Captain Herb Barnum flew a C-47 around the European Theatre in WWII. His usual passenger was General Omar Bradley.

Last fall I had the opportunity to contribute photographically to the Wings of Valor book project.  It is an homage to the still-living men who downed at least five enemy aircraft during World War II…otherwise known as "aces."  My assignment was to create portraits of two men in Georgia and South Carolina…Commander Leroy Robinson, and Commander Robert Maxwell.

Recently, work began on a project that I’ve had in the back of my head for quite some time...that being to photograph WWII “bomber jackets”.  More properly known as “A2” jackets, many have distinctive artwork on both sides, and of course are unique to their owners.  As the horrors of WWII recede from memory, it seems to me that now, more than ever, is the time to remember the brave souls who sought to end this collective tragedy.

This portrait was created recently, and after posting it to Facebook, a relative of the subject inquired about the equipment used.  While that is often the most asked question by amateurs (no offense intended...we were all amateurs once), perhaps a better question would be to ask why the portrait was created this way.  The below lighting diagram should help explain how this image was created.

A friend recently alerted me to this recent interview on the Moth website.  Dawn is a WWII veteran and member of the Women Airforce Service Pilot's, otherwise known as the WASP's.

Not to shortchange the efforts, or the content, of our last two "Reaching High" interviews, but it's time to get 'em out on the street.

First up is the interview conducted with Brian Shul, one of only 93 men to ever fly the SR-71.  Not only was Brian a fighter pilot in Vietnam, but he survived a terrible fire to fully return to flight status, eventually being selected for the SR-71 program.  It's not a long interview, but it's packed full of information I've never heard anywhere else.

For anyone who enjoys a good English accent, this interview is a real treat.  John Beattie has had quite the career flying in the Royal Navy, and in several other venues.  When the Seafire restoration project was nearing completion, he was contacted about test flying the aircraft.

Bob "Punchy" Powell doesn't consider himself a "hero", in the military sense.  You see, he was a pilot in WWII, and flew the P-51 Mustang over the beaches of Normandy, during the D-Day invasion.  He has been heard to say that the guys on the ground that day were the real heroes...he was just doing his everyday job.