On Tuesday, I followed 82 World War II veterans to Washington, D.C., as they participated in the Upstate Honor Flight. My favorite photograph, which ran on the front page of The Greenville News, is of Fred Rector. In the photograph, he places his hand over his heart while standing at the the WWII Memorial.
Mr. Rector told me the story of how he was captured and interrogated by the Germans. I just stood quietly, in shock, and listened. At this point his guardian, the volunteer in charge of looking out for his well-being throughout the trip, noticed my very German name. I explained that, yes, my grandparents had come over from Germany, but that they were Jewish. They had been forced to flee their homes. Mr. Rector paused and reached out his hand. I walked alongside his wheelchair – the two of us hand in hand – back to our bus.
The family of Sgt. Jeremiah Wittman react to the sights and sounds of the plane carrying Wittman’s casket as it pulls up to the hangar at Stevens Aviation on Monday, February 22, 2010. It was an emotional morning watching the casket of a soldier return home to his family. I think many of us were a little teary-eyed when leaving the airport.
For more photos, check out The Greenville News.
Posted February 22nd, 2010. Add a comment
There was a lot of action last night at the Carolina First Center as the Goodfellows, a local service organization founded by American Legion members, packed food boxes for needy families with the help of volunteers, such as the Boy Scouts.
Posted December 23rd, 2009. Add a comment
Earlier this week, I photographed local WWII veterans returning to Greenville after being treated to a day in Washington, D.C. From what I heard it was a pretty emotional experience in D.C., but it seemed many veterans were also surprised when their plane arrived home and they were greeted by hundreds of people. It was a pretty moving assignment.
Posted November 8th, 2009. Add a comment