STEVE ROMINE PHOTOGRAPHY

VETERANS OF MONUMENT TERRACE
Artist Statement

I've never been a flag waver; I always though it was appropriate on Memorial Day, the 4th of July and Veterans Day, but it was never something that I felt I wanted to do.  The time I spent photographing the Veterans of Monument Terrace in Lynchburg, Virginia, have changed my perspective.

In early May 2016, I stopped by Monument Terrace on a Friday at lunch with the intent to get a few street photos.  Two weeks later I brought my father-in-law, a WWII veteran and it was the recognition that they gave him for his service that made me realize something unique was happening at Monument Terrace.  I decided I wanted to better understand what the Veterans were doing and ultimately I decided I wanted to make others aware of their efforts.  These photographs are my attempt at bringing awareness to their efforts.

During the three months I spent at Monument Terrace on Fridays, I came to realize the veterans were not meeting every Friday at noon, for more than 16 years to be recognized.  Rather the veterans gather to recognize the service of other veterans and to be reminder to all of us that there are U.S. service men and women in war zones in the service of our country.

 As with other projects I have under taken I had a connection with my subjects.  In this case it is because I served in the USAF for four years, my dad served in the USAF for 22 years, my brother served in the Navy for 20 years and my sister served in the Navy for 5 years.