Picturing
War

A view of military service through the photographs of those who served.

By Megan Harris
▪ A photograph album from the collection of World War II veteran Carl Demart Chamberlain. Shawn Miller
For 25 years, the Veterans History Project (VHP) has preserved the voices of U.S. veterans through a variety of primary sources. The majority of VHP’s collections include only oral histories; many, however, feature personal narratives in the form of original letters, diaries and photographs.

Personal snapshots, whether they accompany interviews or stand alone, speak complicated volumes covering a broad range of the experiences of military service.

Some capture war’s harsh realities: bombed-out cities, heavy weaponry, exhausted faces. Others reveal quieter, everyday moments — soldiers joking with friends, posing in uniform, enjoying brief moments of rest.

In honor of VHP’s 25th anniversary, we’re highlighting photographs from six compelling collections that offer deeply personal and visual perspectives on military service across more than a century of conflicts.

A World War I–era U.S. soldier wearing a campaign hat kneels with a full pack and field gear strapped to his uniform, looking toward the camera.
1. Joseph Rosenblum, World War I

Many VHP collections include a portrait of the veteran in uniform, often taken at the beginning of their service, sometimes posing in the front yard with proud family members, sometimes on their own. In this portrait, Rosenblum wears a serious expression and a doughboy uniform.

Drafted into the Army in 1918, Rosenblum served stateside with the field artillery. An artist and musician, he practiced fugues and sonatas on the piano between guard duty and 13-mile hikes. His collection includes this portrait and a rich diary in which he reflected on his experiences through the context of literature, art and music.

Two African American U.S. servicemen in World War II uniforms stand side by side outdoors, both wearing caps and sunglasses, posing for the camera.
2. Ellis Ross, World War II

Ross, a West Virginia native drafted into the Army in 1940, recorded his time in the Quartermaster Corps during World War II through a vast array of snapshots. His VHP collection contains 278 of these photographs, many captioned by hand, showing off-duty life during training and abroad.

Ross captured joyful moments in Rome, Paris and London and at the beach. Many of his photos highlight the strong bonds within his unit. In one striking shot, two unidentified soldiers smile for the camera, offering a glimpse of connection in wartime.

U.S. soldiers in combat uniforms gather near a Red Cross bus, resting and adjusting gear in a military staging area during wartime.
3. Nicholas W. Phillips, Korean War

Phillips’ story stands out for its rare color photographs of the Korean War. The images are striking, almost to the point of being jarring, as we are used to picturing this era in black and white.

This photograph, taken of Phillips and his buddies relaxing near a medical vehicle, reflects the candid nature of many VHP photos — it captures not only Phillips’ grin but also the beginning of another soldier’s yawn.

A U.S. Navy serviceman and a woman in a white nurse’s uniform stand together on a ship’s deck, posing arm in arm and smiling at the camera.
4. Rae Leff, Vietnam War

Capt. Leff served as a nurse aboard the USS Repose, a hospital ship off the coast of Vietnam. While not in direct combat, she witnessed the effects of combat through her patients. Her oral history interview recalls the deep connections among medical staff and wounded service members.

This moving image features a young patient she cared for and remembered for decades — Pvt. Jim Davis, who had been wounded in the abdomen.

One U.S. serviceman uses electric clippers to shave another soldier’s head inside a military setting, with gear and supplies visible in the background.
5. Patrick Austin Finan, Operation Desert Storm

Though Operation Desert Storm was brief, Finan’s collection is one of the largest in VHP, with nearly 1,800 photos. A cannon crewman with a West Virginia National Guard unit, Finan deployed to Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait. He captured impromptu haircuts, desert sunsets, burning oil wells, impromptu golf games and daily routines.

His camera was always close, documenting the full arc of deployment, from combat scenes to camaraderie and fleeting moments of normalcy in a stark landscape.

An Army sergeant in desert camouflage uniform smiles and gives a thumbs-up while standing beside a military vehicle, with name tape and U.S. Army insignia visible.
6. Cristina Frisby, Iraq

Frisby deployed to Iraq in January 2005 with the California National Guard, serving as a vehicle mechanic trained to operate recovery vehicles. Her job was to retrieve vehicles damaged by improvised explosive devices.

Her photos capture the aftermath of these missions: twisted metal, shattered glass and close calls. One image reveals a shot-out truck headlight, evidence of danger narrowly escaped. Frisby documented not only the destruction but also the resolve and strength of service members deployed to unfamiliar places.

A silhouetted Army crew chief stands beside a helicopter at dusk, preparing to clear the engines for a night flight in Iraq.
▪ A crew chief waits to clear engines for a night flight in Iraq, captured by Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Lee Ingrid Lane. Lee Ingrid Lane Collection, Veterans History Project
Electrician 1st Class Charles Daniel Turner poses aboard a ship at San Pedro Submarine Base in California in 1919, leaning against deck equipment.
▪ Electrician 1st Class Charles Daniel Turner poses aboard ship at San Pedro Submarine Base in California in 1919. Charles Daniel Turner Collection, Veterans History Project
A shepherd walks alongside a large flock of sheep in a rural Afghan landscape, with mountains visible in the distance.
▪ A shepherd tends his flock in Afghanistan, as captured by Army Sgt. 1st Class Dean Baratta. Dean Baratta Collection, Veterans History Project
Navy photographers Charles Hansen, Gary Gustaf, and Travis Hathaway stand together in uniform at Naval Station Treasure Island in San Francisco in December 1958.
▪ Navy photographers Charles Hansen, Gary Gustaf and Travis Hathaway pose for the camera at Naval Station Treasure Island in San Francisco in December 1958. Charles Hansen Collection, Veterans History Project
Army Nurse Corps 1st Lt. Dorothy Margaret Jenkins, at far right, assists in caring for a patient at Camp San Luis Obispo, California, in 1944.
▪ Army Nurse Corps 1st Lt. Dorothy Margaret Jenkins (far right) tends to a patient at Camp San Luis Obispo, California, in 1944. Dorothy Margaret Jenkins Collection, Veterans History Project
Army Air Corps Staff Sgt. Kenje Ogata sits in uniform wearing khakis, a flight cap, and goggles in Sterling, Illinois, in 1944.
▪ Army Air Corps Staff Sgt. Kenje Ogata wears khakis, flight cap and goggles in Sterling, Illinois, in 1944. Kenje Ogata Collection, Veterans History Project
Cpl. Danny Bliss sits inside a radio bunker on Hill 55 in Vietnam, playing an acoustic guitar in 1969.
▪ Cpl. Danny Bliss plays the guitar in the Hill 55 radio bunker in Vietnam in 1969. Danny Louis Bliss Collection, Veterans History Project
Army Staff Sgt. Joseph Beimfohr, at far left, and fellow soldiers practice administering intravenous injections during medical training in Iraq in 2005.
▪ Army Staff Sgt. Joseph Beimfohr (far left) and other soldiers train to administer IVs while in Iraq in 2005. Joseph Beimfohr Collection, Veterans History Project▪ A portrait of Sgt. McCoy taken by Air Force Sgt. Aldo Panzieri in Vietnam in 1969. Aldo Panzieri Collection, Veterans History Project
An Army Nurse Corps captain carries a heavy duffel bag while wearing a World War II–era uniform at a military base.
▪ An Army Nurse Corps captain totes a heavy load while in uniform during World War II. Frances Shankel Collection, Veterans History Project
Two unidentified soldiers wash a dog on the deck of a ship, with military structures visible in the background, circa 1970–1976.
▪ Two unidentified soldiers wash a dog on the deck of a ship, circa 1970 to 1976. Virgil Eugene Davis Jr. Collection, Veterans History Project
These six images offer just a glimpse of the powerful stories preserved within Veterans History Project photograph collections — honoring service through the lens of those who lived it.
—Megan Harris is a reference librarian in the Veterans History Project.

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