What is society's view on "public show of affection" is somewhat different today than it was in WWII. One of our US Navy aviation cadets found this out the hard way in July of 1944 in Pensacola. It began when his fiancee arrived from Dallas, Texas within a few days of his graduating from flight school at the Naval Air Station. The war in the South Pacific was still a year from its bloody end and the invasion of Saipan, Tinian, and Guam was close at hand. But none of this was on the minds of the two young lovers just days away from their wedding. On July 5th, the two were strolling downtown talking about this and that when they passed a bench on the grounds of a local school. They sat down and were holding hands when they were observed by an officer of the Pensacola Police Department. Whether the bride-to-be looked "exceptionally young" or perhaps there was more than holding hands taking place will never be known. But the officer became suspicious and asked the young lady for identification. She produced credentials from her mother that stated she had permission to marry the young sailor. Both were arrested for "making love on school grounds." They appeared in police court on July 7, 1944 and received a lecture that their public conduct was out of bounds and they were to cease and desist! I imagine that was the extent of their punishment, given the circumstances and the fact that the young man was desperately needed as a pilot in the South Pacific!
Pensacola News Journal Article of 7-7-1944
This iconic photo of Greta Zimmer Friedman on
August 14 1945 became the "ultimate" public show
of affection" of WWII. Greta passed away in 2016