George E. Smith, Vietnam Veteran and Prisoner of War

I had the honor of photographing George E. Smith, a Vietnam Veteran and former Prisoner of War for 614 Magazine.

The Vietnam War has resurfaced in the American consciousness lately thanks in large part to the documentary by Ken Burns. 

The documentary tells the story of the Vietnam War through the experiences of everyday soldiers on both sides, eschewing pundits, talking heads, and politicians. In doing so, it offers viewers an opportunity to see something they thought they understood in a completely new way. 

I had a similar experience while talking to and photographing George. Whatever assumptions or expectations I had of him dissolved as he shared his story with me. 

If you’d like to get your own glimpse into his story, read the article in 614 Magazine and purchase his book “Prisoner of War: Two Years With The Vietcong” which chronicles his experience as a P.O.W

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A POW’s story (William McMurry)

Bill McMurry recently spoke to SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary about his experience as a POW in North Vietnam. He was captured on February 7, 1968 after helping defend the Lang Vei Special Forces surveillance camp in the northwestern corner of South Vietnam, about one and a half miles from the Laotian

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POW Bill Mayall: The Air War in Vietnam

Chase Wakelin interviews Bill Mayall, a veteran who served as a navigator on the B-52 strategic bomber during the later years of the Vietnam War. Bill recounts the missions he flew and his experience as a POW in the Hanoi Hilton.

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