Florida sculpture of George Mendonsa and Greta Zimmer Friedman defaced as kiss comes under scrutiny

A statue in Florida depicting the US sailor famously photographed kissing a female stranger at the end of the second world war has been vandalised, with “#MeToo” written in red spray paint across the woman’s leg the day after the serviceman’s death.

Although the image of George Mendonsa kissing Greta Zimmer Friedman has long been heralded for epitomising the joy shared throughout the world upon the ending of hostilities in 1945, it has come under scrutiny more recently, with many accusing Mendonsa of assault.

Friedman had spoken of her shock at being grabbed and kissed by Mendonsa, who was drunk, amid exuberant scenes in Times Square after the surrender of Japan.

“So we get into Times Square and the war ends and I see the nurse,” Mendonsa told CNN in 2015 of the moment that was captured by Alfred Eisenstaedt. “I had a few drinks, and it was just plain instinct, I guess. I just grabbed her.”

In a 2005 interview, Friedman said the kiss was non-consensual, but that she understood it was a “jubilant act”, with her son later telling the New York Times that his mother did not view the kiss negatively.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Sarasota police said CCTV had not captured the incident, and there were no known witnesses. Photograph: Sarasota Police Department

The graffiti was daubed on the Unconditional Surrender statue in Sarasota, Florida, on Monday, according to local police, with the cost of the damage estimated to be $1,000 (£765) “due to the large area that the graffiti covers, and the resources needed to repair it”.

In a statement, the Sarasota police department said officers were “dispatched to the intersection of North Gulfstream Avenue and Bayfront Drive reference to an unknown individual spray painting ‘#MeToo’ on the Unconditional Surrender statue.

“They found the words ‘#MeToo’ spray painted in red along the left leg of the nurse. The red lettering covered the length of the nurse’s leg,” the department said.

“A canvass by officers was conducted in the area to locate spray paint bottles, however, none were found. During the canvass, no other objects were observed to be defaced or spray painted.”

Sarasota police added that CCTV had not captured the incident, and there were no known witnesses. “It’s believed the incident occurred on Monday, February 18, 2019, between the mid-afternoon and evening hours, however, it is unknown exactly what time.”

The city of Sarasota confirmed the graffiti was removed from the statue, which was created by the sculptor Seward Johnson, on Tuesday morning.

Mendonsa, 95, suffered a seizure and died on Sunday after a fall at a care home in Middletown, Rhode Island. Friedman died aged 92 from pneumonia in Richmond, Virginia, in 2016.