Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2012/01/10
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I'm really grateful to you for sharing this with us all. Herb >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 -- Herbert Kanner kanner at acm.org 650-326-8204 Question authority and the authorities will question you.