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Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • Service History Note: The veteran claims to be the "kissing sailor" photographed by Life Magazine in Times Square, New York City on V-J Day 08/14/1945.
  • War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
  • Branch of Service: Navy
  • Unit of Service: USS The Sullivans (DD 537)
  • Location of Service: Pacific Theater
  • Highest Rank: Quartermaster First Class

View full service history

George Mendonsa Collection
Interview / Recording

Transcript: XML

More Resources

View 14 images in sequence.
[ Photo Album ]
View 16 images in sequence.
[ George Mendonsa's "proof book", containing biographical and other information supporting his claim to be the "kissing sailor" ]
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[ Letter to the Managing Editor of Life Magazine [1/5/2000] ]
View Enlarged Image
[ Letter from William F. Mason, Postmaster for Providence, RI, to George Mendonsa [3/27/1996] ]
View Enlarged Image
[ Letter from George Mendonsa to the Postmaster General of the United States [2/10/1996] ]
View 2 images in sequence.
[ Letter from George Mendonsa to Sarah Rouse [2/5/2008] ]

Show more resources (3)

View 21 images in sequence.
[ Bound diary containing a chronology of Mendonsa's service history ]
View Enlarged Image
[ Color copy of a commemorative stamp postcard [9/2/1995] ]
View 2 images in sequence.
[ Color copy of a newspaper photo of postmaster presenting Mendonsa with a folder of commemorative stamps ]

About this Item

Title

  • George Mendonsa Collection

Names

  • Mendonsa, George
  • Daughters of the American Revolution, Frederick, Maryland Chapter
  • Redmond, Patricia
  • National Court Reporters Association (NCRA)
  • Nancy Bond Rowland

State of Birth

  • RI

Home State

  • RI

Headings

  • -  Mendonsa, George
  • -  World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Navy.

Repository

  • Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Gender

  • Male

Status

  • Veteran

Service History

  • World War, 1939-1945

    • Service History Note: The veteran claims to be the "kissing sailor" photographed by Life Magazine in Times Square, New York City on V-J Day 08/14/1945.
    • Branch of Service: Navy
    • Unit of Service: USS The Sullivans (DD 537)
    • Location of Service: Pacific Theater
    • Highest Rank: Quartermaster First Class
    • Dates of Service: 1942-1946
    • Military Status: Veteran

Materials

  • Manuscript: Correspondence [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 01/05/2000)
  • Manuscript: Unit histories [4 items] -- Typewritten document (collected 1945 - 1992)
  • Manuscript: Printed matter [8 items] -- Typewritten document (collected 2002 - 2005)
  • Photograph: Mixed (Multiple types of photographs) [14 items] -- Photograph (collected 1945 - 2005)
  • Audio: Audio Cassette [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 09/03/2005)
  • Manuscript: Other [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 09/03/2005)
  • Video: VHS [3 items] -- Television broadcast (collected 1980 - 1985)
  • Manuscript: Clippings [10 items] -- Typewritten document (collected 1988 - 2005)
  • Manuscript: Periodicals [3 items] -- Typewritten document (collected 1980 - 2005)
  • Manuscript: Mixed (Multiple types of manuscripts) [4 items] -- Typewritten document (collected 1995 - 1996)
  • Manuscript: Diaries and journals [1 item] -- Handwritten document (collected unknown)
  • Video: DVD [1 item] -- Television broadcast (collected unknown)
  • Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Transcription of audio recording (collected 09/03/2005)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/42868

Cite as

  • George Mendonsa Collection (AFC/2001/001/42868), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Online Format

  • audio
  • image
  • online text

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

Using VHP Material in Publication or Exhibition

The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service. The Veterans History Project Collection includes oral histories along with documentary materials such as original letters, diaries, photographs, and memoirs.

Veterans and interviewers contribute these materials to the Library for scholarly and educational purposes, retaining any copyright they may hold. Therefore, permission must be obtained before using the interview or other materials in exhibition or publication. Researchers or others who would like to make further use of these materials should contact the Veterans History Project for assistance.

As a publicly supported institution, the Library generally does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot give or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute material in its collections. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item from the Library’s collections and for securing any necessary permissions rests with persons desiring to use the item.

Please contact us with questions.

Obtaining Copies of VHP Materials

In order for VHP materials to be duplicated, we must receive written permission from the interviewee for you to obtain a copy of the recording unless the proposed use is limited to personal use, research, or other uses permissible by copyright law. If the interviewee is deceased, their next-of-kin may grant written permission.

Please contact VHP for assistance if you need to contact a veteran for permission to use their materials in exhibition or publication, or if you have received permission from the veteran and need access to high-resolution copies of VHP collection materials.

Citing VHP Materials

Please use the following formats when citing Veterans History Project materials (substituting the appropriate name and collection ID number).

Materials as a whole:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Manuscript material:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Memoirs (MS02), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Transcript (MS04), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Correspondence (MS01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Recording:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Audio recording (SR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Video recording (MV01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Photograph:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Photographs (PH01), photographer unknown, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Photographs (PH03-PH14), Ralph Williams photographer, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Computer file:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Computer file (CF01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Artifact:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Artifact (AR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Mendonsa, George, Frederick Daughters Of The American Revolution, Patricia Redmond, National Court Reporters Association, and Nancy Bond Rowland. George Mendonsa Collection. 1942. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.42868/.

APA citation style:

Mendonsa, G., Daughters Of The American Revolution, F., Redmond, P., National Court Reporters Association & Nancy Bond Rowland. (1942) George Mendonsa Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.42868/.

MLA citation style:

Mendonsa, George, et al. George Mendonsa Collection. 1942. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.42868/>.