Veterans Valentine

The best part of my job is when I can witness-not necessarily capture with my camera- a moment like this.

Quiet.  Personal.  Intimate.

The man kneeling is Army Sgt. 1st Class Joe Verdusco.
The man in the wheel chair is 58-year-old Air Force veteran Andrew Hawkins.

And here in this hallway, as the sergeant tried to cheer up this man in the wheel chair, I realized that these two men were potentially on opposite sides of their military lives.

Verdusco was one of the active duty members of the military who came to deliver some of the almost 2,000 Valentines cards to veterans at the Jerry L. Pettis Memorial Veterans Hospital in Loma Linda February 16, 2011.

Young Navy recruits wait to deliver Valentines cards.

As I walked up and down the halls of the hospital, with personnel of the Army, Marines, and Navy, I realized that I was among members of an exclusive club:  those that would lay down their lives for our country's freedom.

In the course of my assignment I witnessed hugs, smiles, and salutes not from patient to visitor but from brother to brother.  These men and women were family.  There was an automatic affinity present in the meetings in these halls today.  It was a place where the past, present, and future mingled.

A veteran gets a visit from a U.S. Marine.

In the hand of one sergeant, was a collection of Valentines cards not unlike those my kids would make at school.  In them were the love, wishes, and prayers for those we call soldiers.  For the veterans, it was a double blessing.  Not only did they have these kind words from the schools and churches in the community, they got these messages hand-delivered by active duty in uniform.

This vet felt like he was receiving the Medal of Honor.

The smiles on the faces of some of these veterans helped me imagine how much it meant to them. Being here today reminded me of how little it takes to make someone feel special.  Today, it was a card.  A hug.  A visit.  A little bit of conversation.

In between frames I was able to chat with some Vietnam vets.  These guys were so polite, and so nice.  I could tell that down deep these men had a peace inside them.  They were enjoying what they had fought for.  They very much appreciated the support coming from these cards today.  What really moved me about these guys, was that as bad as they had it in Vietnam, they were more concerned about G.I.s doing back-to-back tours in today's campaigns. 

Two Vietnam veterans get a special visitor.

A Valentine that made a difference.

Whether it was veteran of a past war or a new recruit, what these men and women shared was a pride in their service and their country.

That’s not an easy thing to capture with the camera’s eye.

But I’m glad I saw with my own eyes.

Army veteran Ken Munson, 53, left, gets a visit from Sgt. 1st Class David Paez