CULTURE WAR

VA Backtracks on Banning Iconic WWII Kiss Photo From Its Medical Facilities

A department memo instructed employees at its medical sites to “promptly” remove the famous photograph over its depiction of “a non-consensual act.”

A top official at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on Tuesday vetoed a plan to yank any and all depictions of “V-J Day in Times Square” down from the walls of department medical facilities over concerns the iconic photo of a sailor kissing a woman depicts “a non-consensual act.” The ban, announced in an internal memo last month, had gained traction online hours earlier when it was shared by a popular right-wing account on X. The memo noted the famous Alfred Eisenstaedt photo “is inconsistent with the VA’s no-tolerance policy towards sexual harassment and assault” and instructed employees to “promptly” remove it from VA health facilities. Two people familiar with the memo, which was penned by an assistant undersecretary in the department, confirmed its authenticity to the Associated Press. After the ban went viral, Secretary Denis McDonough stepped in with a tweet of his own, writing over a copy of the image, “Let me be clear: This image is not banned from VA facilities—and we will keep it in VA facilities.” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that the memo had not been sanctioned, and that the VA would not be banning the photo.