Local WWII veterans can be part of upcoming book

The Green Valley News, working in conjunction with the Green Valley Camera Club, is preparing to publish later this year the first volume of a book featuring local World War II veterans.

Veterans who have yet to have their photos taken by the club and speak to Green Valley News Special Projects Editor Karen Walenga and want to be in the first volume of “Heroes Among Us,” are encouraged to contact the Camera Club as soon as possible.

Phone 648-1315 or e-mail ww2vets@cox.net to be part of an upcoming photo shoot in August at American Legion Post 66 on West Duval Mine Road.

The Green Valley Camera Club will continue to schedule veteran photo shoots at least through the end of this year, say club members Ron Harper and Linda Gregory.

Those participating in the photo project and book interviews after August will be included in the second volume of “Heroes Among Us,” says Green Valley News Publisher Pam Mox.

This spring, the Camera Club began photographing local WWII veterans and scanning in photos of them when they were in the service.

Gregory then puts these all together—with the photos, each individual’s name, branch of service, rank and dates of service—in impressive slide shows that can be viewed online. Go to YouTube.com and type gvcameraclub into the search window, then click on the particular slide show.

The shows also include patriotic music, the American flag and logos of the various branches of the U.S. military.

As of late July, the club has photographed about 225 WWII veterans and now estimates it may be half way through the project, Harper and Gregory say.

The Green Valley News as of late July has interviewed 142 veterans for the book and, after the August photos and interviews, will go forward with production of the first volume of the book, Mox says.

When published, “Heroes Among Us” will be available for purchase from the newspaper, with some of the book’s proceeds benefitting the GV Camera Club.

kwalenga@gvnews.com | 547-9739