The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) official who attempted to ban the iconic photograph of a U.S. Navy sailor kissing a nurse on V-J Day from VA hospitals has a controversial history of hospital mismanagement, reports have revealed.
Assistant Under Secretary for Health Operations RimaAnn Nelson became the center of a national controversy for sending out a memo to VA health providers demanding the “removal and replacement of ‘V-J in Times Square’ photographs” on February 29.
The letter leaked to social media earlier this week, prompting backlash from thousands who don’t agree with Nelson’s assertion that the nearly 80-year-old image violates “the VA’s no-tolerance policy towards domestic violence, sexual harassment, and assault.”
Nelson’s censorship bid caused such a firestorm that VA Secretary Denis McDonough made a statement rescinding the rule change.
“Let me be clear: This image is not banned from VA facilities — and we will keep it in VA facilities,” he wrote on X Tuesday.
Hellbound and Down 