What is more natural than falling into the embrace of your beloved upon returning from a tour of duty?
Friend David Lewis snapped a picture of Marine Sgt. Brandon Morgan’s homecoming into the arms of Dalan Wells, and the picture has gone viral around the world through Facebook and Twitter.
The Huffington Post article tells that Morgan and Wells never anticipated that their reunion would become a global phenomenon:
“With all that was going on, we didn’t even know he was there taking pictures,” Morgan is quoted as saying. “The world went away for a few minutes.”
Nonetheless, the couple seems conscious of the dramatic photo’s significance in a post-“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” era. “Love is love,” Morgan told Hawaii-based news network KHON. “We haven’t fought for more rights or better rights than others. We fought for equal rights. And now we have them.” Added Wells, 38: “Maybe it’ll give [kids who view the photo] the courage to hang on.”
The photo was originally uploaded to the Gay Marines Facebook page.
The creator of the Gay Marines Facebook page, Brett Edward Stout, recorded this powerful video on YouTube about the journey leading to the posting of this photograph.