Upset that he had effectively been edited out of history, George sued Time-Life, and though he was outspent legally, Yale University professor of photography Richard Benson agreed to examine the photo, along with three others Life made available. Benson concluded that the sailor was, indeed, George, as did the Mitsubishi Electric Research Lab in 1995 (they donated their services as a contribution to history) and forensic anthropologist Norman Sauer, who was contracted by the authors in 2009. Experts agree, through similar forensic analysis, that the “nurse†is Greta. “The Kissing Sailor†has collected all the research in hopes of being the final word on the subject.
The clincher for the authors is the presence of Rita, so long overlooked, quite recognizable in outtakes standing in the background.
She says the photo, like the kiss, has never been an issue in their marriage. “I never gave too much thought to it,†she says. “By the time I knew about it, I’d been married for years.â€
Today, Greta Zimmer Friedman lives in Frederick, Md. After the war, she learned that her parents had died in the camps, and she has never returned to Austria.
George and Rita, now married for 66 years, live in Rhode Island, where a copy of the famous photo hangs in their hallway and another downstairs. George says he’d never hang it if his wife didn’t approve — “She’s the boss!†— and that it’s true the kiss has never been discussed, before the photo’s enshrinement or since.
After all, George says, “I’m still kissing Rita.â€
http://www.nypost.com/images from various internet sources
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