Glenn McDuffie, the mad bandit kisser made famous by Eisenstadt's LIFE Magazine photograph the day WWII ended has passed away at the age of 86. It was only twelve years ago that his identity was confirmed by an anthropologist who matched hundred of photos of Mr. McDuffie with the musculature and features of the man many claimed to be them.
But Mr. McDuffie gained some notoriety for his 62-year wait, and died content to know he was the man responsible for the outburst of joy that so captured the moment of the country at large, the relief that the killing would end, the spontaneous gesture of affection with which we all can identify.
He was changing trains in Times Square to meet, of all people, his girlfriend in Brooklyn. When he heard the news, he leapt out of the subway and caught the eye of the pretty nurse beaming with the same kind of explosive emotions. They locked gazes, locked lips, and locked themselves in our collective hearts for eternity.
We thank you for your service, Mr. McDuffie, we thank you for gracing Times Square with one of its most iconic moments, and we wish you bon voyage with a tear and a very fond farewell.
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