Veterans' photos, stories on display in Barrington
A photographic exhibit in The Gallery at The Garlands, 1000 Garlands Lane, Barrington, titled “March On: Veterans' Stories of Life, Love, Honor and Duty,” features powerful portraits of area veterans and narratives of their military memories.
The pictures, along with stories told by the voices of those who served — a medic on the front lines, a pilot who flew bomber planes over Germany, a spy collecting Russian intelligence, a survivor of a kamikaze plane attack, and others — will be featured at an opening artists' and veterans' reception at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8.
Guests can meet the veterans and spouses featured in the exhibit, as well as the show's photographer, Brian Warling, and writers Mary Klest and Kathy Wolf. In honor of Veterans Day, the exhibit will be on display throughout the month of November.
“March On,” an emotionally moving exhibit, offers viewers a slice of history told by those who lived it through photographs and vignettes that capture the faces, images and stories of veterans inescapably shaped by these shared military, but ultimately very personal and unique life experiences.
Take, for example, Army Private Surgical Technician Jack Roche, who served from 1944 to 1945. Jack recalls truckloads of wounded who came in bandaged from the front lines during the Battle of the Bulge.
In his memoirs, he writes, “I washed and shaved their bodies in preparation for surgery. Bullets have no respect. It was then I realized the futility of war.”
Or Gene Seibert, Air Force Weatherman from 1943 to 1945, whose calculations helped determine the best flight patterns for pilots on bombing missions to targets in China, occupied by Japan.
“We did a lot of computing without computers back then.”
He tells of aborting a mission and bailing out of his plane, being lost in the Himalayas (“a horrifying experience”), and the time when he and his buddies entered a burning plane and dragged out a mailbag that contained a singed letter from the sweetheart Seibert later married back home. He read every word.
“‘March On' tells a story that is common to many Garlands members, yet profoundly unique to each individual who served,” says Thomas Herb, CEO of the continuing care retirement community that sponsored the show.
“Photographing our veterans and capturing their memoirs provided an ideal opportunity to share their stories, life lessons and observations with our staff, one another and the public and a wonderful platform for honoring the service and legacy of ‘The Greatest Generation.'”
“March On: Veterans' Stories of Life, Love, Honor and Duty” is free and open to the public from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily, including Thanksgiving Day. For details, call (847) 304-1996 or visit thegarlands.com.