VA Military Memories Competition
MAJ Terrance (TP) Pitts, U.S. Army (1998-2025)
Do You Have A Favorite Photo From Your Military Service? What Memories Does This Photo Bring Back For You?:
In a world often divided by political turmoil and cultural differences, moments of human connection transcend barriers and remind us of our shared humanity. This image captures a poignant scene as I was engaging with a group of Syrian children. What might seem like a simple interaction reveals profound lessons about freedom, servant leadership, and humility values that shape the ethos of military service and resonate deeply in contexts of conflict and need.
1SG Randy Jr. Taylor, U.S. Army (2002-2023)
Do You Have A Favorite Photo From Your Military Service? What Memories Does This Photo Bring Back For You?:
My favorite photo from my military service is the picture taken in 2006 of my Battalion, 1-18 Infantry Vanguards in flight to Kuwait where we would spend a short transitional period enroute to Baghdad Iraq. For some of us in this image this is a second deployment in theater to include myself and you can see the confidence of youth in my face during this air movement. Leading up to this image was a series of movements, baggage carries, weapons draw and close postured accountability while chain smoking with my Platoon. I am seen with a snack in my mouth towards the front. I can remember the smell of the jet fuel, the sounds, feel of being on the C130 and the excitement of going back to Iraq to do my trade as an Infantryman. This whole situation just felt so simple and familiar to me.
RM2 Michael A. Harris, U.S. Navy (1967-1971)
Do You Have A Favorite Photo From Your Military Service? What Memories Does This Photo Bring Back For You?:
I served in the Navy Mobile Riverine Force (Task Force 117) in the Mekong Delta from July 1968 to July 1969. In October 1968, Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, Commander Naval Forces, Vietnam (COMNAVFORV) launched Operation SEALORDs. The purpose was to interdict enemy soldiers and supplies from coming into South Vietnam from Cambodia. I was a Radioman/.50 Caliber Machine Gunner on Armored Troop Carrier 152-1 or T-152-1. It was an old ironclad LCM-6 that was modified to carry U.S. and Vietnamese infantry troops.
SSgt Kevin C. Anders, U.S. Air Force (1978-1983)
Do You Have A Favorite Photo From Your Military Service? What Memories Does This Photo Bring Back For You?:
I grew up in a large city and yet was near a river and spent a lot of time in the woods and banks surrounding it. I love animals and the outdoors. A training assignment was Survival School in Fairchild, Washington. My team was mostly my age from the South East US and mostly rural communities. To enforce the survival mentality, we were given very little to eat before they kicked us loose in the woods of Washington. I found a Snowshoe Rabbit huddled in the deep snow and quickly converted him into a grocery item.
MUCS James E. Richards, U.S. Navy (1971-1995)
Do You Have A Favorite Photo From Your Military Service? What Memories Does This Photo Bring Back For You?:
This photo was taken of a COMNAVAIRLANT Band called “Third Wire” resting on the tarmac at Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily in February 1973. We were assigned to Commander Task Force 60.1 (ADM Turner) stationed aboard the flagship USS Forrestal CVA-59. We had flown from Forrestal to NAVSIG for a performance there and other locations in Sicily, but had returned to the Naval Station for our flight back to the ship. When we arrived, they shuttled us out to the Flight Line to our aircraft and dropped us off. Unfortunately, the aircraft was not ready to depart, and we had about an hour to kill before boarding and flying out.
SGT Zach Pierce, U.S. Army (2002-2008)
Do You Have A Favorite Photo From Your Military Service? What Memories Does This Photo Bring Back For You?:
This was taken some time in the summer of 2004, FAAAR FAR outside Bagram, Afghanistan. We were on some sort of multi-day mission to explore distant villages from our very remote outpost in the Tarin Kowt region. My unit, A Co (QUICKSTRIKE!) sent our platoon with minimal supervision, to a village that, it was said, had never seen American forces during the entire Afghanistan war, to that point. In this photo, we had just been dropped off and had wandered a few clicks when we came across this village. There were a few camels and me, being a touchy-feely kind of specialist, just had to see the camels. My squad leader and I both got camel rides thanks to my charisma!