honor bright

2015 - 2022

“Honor Bright” is a phrase I remember my dad using, like an exclamation point at the end of a good story he was telling.  Yet the definition of the term in the Collins English dictionary also aligns perfectly with how I would describe him - honest, truthful, honor bound.

My dad was a  WWII veteran, serving in Europe from 1944 to the end of the war in 1945. There is much about his time as an infantry soldier I know little about. He - like many of his generation - rarely spoke of what was seen and experienced during that time.  It was only after he died and  I discovered a folder in his apartment containing letters he had written home, that I began to learn.

According to an article posted on the National WWII museum website,“During World War II, it was determined by the US Army that the breaking point for a soldier on the front line was somewhere between 60 and 240 days, depending on the intensity and frequency of combat.”  My dad was in the line of fire continuously for close to a year - June 1944 through May 1945. His letters track the five campaigns he was in and reveal in real time, his state of mind as the war progressed.

Later in life, my  dad suffered from a form of dementia that  was brought on from exposure to loud shelling during his time on the front.  Based on research provided by Us Against Alzheimers,  I learned that veterans face unique Alzheimer’s risk factors tied directly to their service, including post traumatic stress, depression, traumatic brain injury, successive concussion syndrome and blast induced neuro tramra.” My dad died at the age of 97, a victim of this dementia.

This project has given me a chance to learn more about the emotional and mental toll my father, and all combat soldiers, experienced  during and after the war.  By including my dad’s words from his letters, along with my photographs, I was set  on a journey with him to learn more about his life.   I’ve gained a better understanding and appreciation of his views on war, the importance he placed on allegiance to country and family as well as more compassion for  the long term effects on his mental health. Like many of his generation, my father was proud of his service but longed to put his memories and  experiences from the war behind him. And of course, that was nearly impossible.

A 7” x 10” hand constructed pamphlet stitch book featuring images from the Honor Bright series aligned with text from letters my father sent home from the front, 1944 - 1945.. The book is made with BFK Rives paper. The photographs are archival printed on Hahnemuhle Agave paper and tipped in.