Emily Chan
A photographer from Alabama named Jeff Rease is on a mission to preserve as many stories as he can of World War Two veterans across the country before it’s too late.
As of 2021, only 240,000 Americans out of the sixteen million that fought in World War Two are still alive today, and those men and women are now either in their late nineties or entering their hundreds.
Jeff took his first portrait of a veteran in 2019, and since that very first veteran, he has been inspired to reach as many as possible.
Currently, he has photographed over 310 veterans in thirty states, as well as those living in Canada and France.
He is passionate about conducting video interviews and providing beautiful and touching portraits free of charge to the heroes of our country.
It’s a great way to pass on their history, and it means so much to the veterans and their families.
Jeff’s own father was a Korean War veteran, and he wishes he had done something similar while his father was still alive.
Now, he wants to give other families the opportunity to learn more about their loved ones’ pasts while they still can.
But since he is an independent photographer funding the WWII Portraits of Honor project himself, expenses from traveling, lodging, and print production are starting to add up.
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