PRESS RELEASES
ACCLAIMED PHOTOGRAPHER ANDY MARCHESE LENDS TALENT TO VETERAN VOICES OF PITTSBURGH ORAL HISTORY PROJECT
CONTACT: Kevin Farkas, media representative
Veteran Voices of Pittsburgh®
412.423.8034 | VeteranVoicesofPgh@gmail.com
http://VeteranVoicesofPittsburgh.blogspot.com/
ACCLAIMED PHOTOGRAPHER ANDY MARCHESE LENDS TALENT
TO VETERAN VOICES OF PITTSBURGH ORAL HISTORY PROJECT
PITTSBURGH, PA – February 23, 2012 – Professional photographer Andy Marchese of Pittsburgh has become that latest creative artist to join forces with the Veteran Voices of Pittsburgh®transmedia oral history project. VVoP is a nonprofit educational initiative jointly created by The Social Voice Project, The Veterans Breakfast Club, and StartPoint Media, Inc.—three local organizations focusing on veterans. Veteran Voices of Pittsburgh is dedicated to capturing, preserving, and sharing the experiences of Pittsburgh area veterans of all branches of service and eras, including peace and war-time service.
“We’re pleased to have Andy Marchese on board with us as an associate photographer,” said Todd DePastino, historian and founding partner of VVoP. “Andy’s visual artistry and expertise in portraiture will greatly enhance our goal of creatively showcasing veterans’stories using various media, including still photography.”
A native of Pittsburgh’s North Hills area, Mr. Marchese is a marketing professional, photo editor, and owner ofAndy Marchese Photography, which specializes in editorial and commercial photography with a focus in sports photography. Some of his clients include Gateway Newspapers, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Johnstown Tribune Democrat, Duke University, University of Nebraska, and North Dakota State University.
“Along with using high definition photography as an important archival tool to document our interviews and the historic memorabilia veterans want to share with us, I’m always looking for a story to tell with my camera,” said Mr. Marchese. “The right gesture, glance of an eye, or fold of the hands can reveal a lot about what someone is feeling and thinking. A well crafted portrait can be a story within a story. That’s part of our innovative transmedia approach.”
The Veteran Voices of Pittsburgh project uses high definition technology, formatting, and techniques to enhance oral histories. “We want to enrich the oral history experience, inspire the imagination, and warm the heart. High quality design, direction, and multimedia are essential for us,” says Chris Rolinson, co-partner of VVoP, award winning photographer, videographer, and owner of StartPoint Media. “Unlike most oral history projects, our interviews are presented in dedicated audiographic, videographic, photographic, and written media. Each genre yields a different experience, and the different media make the interviews accessible through a variety of platforms, including websites, social media, mobile devices, and print. We want these veterans’ stories to be widely accessible, not hidden away in an obscure archive.”
The Veteran Voices of Pittsburgh initiative is a lasting way to thank all veterans for their service. To donate or become a corporate/individual sponsor, please contact Kevin Farkas. Your generous support is tax deductible as allowed by law. Volunteers are also needed to help preserve and share these stories as part of our American heritage.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Kevin Farkas
The Social Voice Project®412.423.8034 | TheSocialVoiceProject@gmail.com
http://thesocialvoiceproject.blogspot.com/
A CHANCE TO TELL THEIR STORIES
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| Tom Wiley of Pittsburgh pauses during an interview to reflect upon his days as a young B 17 pilot during WW II |
Capturing the voices of “The Greatest Generation” is a priority. “We are losing so many of our aging WW II era veterans,” says Todd DePastino, historian, author, and executive director of The Veterans Breakfast Club.“Unfortunately, most WW II veterans will pass on before their stories can be preserved. Too often family members take their parents’ stories for granted; they’ve heard the old ‘war stories’ many times, but very few are ever recorded. Once a veteran dies we’ve lost an important eye witness to history. The families of our oldest veterans must ensure that these stories are preserved for their children, grandchildren, and all future generations.”
The Veteran Voices of Pittsburgh project uses high definition technology, formatting, and techniques to enhance oral histories. “We want to enrich the oral history experience, inspire the imagination, and warm the heart. High quality design, direction, and multimedia are essential for us,” says Chris Rolinson, award winning videographer, US Army veteran, and owner of StartPoint Media. “Unlike most oral history projects, our interviews are presented in dedicated audiographic, videographic, and written media. Each genre yields a different experience, and the different media make the interviews accessible through a variety of platforms, including websites, social media, mobile devices, and print. We want these veterans’ stories to be widely accessible, not hidden away in an obscure archive.”
This is a lasting way to thank all veterans for their service. To donate or become a corporate/individual sponsor of The Veteran Voices of Pittsburgh oral history project, please contact The Social Voice Project. Volunteers are also needed to help preserve and share these stories as part of our American heritage. Your generous support is tax deductible as allowed by law.
For more information, please contact Kevin Farkas.
The Social Voice Project®
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LIGHTHOUSE POINTE VETERANS TELL THEIR STORIES
PITTSBURGH, PA - Eight World War II veterans (residents of Lighthouse Pointe independent living community in Pittsburgh, PA) tell their personal stories of military training, combat, and the home front during the war years.They served on land, sea, and air in both the European and Pacific theaters.
Tom Brokaw called theirs “the greatest generation,” but nearly one thousand of these elderly veterans die each day while never having the chance to tell their stories of sacrifice and bravery in defense of this country.
HIGHLIGHTS:
-- We started out in the A20 [attack bomber] and I had the upper turret and the other gunner fired through a hole in the floor.They were using the A26 (attack bomber) in the Pacific campaign and then they brought them over to Europe [for us] and it was like going from a Tin Lizzy to a Cadillac. —Chuck Kelley, Army Air Corps
-- I was older and they called me ‘Pap’ because I was twenty-three and we had kids as young as sixteen with us . . . Marine boot camp was tough!They’d call you skin head and they’d make you feel like you knew nothing.Those platoon sergeants, they were tough. I remember one boy, he’d wet the bed and they made him sleep with his rifle and they had the fire guards come in every hour and wake him up and take him to the head. —Francis X. Burket, USMC
-- I never thought about it at all, about getting shot.You always figure in the back of your mind—or maybe you put it back there, I don’t know—but it didn’t seem to bother many guys.We were shot at.I think there were four airplanes we shot down.There’d be Japs coming right toward the ship and we were able to hit them before they hit into us. —Herbert Goetz, US Navy
-- I’ll tell you, I’m not sorry I was gone[from home].I’m not sorry about what I went through.But I pray that this younger generation doesn’t have to do what we did.War is Hell, and believe me it is.Everything is a loss, nothing is gained.We won the war, but does anyone think of visiting the VA [hospitals]?There are men there who have been laying there for years and years.Nobody visits them. Nobody cares about them anymore.That’s what I mean, that’s loss. —Robert Riethmiller, US Army
This audio recording would be of interest to community radio broadcasters, web-editions of newspapers, history teachers & students, historical societies, librarians, veterans groups, World War II enthusiasts, and others interested in first-hand accounts of this era.
The complete audio recording is available from TSVP as a CD or via digital mp3 upload.Installments for syndication on broadcast radio, web radio, and for website podcasting are also available.Contact TSVP now for details.
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WE ARE LOOKING FOR STORIES
Veteran Voices of Pittsburgh is currently seeking individuals and organizations to share their voices and stories for our transmedia oral history project:
Veteran Voices of Pittsburgh
The Veteran Voices of Pittsburgh transmedia oral history project is focused on preserving the experiences of both peace time and war time veterans of all branches of service and all eras.
We are looking for individuals or groups of veterans to share their stories. We are especially interested in working with veteran organizations--such as the VFW, American Legion, AMVETS, Vietnam Veterans of America, Veterans Administration support groups, VA hospitals, and others to document veterans' extraordinary stories.
This project would benefit any individual or group seeking to capture, preserve, share, and honor their experiences of sacrifice and courage in defending our nation.
