Haunting portraits show Marines Before, During and After service in Afghanistan; (very telling)

Hardened stares, averted gazes – these are the portraits documenting the changes war inflicts on its serving soldiers. While the pictures – of Dutch Marines before, during and after deployment in Afghanistan – may not be shocking at first, they subtly hint at the soldiers' inner transformations. They are the work of Dutch photographer Claire Felicie, who followed 20 marines between October 2009 and September 2010 to see if their faces were altered by their experiences.

Struggle:

Unsure:

Hardened:

Thoughtful:

The Photos and Characteristic List continue at the main article:
Changed: Tough: Wiser: Different: Scared: Tired: Experienced: Stern: Furrowed:

The changes weren’t the same – some looked scarier, others looked more mature. 'I don’t think what one face showed was the same with all the boys. But there were real changes. ‘The boys were saying they didn’t want to talk about things, but I could see it on their faces.’ Their personas were different each time she met them along their journey, Felicie said.

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk...

Wow. What an interesting look at the Men or War. And, honestly, I doubt the Dutch saw much action compared to the US forces but all the same, I think it is a very telling article and study of war and the effects it has on people.

I wonder if this has been done before, especially by the US military. If not, if should be. I think every soldier should be photographed like this way done.

Take a good look at those faces, all of them-at the main article. What do you think? I saw that they are all still in the military. Interesting.

reply to post by anon72


War is a horrible thing. There is no glory in it, as many a famous persons have stated. S&F great post
:3

I doubt the Dutch saw much action compared to the US forces

The human mind is a fragile thing. Any amount of action a soldier witnesses is enough to haunt them forever.

The changes in these men is amazing, they are clearly disturbed after the war, you can see the transformation while at war. It is horrible, no soldier should be over there. The last photos of the victims seem cold, and hard, like they have no soul. War is horrible, brings nothing good upon the civilians and soldiers of the nations involved, whether they be the attacking or defending, everyone is affected in the end

Its all in the eyes. Its saddening to look at them. Hardly what heroes deserve. They joined for the right reasons, but were lead by the evil.

What a change in these men.
Notice in the last picture of each, only one guy looks into the camera.
I wonder what those eyes saw...

MMD

I wonder what the eyes look like on the soldiers who were ordered to do horrible things, and then killed by the ones who ordered it, to cover it up. If you believe in such things ive seen "A Few Good Men"!

The last guy gets me the most. His expression shows this.

Scared->Ashamed->Empty

reply to post by CharonIncarnate


The first one is the one that gets me the most, he just seems, gone, saddened, horrified

Just remember - they're over there defending YOUR right to take their pictures and post them on an internet site.

You should be thanking them!

Haunting thread of the year?

Shameful.


I hope they find some peace.

reply to post by TXRabbit


We owe them for that. You are right. I do not see anyone saying differently? I bet they wish someone could have told them what happens to people in war. The truth. Maybe if they saw these pictures they would not have joined. I know i would not have. Andi could have a perfectly intact spine now too.

reply to post by anon72


My father served in WWII, and was there when they liberated the jewish camps. He would rarely even discuss his experiences, but one day over some beer, he told me about their approach to the camps.

"From around 10 miles out, you could smell the camps. It was a mixture of sewage, and burnt human flesh. As we got closer and closer, the smell became so bad that people started vomiting. Once at the camps, the smell actually burned the eyes."

I hope and pray that we eventually get to the point on this planet that war is seen as a path that no one wants to take.

reply to post by matadoor


WWI and WWII were horrible. Ive always been really interested in them. They were truly horrible. I feel bad for those vets. Specially how young so many of them were.

My mother told me about her two uncles in WW2. They were fun loving and all before they went and became snipers and ended up on Normady.

She said they came home all crazy. Moved out into the woods and became loners. Probably dealing with whatever they did to make it back home.

Seeing these makes we want to end the wars NOW.

They aren't even showing the same people.

These soldiers see horrors we can't even imagine...children ripped apart etc....it takes a part of their soul..... I know some men and women who served there....and they say they can never look at things the same way again. War is phychologically damaging in the worst way....for ALL involved. Remember too, it's not just them, but the residents of the country who are affected in this way. War IS hell.

reply to post by nixie_nox


Thanks for adding credit to this thread :3

I don't know why people need to see these pictures. Surely almost everyone has known someone with that look in their eye. Are we really daft enough to think active service doesn't change people?.

reply to post by Suspiria


Yes.

My Dad's neighbor also served in WWII. BUT, he served on a Coast Guard Cutter. When they would get together, my Dad would ask him how many times he was shot at, and how many people he killed. Of course his reply was neither one, and he didn't understand the question and why it was important.

Coming from another person, who was also in WWII, even HE didn't get it.

I travel a lot, and I now keep a $100 bill in my pocket. When I see a group of vets in an airport, I walk up to them, thank them for their service, and hand the bill to one of them. I explain that they can go have a cold one or two on me.

They not only sacrifice themselves if needed, but war takes away a part of them that they can never get back.

reply to post by Suspiria

Are we really daft enough to think active service doesn't change people?.

Active Service in the Military DOES NOT do this to people. Combat in the Military does this to people. There is a difference.

Of course we may have thought or suspected it but, to me anyway, seeing the pictures changed the way I think. What can I say--- it did.