San Diego, California is home to the second-largest Surface Ship base of the United States Navy and the presence of the military can be felt across the city. This presence is especially evident along San Diego’s Embarcadero, which features the USS Midway Museum and is directly across from the home port of several aircraft carriers of the United States Navy.
The connection to the past and present of the military is especially evident in the “Embracing Peace” statue, located at the Port of San Diego’s Greatest Generation Walk. Better known as “Unconditional Surrender”, the 25-foot sculpture has come to serve as a draw for visitors while celebrating the military community.
From Temporary Exhibit to Permanent Installation
“V-J Day in Times Square” is a photograph that was taken on August 14, 1945. One of the most famous photos in the world, it depicts a U.S. Navy sailor embracing and kissing a stranger on Victory over Japan Day (“V-J Day”) in New York City’s Times Square to signify the end of World War II. “Unconditional Surrender” is a real-life representation of this photo by Seward Johnson, although the artist claims to have actually used a different picture as his source.
“Unconditional Surrender” is actually a series of sculptures that have appeared in various media types in locations across the world. His original sculptures were made of styrofoam and were designed to evoke a time of unity while also encapsulating the spirit of peace after having fought a successful campaign defending human rights. The first appeared in Sarasota, Florida in 2005, where an identical copy of the San Diego sculpture now resides.
First installed in San Diego in 2007 when The Sculpture Foundation loaned it to the city and the port added it to its Greatest Generation Walk, the San Diego “Unconditional Surrender” installation was only supposed to be a temporary one. Residents came to wholeheartedly embrace the statue though, which compelled them to raise a million dollars in donations to the USS Midway Museum to fund the creation of a permanent piece. The statue was originally called “Unconditional Surrender” but after the permanent piece was installed in 2013 the name was changed to ‘Embracing Peace.’
While the piece has been referred to as “kitschy” or “tacky” and has also been criticized as a gaudy and lame imitation of the photo, such criticism hasn’t stopped it from become a draw for tourists as well as an important icon of San Diego.
An Attraction for Visitors and an Icon for Residents
“Unconditional Surrender” has become a major tourist destination along downtown San Diego’s famous Embarcadero. Visitors from all over the region and world stop by the sculpture to take a picture while kissing or striking a pose. The sculpture can be seen in a completely different context at night, providing visitors with a whole different way to experience the sculpture and city.
The sculpture is also directly tied to various other landmarks and attractions in the direct vicinity. “Unconditional Surrender” has brought an incredible amount of attention and exposure to the Greatest Generation Walk and is also located directly next to it is the Bob Hope memorial plaza. The location of the USS Midway Museum provides visitors with an additional attraction for their visit and for their pictures. This sort of combination of so many different experiences has proven to be an especially attractive draw for visitors.
Another feature of the installation is the names of the many people who donated to the cause to make it a reality. Like other monuments that celebrate the people who helped to make it a reality, this connection to the community can represent an important means of primary and continued revenue.
Featured in countless maps and guides to the city as well as on merchandise that has enabled a real economic impact for shops all over San Diego, “Unconditional Surrender” is an example of what can happen when a community embraces a piece of art to celebrate an identity that is tied to the past and future of the region.
Kitsch to Some, Icon to Others
While many have debated the artistic and creative merit of “Unconditional Surrender”, others have embraced it as a celebratory gesture that highlights the connection between individuals and for entire nations. By utilizing such a famous moment in history to create an icon, “Unconditional Surrender” has created a legacy for San Diego that connects the past of the nation to the future of the community and beyond.
