Photographer Mikel Conrad has set an ambitious goal: 250 portraits of veterans, timed to the country’s 250th birthday. His project, “250 Faces of Service & Sacrifice,” is built on a simple belief, that the men and women who served deserve to be seen and their stories preserved while they’re still here to tell them. Among those already in the portfolio is Ron Camillo, a Korean War veteran who served with the 1st Marine Division and 5th Marines from 1950 to 1951.
Camillo speaks about Korea with clarity that hasn’t faded. He also speaks about the things he saw there that he still can’t discuss. That combination of pride and silence is familiar to many veterans and their families. Sam Cradduck, a gerontologist and host of Aging Untold, says the portraits give veterans a sense of being seen, heard and honored, and that framing a sitting as tribute rather than vanity helps ease the apprehension many feel in front of a lens.
For Suncoast families, the project is a reminder that the veterans in our own neighborhoods, churches and coffee shops carry stories worth asking about. Camillo’s words say it best: “We’re all tied together. We’re all brothers.” Do you have a veteran in your life whose story deserves to be preserved? Tell us about them in the comments.
