The Whole Story Can Really Be Summed Up Like This: Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.
But then again, I am writing about honoring veterans, combat veterans specifically, so this should come as no surprise to anyone.
What DID surprise me when I first met Bruce Roscoe, owner of Aiyana Studio of Photography (located in Prescott, AZ) and the driving force behind the VISION-OF-VETS Project, was the tenacity and energy this soft-spoken, humble man had in store. A co-worker and photo enthusiast introduced us several years ago and he approached Artisan Colour for some initial Test-prints of a “Generational” Veterans Composition Photo he was working on, honoring veterans.
The image was to show, with historical accuracy and in subtle details, a chronological line-up of brave soldiers that have heard and answered the call to duty, many, many generations before us.
It Really Opened My Eyes To What It Means To Be A Veteran In This Day And Age
(c) Bruce Roscoe
As a poster child for Generation X, I always had an image in my head of what “Veterans” were – the old guys hanging out at the VFW Posts, mostly Vietnam era, maybe some World War II, but that was the first thought that came to mind. My generation grew up with “stories” about these historic events – we certainly didn’t live them – we had Fiction & Documentaries, told from every angle you can think of.
But when I met Bruce, I became more aware of the fact that these “stories for the masses” were often rooted in individual experiences. They are episodes in ones life that may not yield a Hollywood Blockbuster, but a story that deserves to be cherished and persevered for the families and friends of these brave men & women none the less.
Supporting Veterans – Pay it Forward
Looking back now, I realize that we have Veterans in every aspect of our lives – they are not just the old retired folks, but also a young generation of men & women, dealing with their own realty of what it means to be a Veteran in America these days. I count myself fortunate to have some Veterans in my family, and sometimes I also get to hear some intriguing stories from my wife (a recruiter for RYDER Corporation – with an amazing Program for finding and hiring Veterans) as she tries her best to help these individuals transition from the military to civilian jobs.
No matter the age, service background, or area of conflict, what IS a uniform truth is that we all owe Veterans our Thanks and Gratitude. Not all of us have the talents and drive of Mr. Bruce Roscoe, but we can certainly all say Thank You and continue honoring veterans.
So please do your part and share this story!
Bruce realized that it will take a unique approach to share his vision, using his Photographic Talents and Videography. But blending these traditional medias with a new augmented reality APP called Live Portrait (link here) will help to tie it all together and make it accessible for younger generations!
Let’s help Bruce preserve a vanishing part of our history and lay the foundations for respect and education for the NEXT waive of young Americas as they become of age to serve. At least with people like Bruce Roscoe and organizations like VISION OF VETS, they will know who came before them and what it means to Serve Your Country! To know what it means when people say: Freedom is not Free.
Thank you!
Mike Goldner & the ArtisanHD Team
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