One of the most iconic photos after WWII.

The sailor in this picture, George Mendonsa, grabbed his girl, Greta Zimmer Freidland, and planted a good one on her at the post WWII celebration in Times Square August 14th, 1945.

Mendonsa passed away Sunday at the age of 95 and just two days before his 96th birthday. Mendonsa passed away in Middletown, Rhode Island.

One of the reasons the picture became so iconic is due to the fact that so many people related with the feeling of happiness that the war had ended. This was, of course, before email, FaceTime and other means of communication that we have today to do our best to keep in touch with deployed soldiers. Not that today's soldiers have it any better or worse but just glad there are faster and easier ways to communicate than sending a random letter like back in the '40s. You can tell the ecstatic feeling of pure emotion displayed in this iconic photo.

A big and very well earned salute to George Mendonsa.

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