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On A Mission
Big thank you to Military.com and Blake Stilwell for the interview and article about a passion project of mine over the years! Thanks to the amazing Airpower Foundation for believing and trusting in my vision! Here is the article at Military.com Here is the full gallery
It's Where You Choose To Stand And Nurture The Grass That Counts!
Last week, 3 August was my 10-year mark from retiring from the Air Force after 21 years of service. I posted some retirement photos reliving that day in my mind and the amazing years spent up to it of the adventures, humanitarian missions, wars, and camaraderie I lived and witnessed. I said that, “I miss it”. It started to play on my mind big time, even keeping me up wondering at night, what have I done with my life and work since then? Am I making a difference like I did in the military? Looking back over this last decade, a memory of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro with fellow veterans flashed in my mind. I smiled. Then another memory flashed, then another and another. My mind was racing, and my smile was as big as a kid in a candy store! Yes, while I do miss the military, I am grateful for the lessons it taught me, and that I carry with me and use to this day. You see, I was looking at this all wrong. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Its where you choose to stand and nurture the grass that counts! I am extremely proud of who I have become and my work that continues! I am proud of the adventures, new camaraderie , and those who I get to story tell for. Here are the memories that popped into my mind of my last 10 years: Freelancer for Reuters, Kolkata, India Cab Project, Hurricane Laura, Headhunters of Nagaland, India, Dallas Protests, Warren Center “Beautifully Broken” Project, Real Housewives of Dallas Husband, “To Be An Apatani Woman”, India Project, Food In Fashion Project, Hurricane Florence, Earth X. Cinderella, One Of The Family Project, Burners Essence, Burning Man, Isis Last Stronghold, Cancer Blows, FOCUS Hospital Scoliosis Project, Ghana Africa, Studio Work, Prison Fellowship, Namibia Aerial Project: Old Scars & Shape Shifters, Texas State Parks, Comedian John Crist, Last Letters Podcast, The Red People, Namibia, Alaska, Published National Geographic, Costa Rica, Texas Water Campaign, BTS “Dallas” TV Show, Tawang Monastery, India,Cincinnati Reds Home Openers, Mercury One Artifacts, Fashion, Salvation Army, Trump Rallies, BLM Rallies, Nascent Project, South Africa, Soweto, South Africa Shark Dive, Okahandja Dump Kids, Namibia, Dallas Burlesque, Bike The Bricks, George Flyod Memorial , Veterans Projects: Medal of Honor Portrait Project, VA Mental Health Campaigns, Mount Kilimanjaro “Climb For A Cause” Project, Medal of Honor Dignified Transfer, Salute To The Troops, Snowball Express, Texas Cattle Round UP, Warriors & Quiet Waters, Airpower Foundation, Peru Ayahuasca Veterans Trip, Heroic Hearts Project, Operation Get Out, Taking A WWII Vet To Ireland, Light Up To Live.
Medal of Honor Recipients
This has been “THE” greatest honor after retiring (21 years) from the U.S. Air Force as a Combat Photographer! Photographing my heroes in an ongoing project that started back in 2016. Full gallery with names and citations here! All my information below and the recipients’ citations in the gallery come from the wonderful Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Go check them out to learn so much more! The Medal of Honor is the United States' highest award for military valor in action. And while over 150 years have passed since its inception, the meaning behind the Medal has never tarnished. Etched within are the very values that each Recipient displayed in the moments that mattered—bravery, courage, sacrifice, integrity. A deep love of country and a desire to always do what is right. A distinguished award presented only to the deserving; the Medal tells a story of its own. The living Recipients do not view the Medal of Honor as something that was won, like one might win a race. They view the Medal as something that was bestowed upon them to carry as a symbol of the sacrifices of all who have served. In the past, “Winner” might have been used, but out of respect for those who currently wear the Medal, please use the term “Recipient.” Number of Medal of Honor awarded: 3535 Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 3516 Number of living Medal of Honor recipients: 65 Recipients according to their service: Army: 2,452
Navy: 749
Marine Corps: 300
Air Force: 19
Coast Guard: 1 For the military service members for whom we have ranks, 77% of Medals of Honor have gone to enlisted personnel; 23% to officers. Only one woman, Mary Edwards Walker has ever received the Medal of Honor for her service during the U.S. Civil War 1861-1864. Click here to learn more Medal First. Thank you and God Bless America and those that have served, continue to serve and those that paid the ultimate price!
Navy: 749
Marine Corps: 300
Air Force: 19
Coast Guard: 1 For the military service members for whom we have ranks, 77% of Medals of Honor have gone to enlisted personnel; 23% to officers. Only one woman, Mary Edwards Walker has ever received the Medal of Honor for her service during the U.S. Civil War 1861-1864. Click here to learn more Medal First. Thank you and God Bless America and those that have served, continue to serve and those that paid the ultimate price!
East Texas, Caddo Lake
Get out and explore! I always say, “There is more to this beautiful world than what’s outside your front door.” Most of which is only a few miles away, if not around the next corner. Another fun trip in the books to Caddo Lake in Karnack, Texas @caddolakesp with my military Marine brother Russel @rklika . Since the pandemic we have been on a mission, when time allows, to hit up all the State Parks in Texas, to kind of decompress from life, get outdoors, smell the fresh air, and take in the world around us. Sometimes even walking away with a photo we love. Nothing beats sitting around a fire making dinner and telling stories of what we saw that day or what we hope to find tomorrow. Camaraderie is what I think this world needs more of. I swear if Russel didn’t have his Air Force buddy there cooking up steaks and porkchops he would be just fine eating his spaghetti and hamburgers. He says, “That’s all you need!” “How hard is it to make spaghetti, you just need boiling water!” Our trip was three days in 100°+ heat. On one of the days, we set out to explore Caddo Lake bayou with an 8-mile round trip canoe excursion. W e launched our canoe from Saw Mill Pond canoeing down the Big Cypress Bayou River to Hells Half Acre. In all, the mazes of bayous and sloughs cover roughly 26,810 acres of cypress swamp. Note to self-moment here: Never ask a Marine named Russel do you want front or back in the canoe. He chose the back with no experience (he left that part out) and paddled here or there while taking photos along the way. The round trip was grueling on me as the Air Force guy in the front pushed through and steered to the point of exhaustion. (If you know, you know) Thank God there was a restaurant on the river near the end of our trip called Big Pines Lodge where I was able to hydrate and cool off. Dinner that night we laughed and joked about the day. However, Russel was from that point on is banned for ever stepping foot in the back of a canoe. Caddo Lake is now marked off our list and didn’t disappoint, especially from the time spent together exploring and the stories we continue to tell. I would only recommend this place for a two-night excursion and would definitely find another access point to launch the canoe closer to Hells Half Acre which is a must-see place to get lost in. Hope you enjoy the photos created from Caddo Lake. Our other adventures so far: Big Bend Ranch State Park Caprock Canyons State Park Seminole Canyon State Park CADO LAKE: Caddo Lake is a 25,400-acre lake and bayou (wetland) on the border between Texas and Louisiana, in northern Harrison County and southern Marion County in Texas and western Caddo Parish in Louisiana. This lake was the only natural lake in Texas until it was artificially dammed in the early 1900s when oil was found and for flood control in 1914. A new dam replaced the old one in 1971. The lake and bayou comprise an internationally protected wetlands and includes one of the largest flooded cypress forests in the United States. Although many conifers are evergreen, bald cypress trees are deciduous conifers that shed their needlelike leaves in the fall. In fact, they get the name “bald” cypress because they drop their leaves so early in the season. Some of the cypress trees in the swamp are more than 400 years old. Spanish moss is commonly found on the southern live oak and bald cypress in the lowlands, swamps, and marshes. It is neither a lichen nor a moss, and it is not native t0 Spain. Spanish moss is not parasitic: it is an epiphyte that absorbs nutrients and water through its own leaves from the air and rain falling upon it. While its presence rarely kills the trees on which it grows, it occasionally becomes so thick that, by shading the leaves of the tree, it slows the growth rate of the tree. The average depth of the lake is 8 to 10 feet, with the deep water in the bayou averaging about 20 feet. The lake contains 71 species of fish, and it is especially good for crappie and largemouth and white bass. Wildlife inhabiting Caddo Lake includes owls, snakes, frogs, waterfowl, bobcats, river otters, beavers, eagles, and alligators. Canoes, Saw Mill Pond. Bald Cypress Trees, Saw Mill Pond. Dark Fishing Spider, Hells Half Acre. Mimosa Tree, Big Cypress Bayou River. Spanish Moss, Saw Mill Pond. Parrot feather, Hells Half Acre. Indian Swamp Weed, Hells Half Acre. Engelmann Daisy, Caddo Forest Trail. Great Egret, Saw Mill Pond. Loblolly Pine, Mill Pond Camping Area #48. Bald Cypress & Spanish Moss, Big Cypress Bayou River. Water Hyacinth, Hells Half Acre. Water Hyacinth, Hells Half Acre. Spanish Moss, Hells Half Acre. Consume, Pine Ridge Loop. Spatterdock, Saw Mill Pond. Reflecting Bald Cypress, Saw Mill Pond. The Moon, Mill Pond Camping Area #48.
Texas Cattle Round Up
Knight Land & Cattle teams up with Legacy Farmstead to bring military veterans and country musicians together for fellowship, continued camaraderie, and a chance to come together in the great outdoors on a working ranch for a mission in Midway, Texas. A Cattle Round Up! Over the few days, participants were familiarized with horse riding before they went out on their mission to the great pastures and round up cattle, working as a team, driving them in and helping with medically inspecting, deworming, and tagging the calves. To learn more about Knight Land & Cattle To learn more about Legacy Farmstead I am becoming more Texan each day! Hope you enjoy the story! A couple of horses start fooling around with each other in the pasture as military veterans and ranch hands arrive for the morning to start saddling up to familiarize with riding a horse before the cattle round up at Knight Land & Cattle ranch, Midway, Texas. Knight Land & Cattle owner Tucker Knight watches as his ranch hands Leon Lewis and Miles Griffin grab saddles. Ranch hand Miles Griffin puts a saddle on his horse at Knight Land & Cattle ranch, Midway, Texas. Ranch hand Miles Griffin helps Retired U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Travis Green up on a horse for his first ride of the weekend to familiarize riding a horse before going out on a cattle round up at Knight Land & Cattle ranch, Midway, Texas. Knight Land & Cattle ranch hands work with the military veterans in a coral, helping them get familiar with their horses before going out on a cattle round up. Musician Isaac Jacob, Garrett George & Legacy Farmstead John Henderson and musician Clay Hollis listen to a brief by ranch hand Miles Griffin before heading out on a cattle round up at Knight Land & Cattle ranch, Midway, Texas. Retired U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Travis Green follows ranch hand Juan Torrez as they make their way out to the pastures to start rounding up the cattle at Knight Land & Cattle ranch, Midway, Texas. Ranch Manager and Horse Trainer Leon Lewis keeps a watch over the group as they prepare to round up some cattle at Knight Land & Cattle ranch, Midway, Texas. Ranch hand Miles Griffin gallops with his horse on Knight Land & Cattle ranch, Midway, Texas. Knight Land & Cattle ranch hands and the group of military veterans drive in the cattle to be medically inspected, dewormed and the little calves tagged. Retired U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Travis Green, Retired U.S. Army Specialist Johnny Nguyen, and musician Austin English drive in the cattle to be medically inspected, dewormed and the little calves tagged at Knight Land & Cattle ranch, Midway, Texas. Ranch hands Larry King, Jr. and Leon Lewis drive and separate the cattle that was brought in from the pastures before medically inspecting, deworming, and tagging the calves at Knight Land & Cattle ranch, Midway, Texas. Ranch hand Miles Griffin grabs a calf to be separated from the older cows in the pen during a cattle round up to medically inspect, deworm, and tag the calves at Knight Land & Cattle ranch, Midway, Texas. Ranch Manager and Horse Trainer Leon Lewis steps down from his horse in a cattle pen during a cattle round up to medically inspect, deworm, and tag the calves at Knight Land & Cattle ranch, Midway, Texas. Ranch hands and some military veterans grab a calf and tag it during a cattle round up to medically inspect, deworm, and tag the calves at Knight Land & Cattle ranch, Midway, Texas. Knight Land & Cattle owner Tucker Knight deworms a cow as it is being medically inspected during a cattle round up at Knight Land & Cattle ranch, Midway, Texas. Garrett George, Retired U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Travis Green, and Ranch hand Miles Griffin have a cold one as they head to dinner after the day’s work of a cattle round up to medically inspect, deworm, and tag the calves at Knight Land & Cattle ranch, Midway, Texas. Ranch Manager and Horse Trainer Leon Lewis prepares to put his horse up and go to dinner after the day’s work of a cattle round up with military veterans to medically inspect, deworm, and tag the calves at Knight Land & Cattle ranch, Midway, Texas. Dinner is served by Buck Reams “Chuck Wagon Cook” after a long day of rounding up cattle to medically inspect, deworm, and tag the calves at Knight Land & Cattle ranch, Midway, Texas. After dinner an impromptu country music jam session breaks out with Buck Reams, Austin English, Clay Hollis, and Isaac Jacob. They play and sing for guest and military veterans after a long day working Knight Land & Cattle ranch in Midway, Texas. Buck Reams “Chuck Wagon Cook” sings as musician Austin English watches on after a long day working Knight Land & Cattle ranch in Midway, Texas.
NYC Campaign Shoot
Had a great time working and creating during two different campaign shoots for an amazing client up in NYC dealing with mental health. The first photo shoot, with a full crew, was a set production style shoot. This was conducted at several different locations during the week throughout the city with multiple people interacting. The second was me solo with one light (Godox V1 flash on a small light stand) meeting my talent for a two-hour block at various locations throughout the city. We would then start walking the streets not knowing what’s around the next corner creating portraits. I would usually photograph 3-4 people a day over a two-week period. I had a blast on both shoots and really got to meet some fabulous people while exploring and really getting to know the beautiful Big Apple!
COMEDIAN JOHN CRIST: Would Like To Release A Statement
Last year I had the honor of working and laughing along with John and his crew when they came to Dallas to record his show. Here are a few images from that fun day. John Crist: Would Like To Release A Statement , filmed live at the Majestic Theater in Dallas, TX. In his third full length 1-hour special, Crist touches on everything: white people trying to solve racism, therapy sessions gone awry, politically correct sports’ mascots...all through the unique lens of his faith, family and childhood. Watch his hilarious comedy special here: John Crist
Smiling
WWII Marine CPL Don Graves & The Marine Rapper collaboration Last Letters and I are so excited to be a part of this! Bringing two amazing people, who have the love of music, together to have some fun! Absolutely love that he used actual footage of Last Letters bringing Don to Ireland in the video. A little background, during Don's Last Letter podcast episode, Don said, "I have always wanted to go to Ireland, sit in an Irish pub, order a beer, and I want to sing Danny Boy." Don, an avid singer, who has performed the national anthem at multiple events, also feared he would never have the opportunity at 97. Don said, "I don't want to go alone. When you get older, you don't want to travel alone." Over 7 million people have been inspired by Don's service and life and the most common comment is, "Thank you for your service, we can never repay you!" Through sponsors and a Gofundme campaign, World War II Iwo Jima Flamethrower Operator Cpl. Graves wish came true this last May. We recorded the song and documented the experience at Don's house about two weeks before his trip. Hope you will go out and download! I was curious and asked The Marine Rapper what his thoughts were when creating the music? So here is some background behind the song Smiling by The Marine Rapper, Don Graves & Killavic Beats featuring Emma Louise. We chose jazz and hip hop instrumentation to reflect Don's time-period. The meaning behind the song is Smiling through the military generations from Iwo Jima to Afghanistan. I merged When Irish Eyes Are Smiling , an Irish song, with Whole World in His Hands , a black gospel song, to represent the bridging of both of our cultures. U.S. Army Soldier and vocalist Emma Louise, lent additional vocals to the song to represent the maternal nature that comforts us before, during and after war. The song is produced by #1 Billboard charting producer and U.S. Marine Veteran Killavic Beats and co-produced by #1 Billboard charting recording artist and combat veteran The Marine Rapper. In addition, this song makes Don Graves, 97, the oldest person to release a digital single and digital album, surpassing Tony Bennett who was 95 when he broke a Guinness World Record. Since releasing, Smiling it has hit: #5 on Jazz Album charts #17 on Jazz Single Charts #35 on Worldwide Single Charts Special note: watch video to very end and you will see Don listening to the song in Ireland. I hear an actual record album is coming soon! Click here to watch the music video: Smiling Big Thank you: American Airlines Loews Hotels Yummi Sushi #merrilllynch GoFundMe #usmc #WWIIveteran #wish #birthday #marines #marinelife #military #ireland #share Original Marines U.S. Marine Corps #share #kinsale #wish #dreamcometrue Sky Ball OM History Consultant Kelly Russell Castonguay
Xoomi Sushi
Always fun working with amazing clients like Xoomi Sushi on their launch! And their fish is amazing!!! Thanks for trusting in my vision! Xoomi Sushi is proud to be a CLEAN PROGRAM. All their ingredients are free from unwanted chemicals and they have made no compromises on taste!
Try some today!
Available on: DoorDash, UberEats & GrubHub!
Grand Opening was 5/25!
Dallas area only, but coming in the future to a city near you!
Visit and Sign Up on their Website for Exclusive Deals!
Try some today!
Available on: DoorDash, UberEats & GrubHub!
Grand Opening was 5/25!
Dallas area only, but coming in the future to a city near you!
Visit and Sign Up on their Website for Exclusive Deals!
Allen Texas Premium Outlets Mall Shooting
I love when I get called up to go out on a news assignment, but unfortunately when I do, something not good has happened. In this case it was the day after a gunman shot multiple people at the Dallas-area Allen Premium Outlets mall in Allen, Texas, U.S. May 7, 2023. Here is a look at some of my tear sheets from that day.
Forgotten Gems
When it’s a rainy day outside and you're trying to look through all your hard drives for a certain project and you run across these forgotten gems. This was on one of my many favorite trips with the @usairforce This was also the first time I set up portraits (natural light) while documenting on an assignment to further the story. Thank God I was shooting RAW back then and was able to re-edit them the way they should look. As I look back at my work, I can't help but think where these individuals are in their life and how they are doing? Baucau, Timor-Leste – Civil engineers deployed on behalf of 13th Air Force asses and clear out a classroom 16 Sept. 2011 in preparation for PACIFIC ANGEL 11-02: Which is a joint humanitarian and civic-military operation at the children’s Tri-Loca Primary school. U.S. Air Force Pavement Specialist and Construction Equipment Engineer, SrA Paul Head, 35th Civil Engineer Squadron, Misawa Air Base, Japan is deployed on behalf of 13th Air Force working on assessing and repairing a classroom on Sept. 20, 2011 in Timor-Leste at Tri-Loca Primary School. U.S. Air Force Pavement Specialist and Construction Equipment Engineer, SrA Clifford Weston, 35th Civil Engineer Squadron, Misawa Air Base, Japan is deployed on behalf of 13th Air Force working on assessing and repairing a classroom on Sept. 20, 2011 in Timor-Leste at Tri-Loca Primary School. U.S. Air Force SMSgt Mark Ada, 254th Red Horse Squadron, Guam Air National Guard, Anderson AFB, Guam is deployed on behalf of 13th Air Force working on assessing and repairing a classroom on Sept. 20, 2011 in Timor-Leste at Tri-Loca Primary School. U.S. Air Force MSgt Joseph B. Flores, 254th Red Horse Squadron, Guam Air National Guard, Anderson AFB, Guam is deployed on behalf of 13th Air Force working on assessing and repairing a classroom on Sept. 20, 2011 in Timor-Leste at Tri-Loca Primary School. U.S. Air Force Water and Fuels System Maintenance Engineer, SrA Jeffrey Lightfoot, 35th Civil Engineer Squadron, Misawa Air Base, Japan is deployed on behalf of 13th Air Force working on assessing and repairing a classroom on Sept. 20, 2011 in Timor-Leste at Tri-Loca Primary School. U.S. Air Force Airman from the 254th Red Horse Squadron, Guam Air National Guard, Anderson AFB, Guam is deployed on behalf of 13th Air Force working on assessing and repairing a classroom on Sept. 20, 2011 in Timor-Leste at Tri-Loca Primary School.
Bozeman, Montana and Yellowstone National Park
A little over a week ago I found myself in freezing temperatures in Bozeman, Montana for the first time surrounded by a bunch of fellow veterans warming my spirit and my heart! I was with the awesome team and volunteers from Warriors & Quiet Waters (WQW). We were teaching photography to veterans that have been through the program in some sort of manner and have a strong interest in learning a new skill with photography. The students will then come back a couple times over the year with their new skill and a mentor and help document the WQW program. A win, win in my book! It was a great time, and what they don’t know is this fuels my heart just as much as theirs! It was great to see and work again with my fellow combat photographers Ken Scar , Russell Klika and Mike MacLeod as well as meeting new friends teaching and providing logistical support, Montana photographers and longtime supporters of WQW, veterans Kelly King and Harry Miller It was a beautiful week introducing the basics of photography to our students. Each student was given two canon bodies, a 24/70 and a 100/500 lens to play in a studio setting, working on portraiture, a day in Yellowstone for wildlife and landscape and then (my favorite) action and photojournalism with a young all girls hockey team. The best part is that the students were sent home with a camera where they are continuing to shoot sending us their images while getting better, finding their passion. It was also my first time in Yellowstone, and I can’t wait to go back! When we arrived it was -10 degrees Fahrenheit. Here are a few of my images from that day as well as some behind the scenes shot by the faculty mentioned above. Warriors & Quiet Waters WQW are guiding Post-9/11 Combat
Veterans after years of paying service to our country to a new critical mission: finding their purpose in civilian life. WQW guides veterans and their loved ones to thrive and find peace, meaning, and purpose through fly fishing and other inspirational activities in nature. I highly recommend WQW, so check them out and apply! On March 1, 1872, Yellowstone became the first national park for all to enjoy the unique hydrothermal and geologic features and is home to the largest concentration of mammals in the lower 48 states. Yellowstone is the only place in the United States where bison (Bison bison) have lived continuously since prehistoric times. The record high temperature was 99 °F (37 °C) in 2002, while the coldest temperature recorded is −66 °F (−54 °C) in 1933. Elk are the most abundant large mammal found in Yellowstone. The North American pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) is the surviving member of a group of animals that evolved in North America during the past 20 million years. It is not a true antelope, which is found in Africa and southeast Asia. Not many people visit Yellowstone during the winter. The park is nothing more than miles and miles of solitude. Snow is possible in any month of the year, but most common between November and April, with averages of 150 inches (3,800 mm) annually around Yellowstone Lake, to twice that amount at higher elevations A bison has elongated vertebrae to which strong neck muscles are attached, enabling the animal to sweep its massive head from side to side to clear off up to three feet of snow. Deer, elk, and bison sometimes follow each other through deep snow to save energy. Between 10 and 13 interbreeding bands of bighorn sheep occupy steep terrain in the upper Yellowstone River drainage, including habitat that extends more than 20 miles north of the park. The reduction in snowpack is most pronounced in spring and summer, with an overall continued decline in snowfallprojected for Yellowstone over the coming decades. A male (bull) weighs up to 2,000 pounds, female (cow) weighs up to 1,000 pounds and can live 12-15 years, a few live as long as 20 years. Yellowstone National Park receives between 50 and 200 inches of snow each year Yellowstone is a huge park, covering 2.2 million acres and spanning across northwestern Wyoming into Montana and Idaho. Group photo @studiomacleodphotos
2022 Chicago, Illinois
This past August I was on assignment for a client shooting portraits around Chicago. Each day consisted of meeting up with 3-4 veterans around the city and creating multiple portraits with them. During my down time in between each shoot, I was noticing the magnificent architecture of these Chicago buildings and the way the light was hitting them and the patterns within. So I had some fun photographing the city the way I saw it.
2022 Alaska Fishing Trip
This past June I was able to take some time off and go on an Alaskan fishing trip with the boys to Elfin Cove, Alaska. We had a blast joking, smoking, drinking and plenty of catching! Alaska is absolutely breath taking (pictures don’t do it justice) and this was my second trip of many more to come! You just feel this place and everything it has to offer throughout your whole body. We fished with the crew of Tanaku Fishing Lodge , and they did not disappoint! I highly recommend them! Our boat was the Ocean Seeker, our Captain was Hayden Meier and our deck hand was Evan Harder. The Super Otter transports visitors and supplies from Juneau to Elfin Cove. The Turbine Super Otter from Ward Air, based out of Juneau, Alaska can carry up to 10 passengers and the load capacity is 2400 lbs. Sea gulls fly around Yakobi Rock as sea lions take a rest from the ocean near Elfin Cove, Alaska. The boys head out on the Ocean Seeker from Tanaku Fishing Lodge, Elfin Cove on their first day of fishing. An Orca (Killer Whale) breaches while hunting a sea lion near Elfin Cove, Alaska. Mike reeling in his first catch in Deer Harbor, Alaska. Coastline of Juneau flying out to Elfin Cove, Alaska. Shawn cheers as Thein holds up his first Halibut catch off Cape Spenser, Alaska. A Humpback whale dives outside of Elfin Cove, Alaska. Jasime eats our first freshly caught King Salmon from Deer Harbor, Alaska. A Sea Lion eats fish scraps after the daily cleaning of our catch in Elfin Cove, Alaska. The crew of the Whaler pull in a Ling Cod while trolling Deer Harbor, Alaska. Orcas (Killer Whales) swim past Yakobi Rock on our way out to Deer Harbor, Alaska. A boat moves across the North Pacific Ocean. Jasime pulls in an octopus from Cape Spenser, Alaska. He was fishing at a depth of 240 feet. Sea Lions at Yakobi Rock near Elfin Cove, Alaska. Deck Hand Evan Harder unloads the days catch on Tanaku Fishing Lodge dock in Elfin Cove, Alaska. A Bald Eagle sits in a tree at Elfin Cove, Alaska. Ocean Seeker Boat Captain Hayden Meier unloads a Halibut as part of the days catch in Elfin Cove, Alaska. Little patches of snow remain in Alaska’s landscape. On the porch of Tanaku Fishing Lodge, the boys are enjoying bourbon, cigars and telling stories of the day fishing off Elfin Cove, Alaska. A group of Bald Eagles fly in to feast on fish scraps after the daily cleaning of our catch in Elfin Cove, Alaska. Deck Hand Evan Harder prepares to drop the Ocean Seekers anchor in Cape Spenser, Alaska. The coastline of Elfin Cove, Alaska. A Yelloweye Rockfish is caught and hoisted on board the Ocean Seeker near Elfin Cove, Alaska. A Sea Lion rests with his tongue hanging out at Yakobi Rock near Elfin Cove, Alaska. Jasime and Shawn share a moment at sea while fishing on board the Ocean Seeker from Tanaku Fishing Lodge, Elfin Cove, Alaska. A Bald Eagle swoops in to feast on fish scraps after the daily cleaning of our catch in Elfin Cove, Alaska. A sailboat heads out for the day from Elfin Cove, Alaska. King Salmon rest on the top of todays catch unloaded on the dock of Tanaku Fishing Lodge, Elfin Cove, Alaska. The sun sets on another day in Elfin Cove, Alaska. King Salmon, Black Cod, Shortraker, Black Bass, Yelloweye, Halibut, Ling Cod, King Salmon.
The Dallas Morning News
Dallas photographer's Guantánamo Bay photos released after 20 years Super proud to have been featured in The Dallas Morning News and very thankful for writer Colbi Edmonds story diving into my past and continued passion of storytelling. You can view the full story here Hope you enjoy!
The New York Times: The Secret Pentagon Photos Of GUANTÁNAMO BAY Prisoners
So 20+ years later one of my many missions in the military is finally being seen! I am proud of my military and proud of my brothers and sisters with whom I worked with and those I was blessed to share their stories. To see the full article and learn more click here: The Secret Pentagon Photos Of GUANTÁNAMO BAY Prisoners Soon after dropping off the first prisoners to GUANTÁNAMO BAY on January 11, 2002 I found myself deployed to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom, working out of Kandahar and Bagram. While there, I was a part of Psychological Operations, Reconnaissance Squadron patrols, and the hunt for Osama Bin Laden in Tora Bora to name a few.
Last Letters Podcast Hits Global Rank Of Top 1.5%
I am so excited to see a dream of mine working and coming true a little over a year and a half and 60 interviews released. Here I am supposed to be this great retired military photographer that pushes a button on my camera to capture great storytelling moments. But, I can honestly tell you that this podcast, this audio has been my greatest storytelling to date and raises the hair on my arms with excitement as I get the honor of sitting down with a new guest to interview them and then capture their portraits after. We found out today that Last Letters podcast is now Ranked Globally in the Top 1.5% most popular shows out of 2,869,466 podcast ranked by Listen Score (the estimated popularity score). I do recognize this hasn't come easy and its numerous hours of work and dedication to bring this podcast to life with no funding and as a two man team between my friend and producer Scott Rettberg and I. (Much more work to do!) More importantly I do recognize that this isn't my podcast, it is the amazing individuals that I get to interviews podcast. It is their story to share and share without judgement and bias from me. It is their story that I will listen to and hopefully pick up some advice on how to better navigate through my own life. It's their Last Letter to us all, it's a part of their legacy. Thank you to all our listeners who show love and believe in our guests and what we are doing! And if you are new to Last Letters, welcome, here is what we are all about: (available wherever you can listen to podcasts) If tomorrow was your final day on earth, what would you say and who would you say it too? Last Letters began in a small office in Dallas, Texas, where a small circle of friends—including retired 7x time military photographer of the year: Jeremy Lock, and television producer: Scott Rettberg — would spend evenings swapping stories of world travels & unexpected adventurous tales. There was a common regard for the stories of individuals who when experiencing the same adventure, walk away with differing experiences and knowledge. We are finally beginning a new podcast adventure sharing these amazing tales with a wide array of experiences culminating in a “Last Letter” to the world— and maybe a final piece of advice. Last Letters are true stories which: Celebrate personal storytelling. Illuminate both the diversity and commonality of human experiences. Includes people globally from all walks of life: military, astronauts, students, homeless, yo-yo champions, mechanics, exonerated prisoners, headhunters, cab drivers, veterans, Nobel laureates and everyone in between. Social Media: FB TikTok Instagram
BUZZING ALONG THE HIVE TRACK OF KOLKATA
Passion Project Still In Progress I am looking forward this year (now that the pandemic is pretty much over) to getting back to work on my Kolkata Cab story this year. This project came about on a trip to India back in 2017 when my partner in crime Russ @rklika asked me if I would like to go with him to India to photograph the Apatani Women of Ziro Valley and the Konyak Tribe "Headhunters" of Nagaland . Both tribes that will loose a part of their culture when the last tattooed person dies. As I am on these adventures, I am always looking for other projects to sink my teeth in. On this trip we learned that Uber has come into Kolkata and started shutting down the essence of this city by eliminating these colorful cabs and replacing them with Ubers. Essentially losing a part of the cities culture. I was intrigued and started working on it, coming back the following year in 2018 to work more on it with the help of a few awesome Nat Geo editors. I hope you will take the time to see and learn about a project in progress and read an amazing story written by Taylor @tayleenam City. Home. Hive. Yellow taxi cabs buzz along Kolkata’s hot, honking, congested mess of traffic like bees in a swarm. These vehicles share the streets with rickshaws, tuk tuks, buses and pedestrians carrying suitcases, children and even baskets of good. Rickshaws are labor-intensive. Tuk tuks are small and uncomfortable. Buses are crowded. And one can only travel so far on foot. Yellow taxi cabs, then, are truly what it means to move in and around Kolkata. If anyone needs to get anywhere, a yellow taxi cab is poised, ready to weave a path through the crowd. It has been this way for as long as anyone can remember. Since August 2013 brought the advent of app-accessible big-corporation driving services like Uber, more and more yellow taxi cabs are left to idle on the very streets they used to dominate. Because the Ambassador cab manufacturer was forced to close in 2014, just months after Uber was introduced to Kolkata, the yellow taxi cabs and their drivers must now face a fast-approaching expiration date. But wait. This is not a lament about the tragedy of Western World technology infiltrating yet another culture. This is not a sermon about preserving the old way of life. This is a love letter; a dedication to the yellow taxi cabs and their drivers who have, for generations, defined Kolkata like a bee colony defines its hive. Link to full story and images here A cab driver maneuvers the Kolkata streets at night heading to the Maidan Park area on October 28, 2017. The landmark yellow Ambassador cabs of Kolkata, India is what has defined this bustling city. However, with the closing of the Ambassador cab manufacturer in 2014, just months after Uber was introduced to Kolkata, the yellow taxi cabs and their community of drivers must now face a fast-approaching expiration date. Mukesh Shaw & Montu Das play cards on a street corner near the Naba Baghbazar area on July 12, 2018, in North Kolkata. A cabbie drives by the outside perimeter of the Shyambazar Sunday Kolkata Pet Market in North Kolkata on July 8, 2018. At the market you can find different rare species of bird, rabbit, guinea pig, dog, pigeon, different kind of colorful fishes for aquarium, plants and flowers. A cab driver maneuvers through the Kolkata streets looking for a fare on July 5, 2018. Though taxi services started in Kolkata as early as 1907, the iconic Ambassador became a standard taxi model only in 1962. Despite its British origins, the Ambassador is considered as a definitive Indian car and is fondly called the "king of Indian roads". The automobile was manufactured by Hindustan Motors at its Uttarpara plant near Kolkata, West Bengal until the plants closure in May 2014. Cab driver Arun Kumar Bharati, who has been driving an Ambassador yellow cab for 21 years. July 11, 2018. Parked on the side of a busy street, A cab driver takes a late morning nap in the back seat of his cab on October 28, 2017. In Kolkata, most cabs are painted yellow with a blue strip in the middle. A couple of plant vendors load up a cab in the Shyambazar Sunday Kolkata Pet Market in North Kolkata on July 8, 2018. One of the Ambassador’s best features are its roomy back seat and enormous trunk. A mechanic works on a Ambassador steering column in a small shop down the narrow back allies of the Mullick Bazar on October 28, 2017 in Kolkata. Radiator repairman Maserul Hauk says that the Ambassador cabs are his main customers, fixing 8-10 radiators a day. He also sells them for 4-5000 rupee’s with is about $56-$70.00. An Ambassador cab drives through the Howrah flower market on July 4, 2018 in Central Kolkata. Yellow cabs may physically disappear from the streets of Kolkata in the coming years, but their legacy will continue–honking and humming and buzzing along the hive track of history.
Seminole Canyon State Park & Historic Site in 30+ Degree Temperatures
Kicking off 2022 with our continued quest to visit all the Parks in Texas! What turned into canceled international trips and lockdowns during the height of COVID birthed the yearning to get out and explore, and what better places to explore than right out your front door!
So my good friend, travel buddy and fellow combat photographer Russ @rklika and I launched 2022 with a recent four day camping trip to Seminole Canyon State Park in Val Verde County, west of Comstock, Texas. And we did it while the temps were in the 20’s and 30’s. We were multilayered up during the whole trip and enjoyed steaks while huddled around the campfire keeping warm at night and occasionally visiting with neighbors who were from up north looking for warmer temperatures down south during their winter months.
Seminole Canyon is a small State Park with about 12 miles of trails that look down into the beautiful canyon. You can pretty much hike everything in three days. They do offer a guided (about eight hours) canyon hike to visit more of the rock paintings. We will be back for that.
My goal for this trip was to find color in a desert environment in the middle of winter.
I do have to say that the most impressive part of this State Park was its staff of amazing rangers and volunteers that were very friendly and very knowledgable. We were even giving some incredible ranger breakfast tacos one morning to warm our spirits! Definitely ask for their famous breakfast tacos!!!! LOL
Lastly, a must do for this park is to take their guided four hour tour to one of the rock shelters nearby witnessing the history and rock paintings. Our guide was awesome and so knowledgeable. I seriously learned so much and hands down our tour was the best I have had in a long time.
I hope you enjoy the images and they inspire you do go out and explore something! Also head on over to @rklika to see his beautiful take on our trip.
Click here to see more parks we visited: Caprock Canyons State Park & Big Bend Ranch State Park, Texas
Seminole Canyon State Park
Sitting on more than 2,000 acres, displaying jagged canyons cut through the Chihuahuan Desert where the Pecos River flows into the Rio Grande. The area has been inhabited by humans for some 12,000 years, who lived in natural rock shelters carved into the canyon walls. Thousands of years later, another culture called the “Archaic people” lived in the dry rock shelters, leaving their mark on the environment through some 200 rock paintings throughout the area. The park contains some of the most outstanding examples not only in Texas but in the world. Extensive pictographs of the Lower Pecos River Style, attributed to the Middle Archaic period of 4,000 years ago, adorn rock shelters throughout its canyons.
Research into the meaning of Lower Pecos River Style murals suggests that the images may communicate important elements of the culture’s belief system, such as shamanic journeys to the land of the dead and symbolic relationships with animals and peyote a hallucinogenic cactus.
The U. S. Army was the first American presence in the Lower Pecos region. In 1851, Lieutenant Nathaniel Michler did a reconnaissance of the Rio Grande above and below its junction with the Pecos River for the United States and Mexico Boundary Commission. After the Civil War, Lieutenant John L. Bullis and his Black Seminole Scouts operated in the area. They blasted a wagon road into the Pecos Canyon near the Rio Grande to provide the military with a shorter route between Forts Clark and Davis. The canyon is named in honor of these scouts. Sources: the internet. #texasparks #texasstateparks #camping #exploring #igtexas #seminolecanyonstatepark #texascamping #southwestplants Seminole Canyon on the Fate Bell pictograph site/trail. Sotol cactus surrounded by Cenizo on the upper Canyon Rim Trail. Seminole Canyon from the upper Canyon Rim Trail. Sotol on the upper Canyon Rim Trail. Dried riverbed near Panther Cave Pictograph Site on the U.S./Mexico border from the lower Canyon Rim Trail. Small stream near Panther Cave Pictograph Site on the U.S./Mexico border from the lower Canyon Rim Trail. Thorns from the Cylindropuntia Leptocaulis (Christmas Cholla) on the lower Canyon Rim Trail. Trees surround a water spring on Windmill Nature Trail. Bird nest near Desert Vista Camping Area. Doe near Panther Cave Pictograph Site on the U.S./Mexico border from the lower Canyon Rim Trail. U.S./Mexico border near Panther Cave Pictograph Site from the lower Canyon Rim Trail. Mexico border across the Rio Grande River near Panther Cave Pictograph Site from the lower Canyon Rim Trail. Natural rock shelter carved into the canyon walls near Panther Cave Pictograph Site from the lower Canyon Rim Trail. Rock paintings on the walls of a natural rock shelter carved into the canyon on the Fate Bell pictograph site/trail. Seminole Canyon floor on the Fate Bell pictograph site/trail. Rock paintings on the walls of a natural rock shelter carved into the canyon on the Fate Bell pictograph site/trail. Ocotillo on the upper Canyon Rim Trail. Reflection of trees surrounding a water spring on Windmill Nature Trail. Sunset from Desert Vista Camping Area. Sunset from Desert Vista Camping Area. The moon after sunrise from Desert Vista Camping Area.
So my good friend, travel buddy and fellow combat photographer Russ @rklika and I launched 2022 with a recent four day camping trip to Seminole Canyon State Park in Val Verde County, west of Comstock, Texas. And we did it while the temps were in the 20’s and 30’s. We were multilayered up during the whole trip and enjoyed steaks while huddled around the campfire keeping warm at night and occasionally visiting with neighbors who were from up north looking for warmer temperatures down south during their winter months.
Seminole Canyon is a small State Park with about 12 miles of trails that look down into the beautiful canyon. You can pretty much hike everything in three days. They do offer a guided (about eight hours) canyon hike to visit more of the rock paintings. We will be back for that.
My goal for this trip was to find color in a desert environment in the middle of winter.
I do have to say that the most impressive part of this State Park was its staff of amazing rangers and volunteers that were very friendly and very knowledgable. We were even giving some incredible ranger breakfast tacos one morning to warm our spirits! Definitely ask for their famous breakfast tacos!!!! LOL
Lastly, a must do for this park is to take their guided four hour tour to one of the rock shelters nearby witnessing the history and rock paintings. Our guide was awesome and so knowledgeable. I seriously learned so much and hands down our tour was the best I have had in a long time.
I hope you enjoy the images and they inspire you do go out and explore something! Also head on over to @rklika to see his beautiful take on our trip.
Click here to see more parks we visited: Caprock Canyons State Park & Big Bend Ranch State Park, Texas
Seminole Canyon State Park
Sitting on more than 2,000 acres, displaying jagged canyons cut through the Chihuahuan Desert where the Pecos River flows into the Rio Grande. The area has been inhabited by humans for some 12,000 years, who lived in natural rock shelters carved into the canyon walls. Thousands of years later, another culture called the “Archaic people” lived in the dry rock shelters, leaving their mark on the environment through some 200 rock paintings throughout the area. The park contains some of the most outstanding examples not only in Texas but in the world. Extensive pictographs of the Lower Pecos River Style, attributed to the Middle Archaic period of 4,000 years ago, adorn rock shelters throughout its canyons.
Research into the meaning of Lower Pecos River Style murals suggests that the images may communicate important elements of the culture’s belief system, such as shamanic journeys to the land of the dead and symbolic relationships with animals and peyote a hallucinogenic cactus.
The U. S. Army was the first American presence in the Lower Pecos region. In 1851, Lieutenant Nathaniel Michler did a reconnaissance of the Rio Grande above and below its junction with the Pecos River for the United States and Mexico Boundary Commission. After the Civil War, Lieutenant John L. Bullis and his Black Seminole Scouts operated in the area. They blasted a wagon road into the Pecos Canyon near the Rio Grande to provide the military with a shorter route between Forts Clark and Davis. The canyon is named in honor of these scouts. Sources: the internet. #texasparks #texasstateparks #camping #exploring #igtexas #seminolecanyonstatepark #texascamping #southwestplants Seminole Canyon on the Fate Bell pictograph site/trail. Sotol cactus surrounded by Cenizo on the upper Canyon Rim Trail. Seminole Canyon from the upper Canyon Rim Trail. Sotol on the upper Canyon Rim Trail. Dried riverbed near Panther Cave Pictograph Site on the U.S./Mexico border from the lower Canyon Rim Trail. Small stream near Panther Cave Pictograph Site on the U.S./Mexico border from the lower Canyon Rim Trail. Thorns from the Cylindropuntia Leptocaulis (Christmas Cholla) on the lower Canyon Rim Trail. Trees surround a water spring on Windmill Nature Trail. Bird nest near Desert Vista Camping Area. Doe near Panther Cave Pictograph Site on the U.S./Mexico border from the lower Canyon Rim Trail. U.S./Mexico border near Panther Cave Pictograph Site from the lower Canyon Rim Trail. Mexico border across the Rio Grande River near Panther Cave Pictograph Site from the lower Canyon Rim Trail. Natural rock shelter carved into the canyon walls near Panther Cave Pictograph Site from the lower Canyon Rim Trail. Rock paintings on the walls of a natural rock shelter carved into the canyon on the Fate Bell pictograph site/trail. Seminole Canyon floor on the Fate Bell pictograph site/trail. Rock paintings on the walls of a natural rock shelter carved into the canyon on the Fate Bell pictograph site/trail. Ocotillo on the upper Canyon Rim Trail. Reflection of trees surrounding a water spring on Windmill Nature Trail. Sunset from Desert Vista Camping Area. Sunset from Desert Vista Camping Area. The moon after sunrise from Desert Vista Camping Area.
Finally, Some Time To Play
It has been an incredibly busy year for me and I am blessed for that given the year we ALL had before! However, it really hasn't given me any down time to relax or even play since May. This last Saturday I was afforded the opportunity to attend the Army vs. Air Force Commanders Classic game at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. What made it even more special was shooting with my Combat Camera buddy Scott Reed. He procured the passes. One field access pass and one media access. We were not on the hook to produce for anyone. I thought what if? So I decided, lets just sit up in the stands with a 200-500 mm lens, a beer in hand, and shoot the whole game at 1/2 sec (1st half) or 1 sec (2nd half). And here are the results from it. Now I am not saying these are great, but to me they are fun and will hopefully inspire me and maybe even you that we need to take the time to stop what we are doing, take some down time for ourselves, smile, imagine what if and go out and play! Army Black Knights win 21-14 in overtime over the Air Force Falcons on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021, at Globe Life Field in Arlington during the 2021 Lockheed Martin Commanders’ Classic, presented by USAA. The Army Black Knights football team takes the field. The Air Force Falcons football team takes the field. 1st Quarter 9:33, 0-0 1st Quarter 5:23, 0-0 1st Quarter 2:12, 2nd & 7, Ball on 12, 0-0 2nd Quarter 12:19, 3rd & 8, Ball on 21, 0-0 3rd Quarter 7:35, 2nd & 9, Ball on 21, 7-0 Army 4th Quarter 13:18, 1st & 10, Ball on 40, 14-3 Army Air Force fans 4th Quarter :24, 4th & 12, Ball on 13, 14-11 Army. Air Force to kick field goal to tie it up. 14-14 OT/1, 2nd & 8 Ball on the 23 Army storms the field after in OT win. 21-14 OT/1, 4th & 6 Ball on the 7
Safari Down Time
After our amazing accomplishment of summiting Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania it was time to rest our bodies and enjoy some down time! So, what better way to do that than take in a few safaris and truly enjoy the beauty Africa has to offer. Over two days the team from Sheep Dog visited Tarangire National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania. We experienced so much!!! Below are a few images of what we saw. Tarangire National Park Tarangire National Park is the sixth largest national park in Tanzania after Ruaha, Serengeti, Mikumi, Katavi and Mkomazi. The national park is located in Manyara Region. The name of the park originates from the Tarangire River that crosses through the park, being the only source of water for wild animals during dry seasons. During the dry season thousands of animals migrate to the Tarangire National Park from Manyara National Park. The Tarangire River has shriveled to a shadow of its wet season self. But it is choked with wildlife. Thirsty nomads have wandered hundreds of parched kilometers knowing that here, always, there is water. Herds of up to 300 elephants scratch the dry river bed for underground streams, while migratory wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, impala, gazelle, hartebeest and eland crowd the shrinking lagoons. Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania Ngorongoro Crater, extinct volcanic caldera in the Eastern (Great) Rift Valley, northern Tanzania. The caldera measures between 10 and 12 miles across and has an area of 102 square miles. Its heavily forested rim rises 2,000 feet above the caldera’s floor to an elevation of 7,500 feet. Ngorongoro is thought to have formed about 2.5 million years ago from a large active volcano whose cone collapsed inward after a major eruption, leaving the present vast, unbroken caldera as its chief remnant. The caldera’s floor is predominantly open grassland. It is home to a diverse array of animals including elephants, black rhinoceroses, leopards, buffalo, zebras, warthogs, gnu (wildebeests), Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelles, and the densest population of lions in the world. The local Masai people also graze their livestock in the crater. Lake Magadi, a shallow soda lake ringed by extinct volcanoes, is renowned as a habitat for great flocks of pink flamingos. Tarangire National Park: Giraffe Tarangire National Park: Giraffes Tarangire National Park: Elephant Tarangire National Park: Baby elephant nursing Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania: Elephants Tarangire National Park: Lioness Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania: Female ostrich (hen) Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania: Jackal Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania: Hamerkop Tarangire National Park: Young male impala Tarangire National Park: Lilac-breasted roller Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania: Hippos and Cape buffalo Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania: Elands Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania: Zebras Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania: Lions
Mount Kilimanjaro "Climb For A Cause"
This past August, I had the opportunity to work with a great veteran organization called Sheep Dog . The assignment was to climb Mount Kilimanjaro with a team and document the good the bad the ugly and everything in between. This beautiful mountain didn't disappoint and what made it even better was the incredible team I was blessed with documenting. These are the guys you want in your corner for every situation life throws at you. On August 10, 2021 @ 8:15 am and at 19,342 feet, my world was forever changed and a brotherhood was forged with teamwork, trust, sweat, blood, tears, perseverance, faith, courage and so much more. We started with a team of 12 and ended up with 9 of us summiting. This bucket list adventure was one of the hardest things I have ever accomplished and photographed at the same time. I started this journey on my knees grabbing the earth in my hands and asking God to walk with me on this journey grabbing my hand when I needed it. I also did the same thanking him on the top, and a final time when I stepped off. He was there the whole time, I truly felt him. I hope you enjoy their Journey! Click here to see full photo story: Mount Kilimanjaro Climb For A Cause
Mount Kilimanjaro Terrain
ter·rain /təˈrān/ noun · a stretch of land, especially with regard to its physical features. On August 10, 2021 @ 8:15 am and at 19,341 feet, my world was forever changed and a brotherhood was forged with teamwork, trust, sweat, blood, tears, perseverance, faith, courage and so much more. We started with a team of 12 and ended up with 9 of us summiting. Before I post our Sheepdog Kilimanjaro climbing story, I wanted to show the amazing and rough terrain we hiked through on the Lemosho Route to reach our goal of summiting. I started this journey on my knees grabbing the earth in my hands and asking God to walk with me on this journey grabbing my hand when I needed it. I also did the same thanking him on the top, and a final time when I stepped off. He was there the whole time, I truly felt him. For more information on Kilimanjaro Routes please visit the best site I found: https://kilimanjaroroutes.com Day 1 Elevation: 7,742 to 9,498 ft Habitat: Rain Forest Day 1 Elevation: 7,742 to 9,498 ft Habitat: Rain Forest Day 1 Elevation: 7,742 to 9,498 ft Habitat: Rain Forest Day 1 Elevation: 7,742 to 9,498 ft Habitat: Rain Forest Day 1 Elevation: 7,742 to 9,498 ft Habitat: Rain Forest Day 1 Elevation: 7,742 to 9,498 ft Habitat: Rain Forest Day 2 Elevation: 9,498 to 11,500 ft Habitat: Savannah tall grasses, heather and volcanic rock draped with lichen beards Day 2 Elevation: 9,498 to 11,500 ft Habitat: Savannah tall grasses, heather and volcanic rock draped with lichen beards Day 2 Elevation: 9,498 to 11,500 ft Habitat: Savannah tall grasses, heather and volcanic rock draped with lichen beards Day 3 Elevation: 11,500 to 13,800 ft Habitat: Moorland Meadows Day 3 Elevation: 11,500 to 13,800 ft Habitat: Moorland Meadows Day 3 Elevation: 11,500 to 13,800 ft Habitat: Moorland Meadows Day 4 Elevation: 13,800 to 15,190 back down to 13,044 ft Habitat: Alpine Desert Day 4 Elevation: 13,800 to 15,190 back down to 13,044 ft Habitat: Alpine Desert Day 4 Elevation: 13,800 to 15,190 back down to 13,044 ft Habitat: Alpine Desert Day 4 Elevation: 13,800 to 15,190 back down to 13,044 ft Habitat: Alpine Desert Day 4 Elevation: 13,800 to 15,190 back down to 13,044 ft Habitat: Alpine Desert Day 4 Elevation: 13,800 to 15,190 back down to 13,044 ft Habitat: Alpine Desert Day 4 Elevation: 13,800 to 15,190 back down to 13,044 ft Habitat: Alpine Desert Day 5 Elevation: 13,044 to 13,160 ft Habitat: Alpine Desert Day 5 Elevation: 13,044 to 13,160 ft Habitat: Alpine Desert Day 5 Elevation: 13,044 to 13,160 ft Habitat: Alpine Desert Day 5 Elevation: 13,044 to 13,160 ft Habitat: Alpine Desert Day 6 Elevation: 13,160 to 15,331 ft Habitat: Alpine Desert Day 6 Elevation: 13,160 to 15,331 ft Habitat: Alpine Desert Day 7 Elevation: 15,331 to 19,341 back down to 10,065 ft Habitat: Arctic Day 7 Elevation: 15,331 to 19,341 back down to 10,065 ft Habitat: Arctic Day 7 Elevation: 15,331 to 19,341 back down to 10,065 ft Habitat: Arctic Day 7 Elevation: 15,331 to 19,341 back down to 10,065 ft Habitat: Arctic Day 7 Elevation: 15,331 to 19,341 back down to 10,065 ft Habitat: Arctic Day 7 Elevation: 15,331 to 19,341 back down to 10,065 ft Habitat: Arctic Day 7 Elevation: 15,331 to 19,341 back down to 10,065 ft Habitat: Arctic Day 8 Elevation: 10,065 to 5,380 ft Habitat: Rain Forest Day 8 Elevation: 10,065 to 5,380 ft Habitat: Rain Forest Day 8 Elevation: 10,065 to 5,380 ft Habitat: Rain Forest
2021 Fourth Of July "Playing With Fireworks"
I hope everyone enjoyed their Fourth of July weekend and it was filled with fun, family and plenty of fireworks! I always feel like a big kid during this holiday and absolutely love setting off fireworks with friends and family. There is always a lot of laughing followed by a, "Jeremy, you may not want to do that". However, when I am not playing with the fireworks, I enjoy photographing them and trying to see what cool shapes and colors will explode in front of my lens. I hope you enjoy my take on the firework show that I attended at the Dallas Country Club surrounded by my beautiful family and friends. Let's also remember it is called Independence Day commemorating the day in 1776 that the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress. The purpose of the Declaration of Independence was to announce and explain our separation from Great Britain.
MOH Bennie G. Adkins Dignified Transfer
On Monday, December 12, 2020 American Airlines operated a special flight (Flt 1966) carrying the late Medal of Honor recipient CSM Bennie G. Adkins and his family from Atlanta to Washington, D.C. before being buried at Arlington. American Airlines numbered the flight “1966” for the year in which he acted heroically in Vietnam to receive the U.S.‘s highest military decoration. Full honors were bestowed for CSM Adkins and his family as the Soldiers from the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Ft. Campbell, KY performed the transfer and the Patriot Guard Riders from Atlanta and Washington lined the runway with American flags. Adkins received the Medal of Honor in 2014 from President Barack Obama for his service during the Vietnam War at the Battle of A Shau in 1966, during which he rescued fellow soldiers and killed between 135 and 175 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong soldiers while sustaining eighteen wounds to his body over the course of a 38-hour battle and 48 hours of escape, according to Adkins’ Medal of honor citation. “When the camp was attacked by a large North Vietnamese and Viet Cong force in the early morning hours, Sergeant First Class Adkins rushed through intense enemy fire and manned a mortar position continually adjusting fire for the camp, despite incurring wounds as the mortar pit received several direct hits from enemy mortars,” the citation reads. “Upon learning that several soldiers were wounded near the center of camp, he temporarily turned the mortar over to another soldier, ran through exploding mortar rounds and dragged several comrades to safety.” You can read his full citation here In April, he lost a battle to COVID 19 at the age of 86. He will be buried with full military honors on Wednesday, December 16, 2020 and will be laid to rest with the remains of his wife, Mary Adkins, who died Feb. 12, 2019, and is already laid to rest in Arlington. This was a great honor to document for me as I have had the pleasure of having CSM Adkins in front of my camera for one of my favorite Medal of Honor portraits ever. God bless and thanks for being a true American Hero! R.I.P. CSM Bennie G. Adkins, February 1, 1934 – April 17, 2020.
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