Greta, and Rita have been friends and in touch since that time. I don't think this would have happened if Greta had perceived the kiss as sexual assault.

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