My Dad’s Military Service Photos, Should I Save Them?
In 2018, we celebrate Veteran’s Day on Monday, November 12. This is a good time consider the question, “Should I save my dad’s military service photos?”
We have come across family photos of men and women who served in the Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and Air Force. Some photos go as far back as the Civil War. These military service photos below are from Wold War I.
Personally, my sister and I have found a treasure trove of photos and documents after our father died. He served in Vietnam but never spoke about his service, except to say he didn’t want to talk about it. His photos told many stories for us about where he served and what he did. All of these inspired my sister to travel to Vietnam and follow in his footsteps, and write a book about her experiences, “Cheese Curls in Vietnam.”
Depending upon your family’s history, traditions and values, you may choose to save a few photos or a lot. People save their military service photos for a variety of reasons. These photos can:
- Tell the story of patriotism and commitment to our country.
- Demonstrate valor, courage and bravery
- Show the sacrifices made for family and country
- Share lessons learned in combat and war
- Celebrate completion of mission and victory
- Help us mourn those who gave their life for our country
- Honor what was sacrificed for the freedoms we have
Guidelines on Military Service Photos to Save
If you have military service photos from your parents, grandparents and other relatives, it’s time to do something with them. We recommend that you save photos of their service. If you need a few guidelines of what to save, start here:
- Recognizable people - you don’t need the photos of people you don’t know. In once instance, I had quite a few photos of one man, who seems to have been a good friend of my dad’s. I saved one with both of them in it.
- Landmarks, places - save photos that tell a bit of the story of where your family served. You can toss landscape photos that are repetitive, don’t have anyone in them and are unrecognizable.
- Equipment, Vehicles, Boats - save photos that show what type of work your family might have done while serving. Some of the vehicles and boats may have markings on them that can be researched.
- Any others that are of interest. Especially if your family member is alive and would be willing to talk about the picture.
We believe that military service photos are important to preserving family history.
For the month of November, we will scan 100 military service photos for free for all veterans and their families. We thank you all for your service and sacrifice for our country.
If you have decided you don't want to preserve your family military service photos, that's okay as well. If you like, take them to your local historical society, or military museum or send them to us here at Pixologie. We would be honored to have them.
Need routine motivation to keep on track with your memories? Click here to learn about our PixJourney Group.
