Photofocus

Today is Veterans Day in the USA. It’s a day that we celebrate the sacrifices of veterans. It’s NOT as some would say, a celebration of war. Wars begin at the demand of policy makers. Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines simply follow orders – sometimes at great physical, emotional and mental cost.

One of the jobs in the U.S. Military that my readers may wish to know about is the combat photographer. These photographers work in a variety of dangerous conditions documenting military activity including actual battlefield conditions.

I have friends who have done this job and would like to give a hat tip to several of them.

Frederick Van Johnson was a Combat Photojournalist in the United States Air Force. Stacy Pearsall was also an Air Force combat photographer as was her husband, Andy Dunaway. I want to personally thank each of them for their unselfish service.

These brave folks put themselves in harm’s way to document the horror of war. Combat photography has been around since the Civil War. And since then, combat photographers have been not only risking, but giving their lives in pursuit of their assignment.

Take a moment the next time you pick up your camera to think about what it would be like to make photographs with bombs and bullets flying by. And then tip your hat to those who’ve faced that terror. It also might help you keep things in perspective if everything isn’t going according to plan.

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