Memorial Day Evening with the Yashica Mat

Laurence · Expire: 2016-06-19

I took off on Monday morning, Memorial Day, for three days on
the wilderness coast.

I carried along the Yashica Mat, not only to honor my grandfather, but
to try to get a decent image with a camera I love, and sort of dedicate
it to my fallen comrades when I served in Vietnam.

There is almost a "guilt" to me, that I'm alive, and some of those
really fine guys are not. I get over it for the most part, but
Memorial Day can be a melancholy time for reflection and
remembrance.

It's almost rather unbelievable that men actually engage in
wars over policies, religion, or real estate. And...that they actually
kill each other for these false gains. It's really rather surreal.

But, enough of that. Confused

I was hiking along in the woods above
a headland, and the map showed a possibility of a good stretch
of sand, so I sweated and crashed down through the thick brush,
to finally come out on a beautiful wet-sand beach. The effort
was worth it, as I settled in for the evening, watching the
sun go down.

I put the Yashica Mat on a tripod, and set it for f:16 and "whatever
the speed called for if I took a shot". I wandered around with the
"new" Rollei SL35-M with its Rollei Planar 50/1.8 lens - a lot of fun
with that quality old equipment!

I wasn't expecting much from the sunset, but suddenly the light
changed, and I rushed back a few hundred yards to the Yashica
Mat waiting patiently for me.

While maybe not the most spectacular sunset in the world, I felt
that the beauty and the reflections were an appropriate "salute"
to all of the unfortunate humans in all countries who died for a
cause, even if the cause wasn't even their own doing. Just watching
the beauty that this Earth gives to us, put my mind at ease and a
smile on my face.

Reflecting - Memorial Day 2009
Yashica Mat 124
f:16 and 1/60th
Velvia
V700

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Awesome!

Schnauzer · Expire: 2012-03-08

Beautiful Larry.

Nam; Don't mean nothin. If you remember what I mean.

lahnet · Joined: 10 Apr 2007 Posts: 1164 Location: Denmark

Not only can you take some of the most beautiful pictures I ever have seen, you can write as well. Thanks for sharing this.

Btw the horizon is leaning the the right I think.

magnet-2009 · Joined: 22 Apr 2009 Posts: 505 Location: Greece, Athens

Laurence your comments before the "But, enough of that." are more "beautiful" than your excellent photo.

Thank you.

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

Beautiful photo, Larry.
I have not been through the same terrible experience that you had, luckily for me, and I see that as old as it is, it is a wound that is hard to heal. I hope that photography helps to stand the memory.

poilu · Expire: 2019-08-29

it is a very nice picture, in harmony with this memorial day

GrahamNR17 · Expire: 2012-09-06

I think your sentiments are not lost on most of us, Larry. So many good men died for no good reason. That you still feel so deeply for your lost friends and comrades is admirable, and a reflection of your beautiful soul. If it could only be that more of us felt like you, then maybe these tragic losses of life could be avoided. I sometimes think we learn nothing at all from our history, and it seems that barely a decade passes where we don't make the same mistakes again.

This image is really quite stunning, and in dedication to your grandfather and lost colleagues, take on a whole new level of beauty.

Thankyou for sharing your thoughts and your art. Cool

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

Hi, Larry!

Thanks for this great shot and your touching words.

I used to serve in the German army about 17 years ago. And even I never was in a really dangerous situation (I thank God that I did no have to serve in a war!) I know how close you get to the comrades that sit in the same mud as you and that also have to cope with little sleep, bad food and the constant strain of terrible weather and silly orders.
And although those were only manoeuvres, troop practice, that I experienced, I guess I understand how you feel about having to let go some of these fine guys you served with.

Nesster · Expire: 2014-02-20

Beautiful words, and gorgeous photo. Honor comes through clear, there's depth of field in both words and image.

Laurence · Expire: 2016-06-19

THANKS all of you guys. I feel that there is a sort of fraternity
here, with all of our interests homing in on the art of photography
with manual lenses, which in actuality gives us more control and
sometimes equal quality to the newest auto-focus, auto-everything
lenses and cameras.

Also, thank you for kind words. I look back on what I wrote, and
wonder if I am "bellyaching" too much. However, let me tell you
it is cathartic to just write it down and "vent" to people who
actually listen. That is a great instrument for healing.

I had hoped that one day I would just completely forget about
the vagaries of war, but that's not going to be the case. But in
any case...life goes on, and we make the best of it that we can.
And the FUN of photography and the FUN of using some of the
beautifully crafted older equipment is another cathartic way
to function.

And finally, I can thank my lucky stars that I had a mentor in
my grandfather, who never let me feel sorry for myself, and
always supported me to "get over it" and forge ahead with life.
Unfortunately, there are poor souls out there from ALL wars,
right up to the so-called wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, who
DIDN'T have the support they needed, and will be mentally
scarred forever.

And, at least in the USA, there will never be enough support for
their sacrifices. There's a true blasphemous pity. Sad

Oh...and I am glad that most liked the image! It's not the most
noteworthy image I've taken, but it was certainly a fine scene.

Screamin Scott · Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 10:02 pm Post subject:

Larry,
I thank you for your service...I wasn't in the service myself. I enlisted in the Army in 1967 but failed the physical ( bad hearing from birth, I have hearing aids in both ears). Luckily for me I did as I qualified for OCS ( Officer Candidate School) which would have put me right up there on the front lines after training... But enough of that.
Your skill with the Mat continues to impress me ! I still haven't had the time to get out with my Yashica TLR. If my images are even half as good as yours, I'll be satisfied...

Laurence · Expire: 2016-06-19

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

May I ask about these "draft numbers". How did this system work?

Screamin Scott · Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 4:47 pm Post subject:

Carsten
You were assigned a number based on your birthday. How they assigned them , I don't know. Anyway, they drew #'s & if your number was drawn, you were then drafted into the service (after a physical exam). My classification was "1A' meaning I was eligible to be drafted until I failed the exam. I was then listed as "1Y" meaning only to serve in times of War or National Emergency. As Vietnam was neither of those, I could not serve, even though I wanted to at the time (my life was in a rut at the time & I was hoping for at least stateside duty. I knew I wouldn't pass the exam as my hearing loss was from birth & I wore hearing aids since I was 9)...I don't even remember what my # was though, wonder if I could look it up?

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

Thanks, Scott. So, I understand that this was a randomly generated number, calculation based on the birthday digits?

Screamin Scott · Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 5:45 pm Post subject:

Yes, AFAIK

Laurence · Expire: 2016-06-19

Yeah, we used to bring the "draft lottery" up on television and watch some goofy looking Nixon-ite government hack draw the numbers out of some big box. I don't even remember for sure now, but it seems I already had a number 4 assigned on a card that was sent to me, so if #4 came up in the "lottery" then I was s**t out of luck. Laughing

Screamin Scott · Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 7:42 pm Post subject:

Lyndon Johnson was President when I enlisted in 1967 & was President during the expansion of the conflict from 1963 to 1969. Shortly after Nixon became President, US troop reductions began with more emphasis placed on the South Vietnamese to do the fighting & the US to supply the bombing. Fact remains that irregardless of political party, US policies during the war were badly handled...

Laurence · Expire: 2016-06-19

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

I see no reason why USA always in war... it is a terrible story how Americans can't do nothing against this.

Laurence · Expire: 2016-06-19

Screamin Scott · Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2009 2:19 am Post subject:

Larry,
My draft board was the one that Father Phillip Berrigan & the Catonsville 9 broke into & poured blood over all the records. It made the National news

Schnauzer · Expire: 2012-03-08

Then after we were involved they ran the war from Washington instead of letting the generals run it. Can you imagine people in Washington who were not their and didn't know anything about military running a war. Westmorland got a bum rap. It cost thousands of lives of good men. One night a mortar round landed in one of my best friends tent that I had grown up with. The only way they could identify him was his serial number in his false teeth. After two tours in Nam I had had enough. I still have nightmares. This is the last time I will talk about this and one of the few times I ever have.

rawhead · Expire: 2014-04-29

I hate to interrupt, but I just saw this thread, and I would just like to comment. Thanks for sharing your story; I don't know anything about Vietnam first hand, as I was born only a couple of years before it ended. I can only begin to imagine (with the help of some quality Hollywood flicks), and thank my luck that I have not had to be in similar situations so far.

And the image is fantastic. I just got a Yashica-Mat the other day and seeing this image gives me great hope about the cam; something to aspire to Very Happy

I would love to come over the northwest (I used to live in Seattle way back when) and go on one of your photo hikes together!