V-J DAY HONORS `GREATEST GENERATION' SHARES WWII MEMORIES, TEARS.Byline: Angie Valencia-Martinez Staff Writer HOLLYWOOD HILLS The Hollywood Hills, an unofficial designation of part of the City of Los Angeles, California, are part of the eastern section of the low transverse range of the Santa Monica Mountains, which extends from the Los Feliz District and Hollywood, on the south side of the Valley, to - Edith Shain Edith Shain claims to be the nurse in the iconic LIFE Magazine photo of the sailor kissing the nurse in Times Square, 1945[1] . The picture was taken by renowned photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt, and is acclaimed as one of the most recognizable photos of the remembers rushing to New York's Times Square on V-J V-J Victory over Japan (also seen as VJ) Day, where throngs of elated strangers cheered the Japanese surrender marking the end of World War II End of World War II can refer to:
Pandemonium Pandemonium Milton’s capital of the devils. [Br. Lit.: Paradise Lost] See : Confusion Pandemonium chief city of Hell. [Br. Lit.: Paradise Lost] See : Hell swept America and there, on Aug. 15, 1945, a young sailor dipped the surprised nurse and planted on her a wet one - a kiss that still resonates 60 years later. ``I was glad there was this sailor who had enough energy and sexual enthusiasm to grab and kiss me the way he did,'' the petite 87-year-old said Saturday. ``I didn't know it was ever photographed. We never found out who the sailor was.'' The spontaneous moment, caught by a Life magazine photographer, became a symbol of the end of the war, and on Saturday, Shain's story was one of several recounted at a V-J Day event honoring World War II veterans at Forest Lawn Forest Lawn is the name of a number of different places:
In ``A Grateful Nation Remembers,'' veterans now in their 80s told stories of battles from Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor, land-locked harbor, on the southern coast of Oahu island, Hawaii, W of Honolulu; one of the largest and best natural harbors in the E Pacific Ocean. In the vicinity are many U.S. military installations, including the chief U.S. and Iwo Jima to Guadalcanal. They swayed and clapped as singers performed such favorites as ``Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.'' ``Today is your day,'' said Joseph Smith, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and a retired Marine colonel. ``We admire and appreciate all that you have done to change world history.'' The two-hour homage recognized a generation of soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines for their service. ``Their sacrifices have allowed the world to live in peace and prosperity for the past six decades,'' said master of ceremonies Michael R.S. Teilmann, an Army veteran. ``You truly are America's greatest generation - no doubt about it. We salute you.'' During an ``I Remember'' segment of the program, veterans stood before the audience and shared heartfelt stories about their experiences in the Pacific. There were lapses in memory, tears and heartache as proud, aging veterans of the Second World War recounted painful tales. George Doherty fought in the Philippines with the Army. ``Yep, I remember,'' he said, recalling the prisoner of war PRISONER OF WAR. One who has been captured while fighting under the banner of some state. He is a prisoner, although never confined in a prison. 2. In modern times, prisoners are treated with more humanity than formerly; the individual captor has now no camps and the efforts to rescue those in Los Banos, in the Philippines. ``These were prisoners who went from weighing 170-180 pounds to 90 pounds,'' he said. ``They were skin and bones.'' And when the time came to rescue them, ``they were so unbelievably excited and euphoric about what was happening, they wouldn't move.'' Richard Bailey saw action at Guadalcanal - the site of the first American counteroffensive coun·ter·of·fen·sive n. A large-scale counterattack by an armed force, intended to stop an enemy offensive. Noun 1. counteroffensive against the Japanese 63 years ago. The U.S. Marine remembered the South Pacific jungle island's rain, tropical heat and creatures that carried diseases. There wasn't enough food, clothing or ammunition, but U.S. forces still handed the Japanese their first defeat in 2,600 years, he said. ``It proved they were not invincible. The rest is history,'' he said. He also vividly remembered the men killed in his battalion, most of whom were in their 20s. And then there was the young blond, who died with a peaceful look on his face. ``What a waste,'' Bailey said. ``What a waste.'' Angie Valencia-Martinez, (805) 583-7604 angie.valencia(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 4 photos Photo: (1 -- 3) Veterans photograph the V-J Day program at Forest Lawn, left. Above, Edith Shain talks about being immortalized in the famous Life magazine photo, top, taken during end-of-the-war exuberance. (4) World War II veterans Leonard Tullgren, second from right, and Joseph Vainor, right, salute and sing the national anthem during the commemoration of V-J Day, the end of WWII WWII abbr. World War II WWII World War Two in the Pacific. Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer |
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