For Every Veteran Who’s Ever Said, ‘I Was There Too’.
MEET STEVE
As he was graduating from high school in 1965, Steve was already aware of the ongoing war. He enrolled in technical college to earn a welding certificate. Shortly after finishing his certification, he was drafted—but that decision would go on to shape his experience in ways he couldn’t have anticipated.
Steve was drafted into the U.S. Army and sent to basic training at Fort Polk, Louisiana. He served in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968, beginning his tour on an armored personnel carrier (APC) with the 3/5th Cavalry, Troop A. Within just three weeks of arriving in Vietnam, he was involved in the Second Battle of Bàu Bàng. For his actions, he was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for Heroism, the Army Commendation Medal with Valor, and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross (Silver Star). He later also received a Purple Heart for injuries unrelated to Bàu Bàng.
While Steve was initially assigned to an APC, after about five weeks he was reassigned as a tank driver. Four months after being assigned to the tank, one day in Camp Blackhorse Steve heard someone asking if anyone had welding experience. Steve didn’t hesitate—his hand went up.
That moment changed the course of his service. His welding training moved him out of the tank, and out of the jungle, and he spent the majority of his time in Vietnam working as a welder. Over the course of his tour, he drove tanks, worked on a welding truck, operated recovery vehicles, and took on whatever role was needed, serving across multiple units with adaptability and skill.
After returning stateside, Steve completed his service in Aberdeen, Maryland. He then returned to Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin where he built a long and steady career—first as a welder with Consolidated Papers, and later as a truck driver. He eventually drove for Walmart, surpassing one million safe miles before retiring.
MORE THAN A PHOTO BOOK
This photo book was created with intention—most notably, the decision to leave every image without a caption.
That choice is at the heart of what this book is meant to be.
While these photographs come from Steve’s time in Vietnam, this is not a book about Steve’s story alone. For years, Steve’s family had the rare privilege of hearing his experiences firsthand. He used these very photos as a way to share what he saw, what he lived through, and what was often too difficult to explain on its own. The images helped bridge the gap between experience and understanding.
But many veterans were never afforded that same opportunity.
They may not have photographs from their time in Vietnam—but they do have their stories.
This book is meant to meet them there.
By removing captions, we’ve made space—for memory, for reflection, and for conversation. These images are not here to tell a single story; they are here to help unlock thousands of them. A tank, a trail, a moment frozen in time—each photograph has the potential to spark recognition, to stir a memory long buried, and to give voice to experiences that have gone unspoken for years.
For veterans, this book can become a tool—a way to say, “I remember this,” and from there, begin to share.
For families, especially those who lost loved ones whose names are etched on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall, this book offers something else: a window. A way to better understand the world those soldiers lived, and ultimately died in-the environments they moved through, and the reality they faced each day before they made the ultimate sacrifice.
These images cannot tell every story.
But they can help start them.
Through His Lens 