San Diego, California: Embracing Peace Statue

Giant version of the famous WWII photo of a sailor kissing a nurse. The original fiberglass statue arrived in 2007, was dismantled on May 30, 2012, and replaced by an identical statue of painted bronze in February 2013. Originally named "Unconditional Surrender."

A beautiful statue, but so busy to get a good pic with visitors around. Worth a stop and a snap.

Another growing trend: photograph the statue from a proper distance and angle so that the nurse appears to be holding a "#metoo" sign. It's 2017. A statue celebrating a man grabbing a stranger and kissing her against her will (other photos of the moment clearly show her clenched fists) sends all the wrong messages.

A 25-foot tall statue near the USS Midway depicts the famous Life magazine image of a sailor kissing a woman in Times Square during WWII when Japan surrendered.

The giant smooching sailor-and-nurse have stood in San Diego since 2007. But the statue has always been on temporary loan, which is set to expire in mid-May 2012. The idea that the statue would disappear didn't sit well with the U.S.S. Midway aircraft carrier museum next door, so it's raised $600,000 for a new, bronze version of the 25-foot-tall statue. It will be erected on the same spot, and painted the same colors, as the current fiberglass statue, but its metal construction will ensure that it will outlive even its youngest critics, who have howled for years that the statue is a waste of money and an eyesore. The new statue is expected to be unveiled in December 2012.