Ashley Gilbertson shows honor for fallen soldiers

When you think of U.S. troops serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, what is your mental picture? Do you envision a soldier carrying an AK-47 in camouflage? Or do you picture him as the young son or daughter of proud parent who is serving his or her country?

 I attended a lecture at Indiana University South Bend on Tuesday night given by Ashley Gibertson, a photojournalist who has reported for many years about the wars overseas. Although he was embedded with several military units in both Afghanistan and Iraq, he isn’t what you would typically imagine as an information link between the war torn countries and the United States.

Clad in his grayish black jeans, untucked white collared shirt and leather jacket, his curly brown hair stuck up wildly above his head.  The 33-year-old spoke of the War and Peace he had experienced in these countries with his native Australian accent, softening the message he had for a room filled with approximately 100 guests.

I was touched by the messages he conveyed in his hour talk. First and foremost, he wanted to convey the importance of the honor that should be bestowed upon the men and women who fight for our freedom. He also feels deeply for the men and women who serve overseas and are dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorders. 

He believes strongly that the more people in the United States who hear about the post traumatic stress that soldiers face overseas, the better. He encourages them to put pressure on congressmen and senators to push for assistance for these soldiers so they don’t succumb to feelings of suicide, as many soldiers already have.

Gilbertson’s first experience was in Iraq in 2003, and he believes that he “grew up” there.  I’m sure it’s a feeling that many soldiers have as they are faced with questions of right and wrong and life and death.

He showed many pictures of soldiers performing their duties and many civilians just trying to get through life. Both sides are dealing with the aftermath of decisions made in Washington. 

Ironically, he began his slideshow of pictures with a re-enlistment service in Baghdad, where several hundred soldiers were seen.  Clearly these people were committed to their country, uniforms pressed, standing at attention, heads held high.  The next picture was of a Muslim worship service showing several hundred backs as their service continued. Each picture portrayed a sense of commitment of very different beliefs.

He explained that one of his most effective pictures was one where the unit he was with had captured someone and handcuffed him, placing a hoody over his face. The shadow of a United States Marine engulfed the image of the man who was captured.

On both accounts, killing people in Iraq is a very impersonal happening.  It’s like ghosts, because people don’t know what the other person’s story is. Who is his mother? Who are his children? Does he live in New York or does he live in Florida? Was he a star athlete in high school or on the debate club?

Gilbertson hopes that his pictures will bring a humanizing effect to everyone that views them. He hopes that viewers will see that these soldiers have homes, they have family members and goals. If only Washington were under this assumption, maybe it would be harder to push for war. If only we knew all the names and backgrounds of each soldier it would make us more vulnerable to accepting that war is not necessarily the right answer.

Gilbertson wanted to honor the soldiers and their families by doing something that he believes hasn’t been done.  He approached the families who had lost a solider during the war and asked if he could photograph the soldier’s bedroom. He wanted to honor them by portraying things that had been most important to each of them.

Ashley spoke of a soldier, Noah, who had come back to his home on leave from Iraq.  Only he didn’t choose to return to that life, instead he ended his life because the post traumatic stress was just too much for him. We need to focus on the individuals at war, not the right or wrong of why the war is happening.

It was about then that Ashley began searching for a way to honor the fallen soldiers.  Whether they had died in combat or couldn’t struggle with the trials and tribulations of life, Ashley wanted to figure out a way to honor these heroes.

That is when he began taking photographs of Fallen Soldiers bedrooms. It is a way to address the absence of people that most of us would not otherwise know.  It is a way to personalize the “form letter” obituary of a fallen soldier.  Is it enough? It’s a start, a way to take responsibility and understand who the soldiers are who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

Here is the link for Ashley Gilbertson’s tribute to the fallen soldiers. His tribute will probably leave you thinking less about the politics of war and more about the men and women, mothers, sons, wives, daughters, fathers and siblings who are living day to day in war conditions.