USA Vietnam War Veterans
I’ve been chipping away at a long term and very personal photography project for a few years now. I meet American Vietnam War Veterans through friends in the USA. I then visit them at home or a place where they are comfortable. We shoot a triptych of images and I ask one question. The three images vary but the question is always the same, “What is your most poignant memory of your Vietnam War experience?” The replies are diverse…some are hard to hear, some hard to say and many never spoken about before. Sometimes the reply never comes and the silence is telling. It’s emotionally challenging for all and the encounters are often tough but It feels important and I’m drawn to do it…for many, many reasons. Huge questions of morality and ethics arise and form part of constant ongoing discussions. How and who to shoot? How to represent a deeply divisive and complicated war through the complex personal experiences of those who fought it? How the experience of Vietnam impacted lives for decades after it ended. The questions evolve and change with each sitter. It’s final message and final outcome is still unknown - this is a voyage of learning and discovery - and I continue to discuss it with my veteran sitters and other people. In the meantime I carry on diligently…as best as I can, when i can, self funded and self motivated. Clarity will prevail in the end…but for now I just document. I want to learn and try to understand. Presented are a few veterans from the first shoots in 17/18/19. I thank them deeply for their honesty, their time and their commitment to the project.