Heroes Among Us: WWII Vet Who Says He's The Famous 'Kissing Sailor' Honored At Panthers Game
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SUNRISE (CBSMiami) – The Florida Panthers are shining the spotlight on the "Heroes Among Us" – the men and women of our military.
On Thursday, the organization honored a hero you might recognize.
Carl Muscarello says he's the "kissing sailor" from the very famous V-J Day photo.
"You tell an 18-year-old sailor with 40 bucks in his pocket, and the New York skyline in the distance, he has 42 hours… get out of his way!" Muscarello said.
Muscarello remembers every detail about that day in August 1945. Japan had just surrendered, WWII was over.
"You had to have been there. It was the end to a horrible war," he said.
With the war over and celebrations underway, Muscarello ended up in Times Square.
"I happened to see this beautiful young lady and gave her a kiss. Little did I know, I was being followed by a Life photographer. He was looking for a black uniform and a white dress for contrast. And that is how that picture became famous," he said.
It was at
At Thursday's Panther game, which happened to be Military Appreciation Night, Muscarello was recognized for his role in the picture, something he didn't even realize at the time.
"I didn't know the picture was taken for about six to eight months. My mother was in the doctor's office and picked up a copy of Life magazine and said 'that's my son,'" he recalled.
But more importantly, Muscarello was honored for his service to his country.
"It should be happy but it's sad. Six of my friends were killed. Six guys killed in WWII," he said.