CAROL STREAM, Ill. (CBS) — If a picture is worth a thousand words, a portrait series of local veterans tells stories of sacrifice and service.
The signs of appreciation for Veterans Day were visible at Belmont Village in Carol Stream, but inside there was also a permanent photo gallery honoring those who risked their lives for their country.
“They had pictures of the previous people here, and I thought I would join in with the rest,” said Bob Usiak, an Air Force veteran.
Usiak’s portrait includes a photo of him on duty, which he originally sent to his mother.
“It’s a reflection of what I had and what I have now,” he said. “A lot of change.”
John R. Garland’s photos hang around the corner.
‘It can’t have been that long ago. “I look old,” he said, laughing.
Each of the photos attempts to capture the personality and experience of the veteran in front of the camera. They came with their uniforms, Air Force nursing degrees, replica parts of their planes and stories of their bravery.
“When you’re 18, you’re not afraid of anything,” Garland said. “You’re not.”
The veterans’ stories extend beyond the walls of Belmont Village. Some of them were collected in a book and others were put on display for exhibitions at O’Hare and Midway airports.
For some, there is a feeling that they wish they could have done more.
“You always think you should have done more, you could have done more,” Garland said. “I did everything I could.”
But they also shared their appreciation for their experience and the way it changed them.
“It changed your life, you know,” Usiak said.
The photos are part of a series that began in 2008 with the aim of photographing veterans in more than thirty Belmong Village communities across the country.
