CHARLESTON, SC NEWS - LIVE 5 WCSC Breaking News, Weather, SportsCombat photographer captures faces of SC's vets in exhibit

Combat photographer captures faces of SC's vets in exhibit

CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - Photography is an art form done laterally. That is, photographers record experiences on the same plane in which they currently exist -- the same place, the same time. Part of what makes military photographer Stacy Pearsall's work so remarkable is how she transforms photography into a vertical endeavor: a process of digging and probing into the past, as well as recording the present.

In the hallways of the Veterans Hospital in downtown Charleston, photos of South Carolina's veterans fill almost every space. From members of the Greatest Generation to soldiers returning from the War on Terror, Pearsall captures each face.

"It's a way to share stories through the power of imagery and the power of pictures," said Pearsall.

Pearsall is no stranger to war zones or military service.

The Goose Creek native is a 12-year Air Force combat veteran. She joined the Air Force when she was 17 as a military photographer charged with documenting the military and humanitarian efforts of the Armed Services in 40 different countries.

In her three tours, she's seen Iraq twice since the advent of the War on Terror and she says the thing that stuck with her there was the camaraderie. "[We were] building those relationships that last a lifetime that can only be built through combat," she said of the experience.

For better or worse, her time in Iraq played a part in her connection to the VA hospital. Twice -- in 2003 and again in 2007 -- Pearsall was injured in combat, victim to roadside bombs. Yet, the bonds she created with fellow soldiers in Iraq held firm when she returned stateside for treatment.

"During my rehab, I would sit next to a complete stranger and we would have an instantaneous bond because we both served in the military," said Pearsall.

And Pearsall's orders as a soldier became an instrument of healing for her and the veterans with whom she spent her days recovering. Armed again with her camera, she turned her focus from the front lines to the faces that had endured battle.

"Taking pictures, to me, is the only thing I could think of doing in my life," she said.

As she rehabilitated and reconnected with a calmer, more secure life in the states, she started snapping pictures of the faces around her until the effort ballooned around her and she had more than 300 photos of South Carolina veterans.

From there, the Veterans Portrait Project was born.

During my rehab, I would sit next to a complete stranger and we would have an instantaneous bond because we both served in the military

She started reaching out to other veterans, asking to capture their portrait for the project. Roy Bryggs was one of the 80 veterans that agreed, but he was hesitant at first.

"I had a lot of mixed emotions and stuff," he said. "But to be considered among some of the great veterans I've seen here and the obstacles they had to overcome, and the things still yet to endure, it gives me a great sense of pride."

The profound sense of honor, respect and esteem for their comrades shows in the faces of the men and women that walk the hall. It can even be heard in their voices as they question their own right to be depicted.

Bryggs was a member of the Army, stationed at Forts Carson and Dix and was never stationed overseas.

Larry Schwager served in the Navy during Vietnam. He, too, is depicted in the display. For Schwager, the diversity of the military is what captured his attention during his visit.

"It's amazing to see the difference in the personalities, the difference in the ages, what's in the people, where they are in their lives," said Schwager.

He's right. A steely glare from one man is met by the goofy, toothless grin of another. Each one is different, but also the same in that they offer a little bit of immortality to the subject.

Henry Keith Vincent served in the 82nd Airborne and in the Army Rangers. He says he came to the VA to get his life together and Pearsall's photo project is helping him do that. He looks at the faces on the wall and sees an ideal -- a group of people that, in one way at least, have gone beyond life. Being one of the people pictured in the project made him want to be an example for the other soldiers that would also walk those halls.

For many coming home from war, being able to let down their guard and let go of the atrocities they had witnessed is almost impossible. "Some of us... we just don't know how to reach out and ask for help," said Vincent.

However, with the camera clicking and a fellow vet interacting with them, many of the vets found an avenue to open up, even if only for a few minutes.

Members of the hospital's staff heard about Pearsall's work and pressed her to publish them on the walls of the VA. From there, organizers at Piccolo Spoleto wanted to include her in the festival to give her work an even greater audience.

Standing in the hallways adorned with her work, she calls the result an amazing thing. "I wanted to touch America on another level," said Pearsall.

Her job was to chronicle war. From training to the front lines and finally to the home front as soldiers return to life outside the uniform, Pearsall's work does just that.

To kick off the exhibit, the hospital is hosting a reception Saturday evening from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The event is free to the public. Piccolo Spoleto starts May 28.

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