The dental technician's kiss

to determine the real couple. Several candidates emerged -- including Greta and George -- and several were declared the real couple. It was left to Verria and Galdorisi in The Kissing Sailor to prove the couple was George and Greta.

Unique details

A "mountain of evidence" supported their conclusion, according to the authors. Scientists using modern technology such as facial recognition, forensic anthropology, and detailed photographic analysis evaluated the picture. In the end, nose and hand size, a unique hairline, an arm tattoo on the right arm, and an unusual bend in the thumb all led to the conclusion that George was the "kissing sailor." In addition, he had a new uniform tailor-made while on leave and hadn't had his ratings (chevrons) sewn on, just as in the picture. Probably the clinching factor was the observance of a small lump on his arm -- barely visible -- a subcutaneous growth known medically as a "wen."

Proving Greta, the dental technician, was the "nurse" in the photo was a simple matter. Experts evaluated her slender figure, long thin legs, slender-bony fingers, and hairstyle, which they compared to the other contenders. At 5 feet 4 ¾ inches, she was the only one who could possibly fit the embrace with the 6-foot 2-inch George. Added to this was a small sliver of her "colorful tapestry purse" in one of Eisenstaedt's frames that served as the coup de gras.

In the introduction to The Kissing Sailor, the venerable newsman David Hartman sums it well, writing that the picture "makes us feel like we were there experiencing the exultation of the war's end."

Daniel Demers is a semiretired businessman whose hobby is researching and writing about 19th and 20th century historical events and personalities. He holds a bachelor's degree in history from George Washington University and a master's degree in business from Chapman University.

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