ONCE A SOLDIER AND YOUNG - A DOCUMENTARY

The following images are part of a personal or self-commissioned documentary project wherein I traveled to various assisted living homes to interview and document the lives of military veterans spanning from WWII to the Gulf Wars. This was a challenging project, as many military veterans are hesitant to discuss details regarding their personal experience in war. Nevertheless, I overcame this obstacle by getting to know these military veterans over the course of a day or two and gaining their full trust. Once our connection and trust was developed, I began documenting these veterans as they went about their day-to-day living within the walls of their respective assisted living homes. I was also given their permission and trust to document snippets of our conversations using a digital recorder - for which I subsequently transcribed parts of our conversations to accompany their portraits. The transcripts for the following sample of portraits in this series are fascinating, awe-inspiring in some instances, and available in this gallery for you to read as you view their portrait.

~In Memory of Sergeant Dempsey Hargett a.k.a. "Sarge," my grandfather, a highly decorated Army veteran, who stormed the beaches of Normandy in WWII and lived a long life as a civilian after WWII ended.

~Also in honor of all of the brave men and women whose sacrifices and service to this great country can never be repaid or go unnoticed.