( – promoted by buhdydharma )
I got a notice a couple of days ago about the shortlist for a photography competition. One of the photographers shortlisted has taken some pretty gripping photos of soldiers in the Middle East.
Given the recent Petraeus hearings I thought these were very topical, and deserved wider viewing.
The photographer is Peter van Agtmael. Click here to see his work.
His work can also be found at the Photolucida web-based photo competition called Critical Mass.
Note I want you to visit his site and so have not copied any images etc.
This was posted earlier at DailyKos and I was encouraged to also post it here by TexasDem.
Hope you find these image illuminating….
13 comments
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i second that….people should really see these…
the pics of ‘troops’ broke my heart, but i think the ‘graffiti’ pics broke my soul.
and, under ‘epilogue’…the one of the man (now dead) sitting at a desk, pictures of a girl in her dance costumes in the fore…oh, geez….
Those pictures … words fail me.
i’m afraid it will break my heart 🙁
but i’ve rec’d this…i believe it is important this get out, go viral if possible….& that as many eyes as possible go see….
& where’s your tip jar??? i’m sure i’m not the only one who wants to leave you one….
♥~
to look at pictures like this. I served there in desert shield/desert storm and still have vivid bad memories. I’m angry at the senseless waste of life, the pain and misery, when it was all so unnecessary…
but what finally brought me to tears was the photographer’s description of watching and hearing the words of the US soldier that was mortally wounded by an IED. When will it all end?
these soldiers’ minds (apart from their bodies) have been injured.
For perspective, look at Tim Page’s Vietnam war photos. Plenty of heavy stuff, but also plenty of soldiers smiling or joking around — making the best of a bad situation.
At least with Nam the deal was if you could survive your tour, you could come back to the world and be set free.
The guys in these photos look like they have given up all hope.
Very dismal and sad. No (intentional) humor in the graffiti at all. Very grim and jarring to this old Vietnam vet.
Wehave a long way to go to fully support our men and women when they come home. Callous Bush, playing politics with our most sacred–the blood of our people and the “humanity” of America