Under at 26-foot statue erected in the middle of Times Square, hundreds of people gathered in costume yesterday to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II—and the anniversary of a very famous kiss. Couples re-enacted the Life magazine photo of nurse Edith Shain being kissed by a sailor on V-J Day at the countdown of "3,2,1, Kiss!"
World War II veterans and their families gathered too, some with photographs of relatives who died in the war. Rocco Moretto, 86, said, “I want to keep that day alive," and kissed his friend and Women's Army Corps veteran Margie Zwick. He said of the kiss, It was terrific. It’s been a long time coming." Gloria Bullard said she was in a nurses training school in 1945, and was kissed "about a dozen times" in Times Square on V-J Day. "My uniform was a mess. My cuffs were off. I lost my cuff links. It was just wonderful."
