Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2012/01/10
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hi Ted, mon ami I'm really impressed and thank you for share these experiences, you was, you are wise, fortunately you decide run away!. This would be a very interesting part, if you consider it, to be included in your book, I really can't wait for it. Many thanks! cheers Lluis El 10/01/2012, a las 23:47, <tedgrant at shaw.ca> escribi?: > Being a "War Photographer!" > > WOW exciting can't wait to go!!!!!" Idiots who think like this will > learn it isn't like the Hollywood movies and some of the "fun read > while in safe areas!" Or may die? > I unfortunately fell inline thinking being a "War Photographer" was > neat! :-( I swallowed the stories from WW2 about the few big names > from there and a few later conflicts. I was a trained officer in the > Canadian Reserve Army as a "Zipperhead." A reference of those in the > Armored Corp, Tanks, Armored Cars etc. So I had some idea of the > sounds and smells from weapons in action. BUT NOT BEING SHOT AT!!!!!! > > My first war was 1967 Mid-East 6 Day War... Basically a no brainer > compared to the absolutely killings of the past several years and > today. > > If one is going to their first war...... "ONE SHOULD NEVER GO IF YOU > HAVEN'T BEEN!" Oh I know there'll be challenges about that comment! > "If one is determined to go they should go with the Israelis' ! It > starts on Monday and over by Saturday and you're on a plane heading > home on Sunday!" > > But if you haven't been to any and commenting only from reading the > stories we've just seen and or read about the "Big Name Shooters" > during the past 10 years, Iraq, Afghanistan etc. or before then? > Don't tell me somebody has to do it! And you feel it's something > you'd be just fine and can hardly wait to get wherever a war might > be going on as it needs to be shown! > > Trust me the first few days, if yer lucky and you can time zone > acclimatize for one thing before things are going bang bang... > whizzz, whizzz all around you. Or something goes really loud bang > and you don't hear anything much for the next three days.... then > sounds begin to slightly return, only to slowly find out you're > going deaf simply because you were taking pictures and not putting > your fingers in your ears before the "BIG GUNS FIRED A SALVO RIGHT > BESIDE YOU!" Like nobody said... "Hey cover your ears we're about to > start firing!" OOPS!!! :-( > > Well 1967 wasn't bad, I believe only two photographers? I had > befriended, Paul Shutzer of LIFE on the first day I was in Tel Aviv. > But he was killed the first night of battle. Yeah the half track he > was photographing from took a direct hit and all died. The reporter > he was working with was in a different half track and survived. > Paul's cameras were recovered I believe a week later? And the film > was eventually developed and OK with his very last pictures.. > > The second photographer, an Israeli, Ben Oyserman was shooting TV > footage on contract for the Canadian CBCTV and stills for his local > Tel Aviv newspaper. How close can one get to being killed? Mine? > > I was about to go with Ben in his car and follow Israeli soldiers > toward El Arish to the south. However my reporter had another > location to the north, so I went with him instead of Ben. > > Arriving back in Tel Aviv late that evening. Apparently, the Ben > tour came across a road block, the soldiers began to move it as Ben > was filming their actions and.... "BOOM!!!!!!!!" 7 DEAD SOLDIERS AND > ONE DEAD PHOTOGRAPHER! I saw his Nikon that had been hanging around > his neck.....it was riddled and ripped with shrapnel fragments into > his chest and head! Me? > > I cried because we had become very good friends in a couple of days, > buddies in arms so to speak. Then the other side came pouring in! "I > HAD BEEN GETTING IN HIS CAR AND PROBABLY WOULD BE DEAD ALSO!" If not > for the luck of the reporter taking me elsewhere! My wife would be a > widow with four children to continue looking after! > > Got home like I'd just been away on some simple assignment. Yep > Ben's situation and nearly mine? Oh it comes back once in awhile. > But even that didn't stop me from going to Viet Nam the next year, > 1968.... > "HELL PHOTOGRAPHERS ARE SO STUPID AT TIMES THEY NEVER LEARN UNTIL > THEY'RE DEAD!" > > I wasn't there very long before it became quite apparent "this was a > place to get killed very quickly if you stayed around!" That was > after one outing into a battle situation! The 6 Day War? Compared to > there? 1967 was a piece of cake considering the amount of weapons > firing encountered in 1968. > > A first time confession.......... "I ran away from it and came > home!" :-( Never told that openly before! :-( :-( I was 41, a > husband and 4 children all came pouring in! And "I ran away!" My > guilt trip has always been and is to this day, I'm near sick telling > this part of my career! "I ran away when so many who couldn't, died!" > > Being a war photographer?????????? NEVER!! No matter all the "good > glory stories Hollywood produces" And whatever glory stories written > about the so called "Exciting times !" It' all bullshit! > > This is the first time I have openly offered this side of my photo > life other than to a few friends who had been there and understand. > I realize we have many American folks on the LUG family who were > there. And I know they will understand. NEVER AGAIN! :-( > > Dr. ted :-( > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information