Faces of Service: Immortalizing Veterans and their stories
To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan. It is the mission and, in many cases, the driving force of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
"I get my health care at VA," said Ray Baruth, an Air Force Veteran, and VA North Texas Health Care System patient. "But this is different. You don't usually see photography studios set up at the hospital."
With assistance from the Dallas Regional Office of Public Affairs, the VA North Texas Office of Communications and Community Engagement held its annual Faces of Service event in Dallas and Ft. Worth.
"You all are honoring and immortalizing our service," said Carnel Mathis, a retired Marine and VA North Texas employee, who shared stories of his deployments to Afghanistan. “This event allows us to stop by and just talk. It’s kind of therapeutic, in a way. You all should have Faces of Service more often.”
A diverse group of 160 Veterans, who served in every clime and place and in every significant conflict dating back to World War II, stopped by to have their photograph professionally taken, share their experiences and join in on the fellowship.
"I think it adds to the overall Veteran experience," said Ricky Ball, an alumni outreach specialist with the Wounded Warrior Project. "It might not only inspire Veterans to tell their story, but it might inspire other Veterans to do the same."
In the coming months, some captured images and stories will be printed and distributed through VA North Texas' Pulse Magazine, circulated on social media, and printed for display at the Dallas VA Medical Center and the Ft. Worth VA Clinic.
Faces of Service aims to show the faces and tell the stories of true sacrifice and service; That our Veterans' stories and experiences are unique, notable, and worthy of celebration and documentation.
You can view or download your portrait by visiting our Faces of Service 2020 album on Flickr.