On Monday, Aug. 15, Americans across the country will celebrate the 71st anniversary of V-J Day, victory over Japan.
August 15, 1945 was a massive celebration, and one of the most famous photographs from that day -- or of any day in our country's history -- is "V-J Day in Times Square," which was taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt. The photo shows a sailor and a nurse sharing a celebratory kiss in Times Square.
A 25-foot statue commemorating the kiss is currently on display at Memorial Park in Royal Oak until the end of the year. The massive bronze statue is the centerpiece of the event "Kissing the War Goodbye," when the public is encouraged to show up, dressed as sailors and nurses, to recreate the kiss.The goal of the event is to raise awareness of the $3 million fundraising campaign to support the construction of the Michigan World War II Legacy Memorial, which will be located at Memorial Park.
Listen to the full interview above to hear Russell Levine, the vice-president of the Michigan WWII Legacy Memorial, talk about the origin of the rare statue, what to expect at the Royal Oak event this weekend, and the social media campaign that's attached to it.
GUEST: Russell Levine is the vice-president of the Michigan WWII Legacy Memorial
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