American troops in the Pacific bathe during a lull in the fighting on the island of Saipan, 1944. Image: Peter StackpoleSome of you may have seen this iconic image before but I saw it for the first time when a favorite fb friend of mine posted it this week. The shot, by Peter Stackpole, an original staff photographer for Life magazine defines so beautifully my belief that all great images tell a story.
The image, so light and innocent, captures a moment many may not associate with war. But this moment, and many like them, are what many who have served remember. A camaraderie, an experience that bonds a group of together through a difficult but shared experience. I cannot help but wonder about what life held for each of the dozen or so men pictured. Did they make it home? Did they marry? Children? How scared were they by the war? How many, if any, might still be alive?
So many stories without a way to really get to the final chapter. An incredible image.
2 comments:
Very well said, Tye. Thank you for posting this and making us think.
A photo book with more pics like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Men-World-War-II-Fighting/dp/0810992876/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1338145727&sr=1-1
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