Workers will begin removing the statue of a sailor kissing a nurse near the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum on San Diego's downtown waterfront next Wednesday, the Port of San Diego announced today.
The 25-foot-tall sculpture, called "Unconditional Surrender,'' is based on an iconic photograph taken in Times Square during celebrations at the end of World War II. It's a favorite location for vacationing couples to take pictures.
The artwork is on loan to San Diego from the Sculpture Foundation and is scheduled to be taken to New Jersey, where it will be restored before being returned to the foundation.
The approximately 6,000-pound sculpture and 24,000-pound base will be shipped aboard two flatbed trucks, according to the port.
Officials with the Midway are working to raise $1 million to replace the statue with a bronze version and plan to issue a status update on Saturday.
