Unconditional Surrender Monument was added to Your Favorites!
San Diego, California
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The statue is based on the iconic photograph taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt on V-J Day in Times Square, capturing a sailor kissing a nurse to celebrate the end of World War II.
Standing at 25 feet tall, the statue is a larger-than-life representation of the famous embrace.
Before being permanently installed in San Diego, the statue was part of a traveling exhibition that visited several cities across the United States.
The statue is made from a combination of aluminum and steel, designed to withstand the coastal weather conditions of San Diego.
The Unconditional Surrender Monument is one of several similar statues created by artist Seward Johnson, with others located in places like Sarasota, Florida, and Normandy, France.
The statue is strategically placed near the USS Midway Museum, symbolizing the naval history and military significance of San Diego.
The Unconditional Surrender Monument has been the subject of controversy, with some critics arguing it romanticizes a non-consensual act, while others see it as a symbol of joy and relief at the end of the war.
