The head of the VA was forced to renounce his own staff after one of the most iconic photos of a military veteran was headed for the trash heap.
On Tuesday, Department of Veterans Affairs Assistant Undersecretary RimaAnn Nelson, who oversees the agency’s healthcare operations, issued an internal memo in late February that banned the famous black-and-white photo of a U.S. Navy sailor kissing a female stranger in Times Square during a celebration of the end of World War II.
The photo, which made the cover of Life magazine, shows sailor George Mendonsa dipping a nurse named Greta Zimmer and smooching her. The photo was taken on Aug. 14, 1945, upon the news that Japan had surrendered to end the war.
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Mendonsa had remembered nurses like Zimmer rescuing hundreds of sailors from the water after a pair of Japanese kamikazes struck the USS Bunker Hill, killing hundreds. At the moment of the kiss, the sailor was actually on a date with another woman whom he would later marry.
In her memo, Nelson told VA staff that the photo would be banned from the agency’s facilities because it symbolized sexual harassment.
Nelson wrote that the image “was initially intended to celebrate and commemorate the end of World War II and the triumphant return of American soldiers. However, perspectives on historical events and their representations evolve.”
“To foster a more trauma-informed environment that promotes the psychological safety of our employees and the veterans we serve, photographs depicting the ‘V-J Day in Times Square’ should be removed from all [Veterans Health Administration] facilities,” Nelson added.
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She noted the image “depicts a non-consensual act” and “is inconsistent with the VA’s no-tolerance policy towards sexual harassment and assault.”
In the memo, Nelson also wrote to VA staff, “To promote a culture of inclusivity and awareness… your cooperation is vital.”
The conservative X account EndWokeness posted the memo on Tuesday.
Roughly 90 minutes later, VA Secretary Denis McDonough used his official X account to reverse Nelson’s memo amid major blowback.
“This image is not banned from VA facilities — and we will keep it in VA facilities,” McDonough said in the post.
The Military Times noted that VA officials offered in a separate statement that the “VA will NOT be banning this photo from VA facilities.”
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“Officials said the memo should not have been sent out and was formally rescinded on Tuesday,” the Times added. “They did not provide details of whether senior leaders were consulted on the matter ahead of Nelson’s memo.”
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