As discussed with George McGovern yesterday... [View all]
The FLORIDA MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS issued a call for entries for an exhibition entitled "The Soldier's Lens.
https://www.fmopa.org/
Once upon a time, 1970, I was a Sergeant in the Army stationed on the DMZ. At that time, just 17 years after the cessation of hostilities, it was barely a notch above combat conditions. In fact we all drew hostile fire pay whether we got shot at or not. All dirt roads with mine fields on either side that limited driving speed to 25mph, lest GIs would end up not making a curve and be in real trouble. Telephones were a 350 line common battery switchboard, which I was in charge of, as well as managing several operators, all Korean and American GIs. Now, I was never going to stay in the military, I was drafted mere months before the lottery was instituted. So these are not from the view of a career soldier, but more a draftee just hoping to get out of the Army alive.
Picking the allowed 5 photos from more than 140 I have resurrected from 55 year old negatives and slides was like picking a favorite child. You will undoubtedly recognize the first couple that I've posted here recently. I chose ones most likely to convey "the original perspective of an active-duty service member" (to civilians) as the museum requested, rather than the more personal to me. Certainly no guarantee one or more might be chosen, but it would be really exciting if it happened.
If you would like to see all 140, you can view them here: https://jamesdevore.smugmug.com/PHOTOS-BACK-TO-THE-1960S/DEMILITERIZED-ZONE-CIRCA-1970
My 5 choices:
The Bob Hope Christmas Show at 16 deg, 1970
The Bob Hope Christmas Show at 16 deg dancing in parkas
Two of my operators, one Korean KATUSA, one American
An entry point on the Southern Boundary
A North Korean guard watching me watch him between those iconic buildings at Panmunjom
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