David Hume Kennerly

Standing With Nick Ut

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20121006-08_EAW_2012_Nict_Kim-flower1 copy

A pair of great ones. Nick Ut and Kim Phuc at Eddie Adams Workshop in 2012 during a ceremony honoring photographers who were killed in action in Vietnam. The World Press Photo organization has "suspended" Nick’s credit for his famous photo "Napalm Girl" of Kim running down the road. A vast majority of us have called BS on their shameful edict.

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“Following a nearly year-long investigation, the AP has concluded that there is not the definitive evidence required by AP’s standards to change the credit of the 53-year-old photograph (by Nick Ut).” . . . The Associated Press, May 6, 2025

“We have officially suspended the attribution of The Terror of War to Nick Út. This suspension will remain in place unless further evidence can clearly confirm or refute the original authorship.” . . . World Press Photo Foundation, May 16, 2025

Guilty until proven innocent. That’s the way the World Press Photo Foundation (WPP) rolls. By arrogantly “suspending” Nick Ut’s credit from his 1973, “The Terror of War,” also known as the “Napalm Girl” photograph, they are trying to exile Nick to photographic purgatory. The WPP can’t say for sure that he did or didn’t take it, but that’s not stopping them from playing Photo God by trying to destroy Nick’s good name with their twisted calculus. Even in football you need clear evidence to overrule a call on the field. That evidence isn’t there, particularly 50 years after the fact. And what right does the WPP have to “suspend” or take away the credit of a photo submitted to them for an award that is owned and published world-wide by the Associated Press? Zero, it’s a circus and they are the clowns.

Why did the World Press Foundation do this? One reason is their fealty to the film’s producing entity The VII Foundation and its ruler Gary Knight who produced and stars in “The Stringer.” The film is a fable based on the allegations of a disgruntled former AP photo editor in the Saigon bureau who had a big ax to grind and is jealous of Nick’s fame. The VII and World Press foundations are joined at the hip on this one. WPP Executive Director Joumana El Zein Khoury in announcing her punitive proclamation said, “. . . we conducted our assessment collegially, transparently . . . ” No they didn’t. Among things not mentioned is the fact that they have a very cozy relationship with Knight who has chaired some of their contests, and that they were shown the film ahead of others to lend it credibility and to promote the work.

In the WPP rush to judgement that started at the beginning of the year, Ms. Khoury sent Nick Ut a threatening email on January 14, 2025, in which she gave him a week to respond to allegations made by Knight that he didn’t take the “Napalm Girl” photo. She said, “We need to hear back from you before the 21st of January 2025. If we don't hear from you before then, we will then proceed with our decisions.” A week? Give me a break. We’re talking about something that happened in the fog of war over fifty years ago. A week!

Flash forward to the WPP announcement. They drank Knight's Kool-Aid right from the get-go. The WPP conducted an “investigation,” and came up with a perverted and bizarre decision, one that I suspect they had irrevocably made months earlier. It is also clear to me that Gary Knight and his collaborators had their narrative nailed down saying that Nick didn't take the photo and they were sticking with it no matter what. They clearly didn't put anything into their "documentary" that didn't serve that goal. Dave Burnett is one of those inconvenient witnesses. Fox Butterfield, then of the New York Times, is another who was out there on the road and thought Nick did what he said he did. When Fox was initially contacted by Knight’s wife who is a producer, he gave her his version and never heard back. It contradicted their conclusion. Arthur Lord of NBC who was also there, and now departed, said Nick was next to his cameraman on the scene. Gary Knight and his co-conspirator’s modus operandi might as well be, "I hate when facts get in the way of a good story."

AP’s lengthy and professional inquiry into the authorship of the photo keeps it with Nick Ut. To further confuse the issue, WPP interjected the possibility of another photographer into the tale who was on the road that day. They said he was also in position to make the shot. Are there any others out there that they might want to add to the mix? Not me, I was in Saigon. Maybe it was someone else like “the stringer” who never sold or published anything in his life other than the famous picture that he claims to have taken. Add to that, the AP spoke to eight eyewitnesses who were on the road when the photo was shot and received a statement from a ninth, the Napalm Girl herself, Kim Phuc. Those interviewed include Ut, who spoke to the investigators for five hours straight, and a relative of Kim Phuc’s who was also running from the attack. Other than Nghe, none questioned Ut’s authorship of the photo, and that guy only after decades had passed. Nothing to see here.

In her statement WPP's Ms Khoury said, “The documentary takes a stand that Nguyễn Thành Nghệ is the author. Associated Press has concluded that since there is no definitive proof that Nick Út did not take the image, the attribution of authorship to him should stand. At World Press Photo, however, we took a different path. Guided by our judging procedures we conclude that the level of doubt is too significant to maintain the existing attribution. At the same time, lacking conclusive evidence pointing definitively to another photographer, we cannot reassign authorship either.” What a shameful cop out.

Couple that with what the VII Gaslighting Foundation puts out there, “The film doesn’t lay blame on Mr. Ut; it examines the role of Western Media outlets and the unequal relationships to ‘local’ staff and stringers during that period.” That colonial allegation is totally disingenuous. In other words he’s not to blame but has been flat-out lying for 50 years. Nick’s Saigon photo boss Horst Faas who allegedly gave credit to him for someone else’s picture, the darkroom guy who developed the film, and the AP Saigon bureau chief Richard Pyle aren’t around to defend him because they’re all, conveniently for Knight and unfortunately for Nick, dead. So let’s just blame it on the Western Media, that cabal of white guys who mistreated the ‘locals.” What BS. I was bureau chief for United Press International Pictures in Saigon for more than a year and at the time Nick took his famous photo. Our stringers came from everywhere, France, Japan, Germany, America, Australia, England, and of course Vietnam. They were all paid and treated the same. The producers are trying to slither away from the fact that this a direct hit on Nick Ut. Why not just admit it instead of trying to assume some racist explanation? Ironically, it’s a pair of white guys, Gary Knight and Carl Robinson, who are the ones slamming the youngest and only Vietnamese photographer to ever win the Pulitzer Prize.

One of the sleaziest elements of this affair is the behavior of Mr. Truth Seeker himself, Gary Knight, the perpetrator and leading man in “The Stringer” saga. He along with Nick Ut and James Nachtwey participated in a photo workshop in Hanoi together in March of 2023 even as Knight was secretly plotting the documentary that could conceivably destroy Nick’s reputation. He said nothing to him about his subversion and later tried to get Nick to do an interview that he wisely declined. Can’t get more cynical or cold-blooded than that.

In keeping with the malevolent nature of the WPP decision to suspend Nick Ut’s credit from the photo he took, I am hereby suspending any mention of the two first place prizes I won in their contest in 1975 for my work in Cambodia. I will remove any indication of the awards from my bio and will only restore those citations when WPP admits they overreached and apologize to Nick for their malfeasance. Compared to what has happened to Nick Ut it is a small gesture, but I stand with him now and forever.

To conclude, here are AP’s own words summing up Nick Ut’s photo credit:

“No one investigating the creation of a photograph more than a half century later can have any true certainty about what happened. To overrule a photo credit given at the time would require clear evidence the decision made by those at the scene was incorrect. Such certainty is simply not possible to have here.”

Amen.

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World Press Photo "suspended" Nick Ut's photo credit for his Pulitzer Prize winning “Napalm Girl.” Here’s Nick with Gary Knight (L) in Hanoi, March 21, 2023 and James Nachtwey. Knight at that very moment was secretly working on a documentary alleging that Nick Ut didn't take his famous photo. The three spent a week together teaching a workshop, and Knight didn't disclose his subterfuge to Nick.

The Palisades Fire

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The Palisades Fire burned over 25,000 acres (37 square miles), destroying large areas of the Pacific Palisades, Topanga and Malibu. It was only one of several fires in Southern California that was driven by extreme Santa Ana winds, some gusting to 100 mph. The Palisades fire itself was the third largest California wildfire ever, with more than a dozen deaths and at least 6,700 structures destroyed. The perfect storm.

The smoky red afternoon sky seen from mid-city L.A. caused by the Palisades Fire
The smoky red afternoon sky seen from mid-city L.A. caused by the Palisades Fire

The conflagration was first reported on the morning of January 7th and quickly spread due to severe draught conditions combined with unusually strong Santa Ana winds. Three days later I hired a helicopter from Van Nuys Airport expertly piloted by Peter Lowry of Group 3 Aviation. The windy days before that made flying difficult.

Pilot Peter Lowry and I over the disaster
Pilot Peter Lowry and I over the disaster

When we got near the fire zone the smoke looked like an active volcano. At this point the fire was burning away from the Palisades. Some damaged homes are along the Pacific Coast Highway in the foreground.

The Palisades Fire still burning on Jan. 10
The Palisades Fire still burning on Jan. 10

My first look at the damage was along the Pacific Coast Highway where the fire jumped the road and burned down strips of houses and businesses right next to the ocean. What was astonishing was that there were houses barely touched with everything burned down next to them. This was a theme repeated through my flyover of the affected area.

Structures spared by the flames in the middle of ruin
Structures spared by the flames in the middle of ruin
Pacific Palisades Fire
Nothing left but the lawn chairs
Nothing left but the lawn chairs

It’s hard to comprehend the destruction until you see it firsthand. I’d been watching the television coverage from the outset, but nothing really prepared me for the extent of the damage. The cliches flowed through the airwaves: ‘Looks like a war zone.” “Apocalyptic.” “Like a bomb went off.”  And so on.

What I saw was a landscape of sorrow. Everything they had was gone. A life of little treasures turned to dust. A picture can’t describe that, their pain indescribable.

Pacific Palisades Fire
Nothing left standing but an occasional building
Nothing left standing but an occasional building

Jimmy Carter (1924-2024)

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Former President Jimmy Carter died December 29, 2024, at 100 years old. Here are some of my recollections about him and my old boss Gerald R. Ford. Theirs was an unusual and touching relationship that didn’t start well.

I went through a presidential election from inside the bubble as the president’s chief White House photographer and President Gerald R. Ford delivered quite a ride. I watched him go from thirty-four points down after the 1976 Republican Convention to “too close to call” the day before the election. My favorite Maxwell Smart quote sums it up, “Missed it by that much . . .” Jimmy Carter ruined the journey, beat Ford in a squeaker, and became the 39th President of the United States.

My initial glimpse of the one-term Georgia governor was at his first debate with President Ford in Philadelphia.  He seemed diminutive compared to former football center Ford who was six feet tall, but in fact he was only a couple of inches shorter. Carter was wearing that famous toothy grin and I immediately disliked him, his smile, and what he was trying to do to my boss.

That famous Carter smile, 1976
That famous Carter smile, 1976
President Ford and Gov. Carter after 1st debate, Philadelphia, 1976
President Ford and Gov. Carter after 1st debate, Philadelphia, 1976

President Ford did well in the first debate but stumbled in the second when he said, “There is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe . . .” What he intended to say, should have said, was that the “spirit” of the Polish people would never be dominated by the Soviet Union. What he intended and the words he spoke might have cost him the election, it was that close of a race. To his dying day President Ford would get mad about what he felt was a misinterpretation of his statement. He knew what he meant, but everybody else didn’t. He was stubborn on that one until the end.

Competing campaign signs, Milwaukee, WI, 1976
Competing campaign signs, Milwaukee, WI, 1976

The day after the election, November 3, 1976, President Ford called Carter from the Oval Office to concede. He was so hoarse from campaigning that he could barely talk, so he put Dick Cheney, his chief of staff, on the phone to read his concession statement. Afterwards Mrs. Ford and the family joined him. It was a sad day for all of us, particularly him.

President Ford concedes to Carter, Nov. 3, 1976
President Ford concedes to Carter, Nov. 3, 1976
Susan Ford, First Lady Betty Ford, Steve Ford console the president, Nov. 3, 1976
Susan Ford, First Lady Betty Ford, Steve Ford console the president, Nov. 3, 1976

President Gerald R. Ford held his first meeting after losing with President-elect Jimmy Carter on November 22, 1976. Incredibly, it was the first time Carter had been in the White House. The two sat near the fireplace in the Oval Office. I was behind the president’s desk looking for an angle when President Ford unexpectedly reached out and shook hands with Carter, saying, “I’m sorry, but I haven’t formally congratulated you on winning the election.” It was a spontaneous moment not for the public benefit, but a genuine signal of respect. My wide-angle frame of that gesture featured the desk in the foreground, covered with papers. On the other side of that historic room the man who was president shook hands with the man who would be. In my mind it metaphorically showed the vastness of the job with mere mortals in temporary custody of its vast powers.

President Ford congratulates President-elect Carter, Nov. 22, 1976
President Ford congratulates President-elect Carter, Nov. 22, 1976

President Ford had pledged a smooth transition and it was. Chief of Staff Dick Cheney led the effort for the president, and Jack Watson for Carter. Ford’s cooperation started right after Carter was nominated at the Democratic convention. The president directed that Carter be given highly classified intelligence briefings so he would be prepared if he won the election. To show his seriousness the president had CIA Director George H.W. Bush personally brief Carter at his home in Plains, Georgia right after he was nominated.

When President elect Carter arrived at the White House for his initial visit, three weeks had elapsed since the election, but the transition was fully underway. The two discussed every element of the job, particularly what was happening with national security. The president and Carter went through binders filled with sensitive material with Cheney and Watson in the meeting.

Ford Chief of Staff Dick Cheney gives Carter the side-eye during their meeting
Ford Chief of Staff Dick Cheney gives Carter the side-eye during their meeting

When their meeting ended Ford told Carter that he wanted to show him something. They went to his private hideaway right next to the oval office. President Ford made a from-the-heart offer. He said, “Jimmy, I’d like you to have this office during the transition if you want.” He told the president-elect that he would be available to him anytime. Carter seemed taken aback at the proposal. The president’s private secretary Dorothy Downton who was working in there appeared to regard Carter as if he had just landed from Mars. Like most of us, this wasn’t a visit she had been welcoming.  As magnanimous as the proposition was to take over his private space the president-elect demurred. He didn’t want to muddy the waters as to who was in charge until he took over, and he spent a good deal of his time before the inauguration at home in Plains.

President Ford shows Carter his hideaway as his secretary Dorothy Downton observes the president-elect
President Ford shows Carter his hideaway as his secretary Dorothy Downton observes the president-elect

When the two leaders walked out of their meeting to greet the press, President-elect Carter told them, “There cannot have been a better demonstration of unity and friendship and good will than there has been shown to me by President Ford since the election.”

Carter and Ford walk from Oval Office
Carter and Ford walk from Oval Office
I’m caught behind Ford and Carter (Photo by Bill-Fitzpatrick)
I’m caught behind Ford and Carter (Photo by Bill-Fitzpatrick)

On January 20, 1977, the Fords greeted the Carters as they arrived at the White House for what for the most part has become a traditional rite, a pre-Inaugural coffee in the Blue Room of the Executive Mansion. It was a friendly gathering, considering the circumstances. The two leaders had a quiet and private moment, a portrait of George Washington between them. I felt the history.

President-elect Jimmy Carter and President Ford in Blue Room of White House with George Washington portrait
President-elect Jimmy Carter and President Ford in Blue Room of White House with George Washington portrait

President Ford wanted a group photo of everyone, and assembled the Carters, Vice President and Mrs. Nelson Rockefeller, and Vice President-elect and Mrs. Walter Mondale. If you didn’t know what was happening it looked like a group of old friends, not the heads of the incoming and outgoing administrations.

The Carters, Fords, Rockefellers, and Mondales in the Blue Room
The Carters, Fords, Rockefellers, and Mondales in the Blue Room
First Lady Betty Ford and the next First Lady Rosalynn Carter, Jan. 20, 1977
First Lady Betty Ford and the next First Lady Rosalynn Carter, Jan. 20, 1977

Then it was time for the Fords and Carters to take that short car ride together up Pennsylvania Avenue to the U.S. Capitol for the Inauguration. Six outgoing presidents chose not to attend their successor’s inaugurals. John Adams in 1801 for Thomas Jefferson’s inaugural, John Quincy Adams didn’t attend Andrew Jackson’s in 1829, Andrew Johnson disliked U.S. Grant and boycotted his 1869 ceremony, Woodrow Wilson made it to the Capitol but chose to skip Warren Harding’s formalities in 1921, Richard Nixon passed on Gerald Ford’s 1974 East Room swearing-in, and Donald Trump famously bailed out to Florida before Joe Biden was inaugurated in 2021. After all, he was still insisting quite wrongly that he won the election. Haven’t heard the word “rigged” this time around.

The Fords and Carters leave the White House for the U.S. Capitol
The Fords and Carters leave the White House for the U.S. Capitol

Carter remembered that trip to the Hill many years later as, “an uncomfortable ride.” The picture bears it out. Because there was no room for me to squeeze into the limo, I mounted a camera between Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill, and Sen. Howard Cannon of the Inaugural Arrangements Committee.  I strung the shutter release cable to the front where the Secret Service agent riding shotgun agreed to take the pictures. Before the motorcade left the North Portico of the White House I asked the Speaker to scoot over to his left so he wouldn’t block the shot. He happily obliged.  Afterwards the agent told me that he didn’t think the photos would be that good because, “the two of them didn’t say much.” He was wrong about the image—the picture told the story.

President Ford and President Carter during their “uncomfortable ride” to the Capitol
President Ford and President Carter during their “uncomfortable ride” to the Capitol

Although I would have preferred seeing President Ford being sworn-in, not Jimmy Carter, it still was the kind of moment that I live to document.  I was witnessing what our country normally represents. A peaceful and honorable transfer of power. One where everybody pulls together. An American tradition and democratic staple of our free society, at least it was until the attempted insurrection of January 6, 2021. This time around the election was certified by Congress on January 6 without incident with Vice President Kamala Harris, the defeated presidential candidate, presiding. She said that the official electoral count, "shall be deemed a sufficient declaration" for Trump to take his oath of office on January 20. That had to hurt, but she did it with class.

As Ford watched his rival become president, Carter’s first words of his inaugural address were, “For myself and for our Nation, I want to thank my predecessor for all he has done to heal our land.”  It was a fitting tribute to outgoing President Ford.

President Jimmy Carter after his swearing in as Chief Justice Warren Burger and former President Ford watch him wave to the crowd
President Jimmy Carter after his swearing in as Chief Justice Warren Burger and former President Ford watch him wave to the crowd

During the transition President Carter’s press secretary Jody Powell was asked who was going to be Carter’s chief White House photographer. “Nobody,” he said, “we don’t want another David Kennerly in the White House.’

When I heard that I laughed. For one thing there’s no way I would have stayed and of course wasn’t asked, but it did reflect my rather high profile as Ford’s photog, a fact that President Ford found amusing and non-threatening.

Carter also railed against a Nixon-style “imperial presidency,” so I suppose having his own photog in his mind was part of that. He did, however, keep my photo staff, but didn’t appoint a chief or give them much access. His historical visual legacy reflects that, and not in a good way.

President Carter and his press secretary Jody Powell
President Carter and his press secretary Jody Powell

A few months after Carter took office I was given an assignment from Time Magazine to photograph Vice President Mondale at work. When I showed up at the White House it was my first time back since leaving. It was a bizarre experience for me. Everything looked the same except that all the offices were occupied by strangers. Mondale sensed that and said, “It must be tough coming back here after all you went through here.” I was touched that he had noticed and teared up for a second. It was indeed difficult. Those memories never go away.

President Carter and Vice President Carter in the president’s private office
President Carter and Vice President Carter in the president’s private office

Two of Jimmy Carter’s presidential high points were the Panama Canal Treaty and brokering a deal between Egypt and Israel at Camp David that ended up being formalized by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin in the East Room of the White House. I was there to document the historic event. The Camp David Accords are working to this day and have resulted in an enduring peace between the two countries despite major turmoil in the area.

Carter, Sadat, and Begin in the East Room of the White House after agreeing to the Camp David Accords
Carter, Sadat, and Begin in the East Room of the White House after agreeing to the Camp David Accords

Carter won the 1980 Democratic Presidential nomination despite an insurgent bid by Sen. Ten Kennedy. I was at the convention in New York when Kennedy appeared with Carter, but it didn’t appear to be a warm and fuzzy meeting. It did, however, make a good pictue!

President Carter and rival Sen. Ted Kennedy at Democratic Convention
President Carter and rival Sen. Ted Kennedy at Democratic Convention

After Ronald Reagan defeated Carter in a landslide in the 1980 election, President Carter also made that uncomfortable ride with President-elect Reagan on January 20,1981. The Carter people approved me putting a camera in the car, and once again my Secret Service agent friend pulled the trigger!  Carter looked like Ford did during his unhappy journey to the ceremony where he would very publicly lose his job.

President Carter and President-elect Ford drive to the Capitol for Reagan’s Inauguration
President Carter and President-elect Ford drive to the Capitol for Reagan’s Inauguration

Outside the U.S. Capitol I made a photo of the newly minted President Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan with Carter and Mondale behind then on the Inaugural platform on the West Front of the Capitol. It was the first time it was held in that location and every inauguration since has been staged there.

President and Mrs. Reagan, Carter and Mondale, Chief Justice Warren Burger, and Sen. Mark Hatfield at the inauguration
President and Mrs. Reagan, Carter and Mondale, Chief Justice Warren Burger, and Sen. Mark Hatfield at the inauguration

At that very moment in Iran a crisis that marred Carter’s presidency was coming to an end. Fifty-two U.S. Embassy personnel who had been taken hostage 444 days earlier in Tehran were released minutes after Reagan was sworn in as president. The timing was Iran’s final slap in the face to Carter who had worked tirelessly to get the hostages back home. He was happy that they finally were let go.

Recently freed Americans held hostage by Iran during Carter’s Administration aboard buses on Pennsylvania Ave., Jan. 27, 1981
Recently freed Americans held hostage by Iran during Carter’s Administration aboard buses on Pennsylvania Ave., Jan. 27, 1981

President Carter and former President Ford formed a genuine friendship after Ford left office. It was an association that lasted until his death in 2006. They attended each other’s library openings and even showed up for a historic moment at the Reagan Library dedication in 1991 when five presidents stood together for the first time.

Five presidents at Reagan Library dedication, (L-R) President Bush, former Presidents Reagan, Carter, Ford and Nixon, Nov. 4, 1991
Five presidents at Reagan Library dedication, (L-R) President Bush, former Presidents Reagan, Carter, Ford and Nixon, Nov. 4, 1991

Two weeks before Barack Obama was sworn in President George W. Bush invited his former president dad, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter over to the White House to have lunch with President-elect Obama. Carter as always stood apart from the others, I never knew if it was an intentional act, but it wasn’t out of character.

Five Presidents in the Oval Office (L-R) Former President Bush, President-elect Obama, President Bush, former Presidents Clinton and Carter, Jan 7, 2009
Five Presidents in the Oval Office (L-R) Former President Bush, President-elect Obama, President Bush, former Presidents Clinton and Carter, Jan 7, 2009

Jimmy Carter lived life his way. Cue Frank Sinatra singing “My Way!”

Front page of Los Angeles Times with my portrait of Jimmy Carter taken in 2011 at the Carter Library in Atlanta
Front page of Los Angeles Times with my portrait of Jimmy Carter taken in 2011 at the Carter Library in Atlanta

Photographs by David Hume Kennerly/Center for Creative Photography/University of Arizona

Kamala’s Short Run and My Shorter Coverage

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VP Harris Concedes

Kamala’s Short Run and My Shorter Coverage

The first time I photographed Kamala Harris she was a senator in the summer of 2019 running for president. Sen. Harris had announced her entry into the race a few months earlier on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. My friend and former Seinfeld writer Peter Mehlman (the one who brought you The Yada Yada) had a fundraiser for her at his place in Santa Monica and invited me over to take a few snaps. When Senator Harris arrived she walked by a photo that I had made of Robert F. Kennedy in 1968 that hung on Peter’s wall. Of course I took a shot of that! I found Senator Harris to be engaging, funny, and definitely presidential material.

Kamala Harris walks by my picture of Sen. Robert Kennedy arriving in L.A.
Kamala Harris walks by my picture of Sen. Robert Kennedy arriving in L.A.

During her discussion I could see that the attendees had a similar reaction. Her husband Doug Emhoff watched discreetly from another room.

Harris addresses supporters as her husband Doug Emhoff watches
Harris addresses supporters as her husband Doug Emhoff watches
Harris addresses supporters as her husband Doug Emhoff watches
Harris addresses supporters as her husband Doug Emhoff watches

One of my favorite photos from the event was Peter’s dog Ike under the table behind Harris who seemed to want her to quit talking and play catch with him. She didn’t.

Peter Mehlman’s dog Ike just wants to play
Peter Mehlman’s dog Ike just wants to play

After her talk there was a touching interaction with a young lady who was moved by meeting the senator and will remember that inspiring encounter forever. These moments are why I love what I do.

Senator Harris with young admirer
Senator Harris with young admirer

Kamala Harris dropped out of the presidential race at the end of 2019. In August of 2020 she was picked by her rival Joe Biden to be his running mate. They won, beating Donald Trump, and Senator Harris became Vice President Harris.

The next time I saw her was at a memorial at the U.S. Supreme Court for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. When O’Connor died the VP issued a statement that said, “Like so many who knew her, I will always remember her kindness, intelligence, and deep love for our country.” She shared those sentiments with the family and told them that Justice O’Connor had been an inspiration to her as a young lawyer.

Vice President Harris pays respects to Justice O’Connor’s family
Vice President Harris pays respects to Justice O’Connor’s family

In June of 2024 I managed to get in for a quick pic during the disastrous debate performance by President Biden where he faced off with former President Trump. This event unleashed a no confidence movement in him among the Democrats. Biden was essentially forced to withdraw from the race and handed the ball off to Harris who ran with it.

President Biden’s devastatingly bad debate against Trump
President Biden’s devastatingly bad debate against Trump

I was at the Democratic National Convention where Kamala Harris officially accepted her party’s nomination as their candidate for president. It was a joyous affair, and all I could imagine was how depressing the vibe might have been if Biden was the candidate. Her speech was upbeat, fiery, and hit all the right notes.

VP Harris gives an upbeat speech at the Democratic Convention
VP Harris gives an upbeat speech at the Democratic Convention

There was a brief instant after she finished and turned to leave the podium where I made my best picture of the convention. In that instant I captured her resolve and determination. It was different from the ever-smiling candidate that we had gotten used to seeing on the campaign trail, a look belittled by Trump and his acolytes. At that moment I really believed she was going all the way. Spoiler alert: I was wrong.

A determined Kamala Harris after finishing her DNC speech
A determined Kamala Harris after finishing her DNC speech

The convention ended conventionally with balloons and optimism. Everyone there was caught up in it.

 

A happy ending at the Democratic Convention
A happy ending at the Democratic Convention

Fast forward to election night where the Kamala Harris victory celebration was going to be held at her alma mater Howard University in Washington, D.C. It went well right until the results started pouring in.

Harris supporter starts to see the bad results

I was there for Vanity Fair and wrote, “The evening started on a joyful note with singing, dancing, and hope. It ended in palpable fear for the future. A cloud fell over the assembled as the returns favoring Donald Trump came in. The look of shock and sadness on their faces was enough to make you weep.”

It’s clear to these supporters that Harris is losing
It’s clear to these supporters that Harris is losing
VP Harris Concedes

It was announced in the wee hours of November 6th that the Vice President wouldn’t be making an appearance but would be there later that day. After most of the crowd left, I photographed an American flag that had been left on the ground, a Harris-Walz sign in the background. The picture told the story.

A flag on the ground after the crowd left
A flag on the ground after the crowd left

When Harris arrived at Howard in the late afternoon, the crowd was enthusiastic but sad. As she spoke many of those gathered were visibly upset, some with tears in their eyes.

Dejected faces in the crowd as Harris gives her concession speech
Dejected faces in the crowd as Harris gives her concession speech

The VP on the other hand tried to be upbeat. She said, “I know many people feel like we are entering a dark time. … America, if it is, let us fill the sky with the light of a brilliant, brilliant billion stars—the light of optimism, of faith, of truth and service, may that work guide us, even in the face of setbacks toward the extraordinary promise of the United States of America.” More tears.

At one point during the vice president’s short speech I saw a light in a room above and behind her that looked a bit like a halo. I worked the angle and photographed the “halo” over her head. One of the oldest tricks in the photo book! It’s the image I want to leave behind of her, a person who isn’t an angel, but one who put up a helluva good battle.

Kamala Harris is no angel but a fighter
Kamala Harris is no angel but a fighter

As she and her husband Doug walked off the stage, her words still rang through the crowd, “I will never give up the fight for a future where Americans can pursue their dreams, ambitions, and aspirations.” So the struggle goes on, and she will be in the game.

Vice President Harris and husband exit the scene
Vice President Harris and husband exit the scene

Nixon Resigns, Ford is President: 50 Years Ago, August 9, 1974

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Nixon Resigns, Ford is President: 50 Years Ago, August 9, 1974

On August 8, 1974, President Richard Nixon sat behind his desk in the Oval Office waiting to go on live television. He was about to announce that he would be resigning from the presidency the next day. He was the first and last President of the United States to do so. The moment was being recorded on video as his personal White House photographer of six years Ollie Atkins wanted to get some pictures. In their exchange the president said, “Ollie. Only the CBS crew now will be in this room during this, only the crew.” Ollie seems to push back, Nixon tells him, “No, no there will be no picture after the broadcast. No. You’ve taken your picture. Didn’t you take one just now? That’s it! Because you know we didn’t let the press take one. So you’ve taken it. Just take it right now, this is right after the broadcast, you got it?  C’mon!” I found this tape in the Nixon Library. I knew Ollie had limited access during his tenure as Nixon’s photographer, but this underscored it. I felt bad for him.

The next day was historic, not a word I use lightly. I was on the South Lawn of the White House shooting for TIME Magazine as President Nixon and First Lady Patricia Nixon walked out of the Diplomatic Reception Room of the Executive Mansion to his waiting helicopter. He was accompanied by Vice President and Mrs. Gerald R. Ford, They said goodbye at the steps of Marine One, and Mrs. Nixon boarded the aircraft. President Nixon walked after her to the top step, turned and momentarily looked at the South Portico of the White House. It was the last time he would see it as president. His lips pursed he gave a curt wave.

WASHINGTON - AUGUST 9: President Richard Nixon looks at the White House for the last time August 9, 1974 in Washington, DC. as he boards helicopter after announcing his resignation (Photo by David Hume Kennerly/Center for Creative Photography/University of Arizona)
WASHINGTON - AUGUST 9: President Richard Nixon waves goodbye as he leaves the White House for the last time August 9, 1974 in Washington, DC. after resigning the presidency (Photo by David Hume Kennerly/Center for Creative Photography/University of Arizona)

Nixon looks at the White House for the last time as president, then waves goodbye

He continued waving as members of his staff started applauding him. That triggered an old political rally response. Nixon put both arms up and gave a double V-sign to the cheering crowd. Except it wasn’t a rally, but one of the darkest days in American history.

The last hurrah
The last hurrah

The soon-to-be-president Ford waved at Nixon through the helicopter’s window, then he and Mrs. Ford turned and walked away.

Vice President and Mrs. Ford walk away from the helicopter
Vice President and Mrs. Ford walk away from the helicopter

Along with the Nixon’s daughter Julie and son-in-law David Eisenhower, grandson of the 34th president.  They watched as the helicopter took off and flew by the Washington Monument as it receded in the distance. President Ford told me, “We couldn’t help but feel sorry for a very dear friend and his wife . . . but at the same time, to be honest, I was anxious to turn around, walk in, and get started on my new responsibilities.”

Vice President and Mrs. Ford and David and Julie Eisenhower watch Nixon’s helicopter depart
Vice President and Mrs. Ford and David and Julie Eisenhower watch Nixon’s helicopter depart

A short time later, at 12:05 pm in the East Room of the White House, with Mrs. Ford holding the family bible, Gerald R. Ford was sworn as the 38th President of the United States by Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Warren Burger.

Gerald R. Ford takes the oath of office
Gerald R. Ford takes the oath of office
Mrs. Ford and her husband the president
Mrs. Ford and her husband the president

In his address upon taking the oath of office as president he said, “ . . . I assume the Presidency under extraordinary circumstances never before experienced by Americans. This is an hour of history that troubles our minds and hurts our hearts.” He went on to declare, “our long national nightmare over.” I caught that moment. He looked grim but resolved to deal with what lay ahead.

President Ford shows strength during his remarks
President Ford shows strength during his remarks

That night I was invited to the Ford’s modest home in Alexandria where I took photos of the new First Family in their humble abode. (Because of the abrupt transition they wouldn’t move into the White House for several days).  They had a quiet celebration with a few close friends. Mrs. Ford and the new president toasted one another. “Here’s to our new life, god help us,” she said with a smile.

A toast by the First Couple
A toast by the First Couple

The president asked me to stay after their friends left. Even though the subject had never come up, I believed that he wanted to talk to me about becoming his chief White House photographer. I had given it a lot of thought in case he asked but wasn’t sure I wanted the job. Knowing that Nixon’s photographer Ollie Atkins had been given limited access, I couldn’t see myself in a similar role. There was no way I would sit outside the oval office door waiting for some secretary to tell me to go in, “but only for a minute.” Like my hero Yoichi Okamoto who was President Lyndon Johnson’s photographer (and the first civilian White House photographer), I wanted the run of the joint.

President Ford before he popped the question asking me to be his photographer
President Ford before he popped the question asking me to be his photographer

The president and I sat together on a couch in their living room, he was smoking his pipe. We talked about the day's events and then he asked me if I would like to work for him. Even though I suspected this might happen I found the whole idea of him offering me a job him on the same day that he became President of the United States right out of a Twilight Zone episode! After all, I was only 27 years old and a kid from a little lumber town in Oregon. “Shouldn’t he be talking to Henry Kissinger?” I thought. But what I told him was that I would love to do that, but with a couple of requests. One is that I would report directly to him, and the other is that I have total access to everything going on in the White House. He stopped smoking his pipe. Oops, I probably overstepped. I thought about what I would tell my parents. “The president offered me a job and I basically told him to shove it.” Good going kid. But President Ford started laughing and said, “You don’t want Air Force One on the weekends?” He thought my demands were not only reasonable, but that’s how he wanted me to roll. He said would talk to chief of staff Al Haig to make sure Ollie would be given the news before we finalized the deal. Yet another flash of his humanity.

"Dave," he said as I was preparing to leave, "if you work for me, won't it be viewed badly by your colleagues? I mean, after what's happened the last few years." I said, and I will admit to having tears in my eyes, "Mr. President, if you're the kind of president I know you're going to be, my friends in the business, most of whom you know, will be proud to have me work for you.”

The following morning I photographed the new president leaving his Alexandria home as he headed for his first full day at the White House. I went back to my office at Time and was sitting in the mail room with my feet on the desk talking to my good friend and fellow photographer Dave Burnett. I was telling him what had happened the night before when the phone rang. The switchboard operator said in a quavering voice, "It's the President for you, Dave.” I jokingly told her to have him call back. “He's on the line!” she practically screamed at me. It was him all right, still making his own calls. “How'd you like to come to work for me?" Ford asked. “When do you want me to start?" was all I could think to say. “Get over here right away," he responded, "you’ve already wasted a half a day of the taxpayers' money.” Slamming the phone down after he hung up, I jumped up and yelled to Burnett, "Holy shit, it’s happening!”

I hurried across Lafayette Square to the White House where I would serve as President Ford’s chief photographer for the next two and a half years, the third civilian to hold that position. President Ford was good to his word. I had the run of the place both upstairs and downstairs. I finally ended up where every photographer wants to be--in the room where it’s happening.  Being the president’s photographer was one of the best assignments of my life, and I will always be grateful to the Fords for sharing their lives in the White House with history and with me.

President Ford and I in the Oval Office. 1976
President Ford and I in the Oval Office. 1976

Kennerly named a trustee of the Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust

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Kennerly named a trustee of the Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust

AnselPortrait

It’s my great honor to be named as the seventh trustee of the Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust that was founded by its first trustee Ansel Adams in1976. We are the keepers of the Ansel flame and defenders of his legacy and copyright. The following is the announcement of my appointment.
__________________________________________________________

The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust (AAPRT) has named Pulitzer Prize winning photographer David Hume Kennerly as a trustee.

Ansel Adams and David Hume Kennerly in Carmel, 1975. Photo by Lynn Goldsmith
Ansel Adams and David Hume Kennerly in Carmel, 1975. Photo by Lynn Goldsmith

The AAPRT is charged with preserving the legacy of legendary photographer Ansel Adams. He will join Dr. John P. Schaefer, President Emeritus of the University of Arizona, and managing trustee Claudia Rice. Kennerly will succeed outgoing trustee, David H. Vena who was Ansel’s former attorney, and held the position since the AAPRT’s inception in 1976. Vena is the last of Ansel’s original trustees. Kennerly is only the seventh trustee in 48 years, Ansel was the first.

Dr. Schaefer said, "David and Ansel were close friends and shared the vision of photography being a vital art form and critical medium of communication. We are pleased to have the opportunity to work together and promote the vision that defined Ansel's commitment to photography and the environment.”

Ms. Rice commented, “David Kennerly is an inspired choice to help the Trust navigate its next chapter. He has accepted this role with characteristically ‘Anselian’ humor, energy and enthusiasm. We are delighted to have him on board.”

“Ansel was a guy who did serious work but didn’t take himself that seriously.” Kennerly said.  “I look forward to carrying my friend Ansel’s flag into the future. I can still hear his hearty, fun-filled voice on the other end of the phone when he called, ‘Hey man! How are you? When are you coming out to Carmel? What pictures have you made lately to change the world?’ I loved the guy.”

Kennerly has been a photographer on the front lines of history for almost 60 years. At 25 he was one of the youngest winners of the Pulitzer Prize in Journalism. Kennerly’s 1972 award for Feature Photography included images of the Vietnam and Cambodia wars and the Ali-Frazier “Fight of the Century.” Two years later Kennerly was appointed by President Gerald R. Ford as his chief White House photographer, the third civilian to hold that position. He has photographed eleven American presidents, served as a contributing editor for Newsweek and a contributing photographer for Time & Life Magazines. American Photo Magazine named Kennerly “One of the 100 Most Important People in Photography.”

UPI photographer Kennerly on a helicopter in the Central Highlands of Vietnam in 1971. Photo by Matt Franjola
UPI photographer Kennerly on a helicopter in the Central Highlands of Vietnam in 1971. Photo by Matt Franjola

Kennerly authored six books, Shooter, Photo Op, Seinoff: The Final Days of Seinfeld, Photo du Jour, Extraordinary Circumstances: The Presidency of Gerald R. Ford, and David Hume Kennerly On the iPhone. He was a producer and a principal photographer of Barack Obama: The Official Inaugural Book.

Kennerly wrote and executive produced Shooter (with Steve Kline), a movie for NBC based on his Vietnam combat photographer days. Shooter won an Emmy Award for best cinematography. He was also nominated for an Emmy for Best Television Movie for executive producing, (with Jim Calio), also for NBC, The Taking of Flight 847: The Uli Derickson Story.

President Gerald R. Ford meets with Ansel Adams, Bill Turnage, and his chief photographer David Kennerly in the Oval Office, 1975.
President Gerald R. Ford meets with Ansel Adams, Bill Turnage, and his chief photographer David Kennerly in the Oval Office, 1975.

Ansel and Kennerly first met in 1975 when the young presidential photographer invited him to the White House to meet with President Ford to urge him to increase funding for the national parks. They became fast friends after that.

Kennerly photographs Ansel at Point Lobos for TIME Magazine. Photo by Alan Ross
Kennerly photographs Ansel at Point Lobos for TIME Magazine. Photo by Alan Ross
TIME Magazine, September 3, 1979, by Kennerly of Ansel Adams. The first and last time a photographer has ever appeared on the cover of TIME.(Center for Creative Photography/University of Arizona)
TIME Magazine, September 3, 1979, by Kennerly of Ansel Adams. The first and last time a photographer has ever appeared on the cover of TIME.(Center for Creative Photography/University of Arizona)
Note from Ansel to Kennerly about how much he liked the TIME cover
Note from Ansel to Kennerly about how much he liked the TIME cover

Kennerly photographed Ansel for the Sept. 3, 1979, issue of TIME Magazine; the only time a photographer has been featured on its cover. He was also an instructor at the Ansel Adams Workshop in Yosemite National Park. Kennerly played a role in former President and Mrs. Ford’s push to have President Jimmy Carter present Ansel with the Medal of Freedom which Carter bestowed on him in1980.

In 2019, The University of Arizona Center for Creative Photography (CCP), cofounded by Ansel and Dr. Schaefer in 1975, acquired the David Hume Kennerly Archive.  https://ccp.arizona.edu/kennerly It features close to a million images, prints, objects, memorabilia, correspondence and documents dating back to the fifties. His work joins that of Adams, Edward Weston, Richard Avedon, W. Eugene Smith, and scores of other legendary photographers. Dr. Robert Robbins, president of the University of Arizona, appointed Kennerly the university’s first Presidential Scholar.

The AAPRT was established by Ansel to ensure the integrity and continuity of his twin legacies, artistic and environmental. In his autobiography, he wrote of the AAPRT: “Even after my death, I know that the many projects that I may not have finished will be completed in the spirit and with the attention to quality that I have always tried to require.”

The AAPRT does not own any original photographs and is not involved in the market for Ansel’s prints. Its primary asset is his intellectual property portfolio, including copyrights in images and texts, trademarks, and the right to control the commercial use of his name, likeness and persona. Prior to his death in 1984, Ansel’s complete archive of photographs, together with approximately 44,000 negatives, his personal correspondence, and other memorabilia, was transferred to the CCP at the University of Arizona (Tucson). His archive agreement permits his trustees to control the publication and commercialization of its contents. The AAPRT partners with Little, Brown and Company (Hachette Book Group), Ansel's exclusive publisher since the mid-1970s. This publishing effort is widely recognized as one of the most successful single-artist programs ever undertaken.

Adams by Kennerly, Kennerly by Adams at Ansel’s Carmel home in 1981. The background features two of AA’s photos.
Adams by Kennerly, Kennerly by Adams at Ansel’s Carmel home in 1981. The background features two of AA’s photos.
Sand Dunes, Sunrise, Death Valley, 1948. Photo by Ansel Adams. Ansel gave a print of this to David Hume Kennerly in 1978. He wrote on the front “To Dave Kennerly, Shooter boy!” This photograph was one of the “Masters of American Photography” series of stamps issued by the U.S. Postal Service in 2002. (Courtesy Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust) (courtesy of the Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust)
Sand Dunes, Sunrise, Death Valley, 1948. Photo by Ansel Adams. Ansel gave a print of this to David Hume Kennerly in 1978. He wrote on the front “To Dave Kennerly, Shooter boy!” This photograph was one of the “Masters of American Photography” series of stamps issued by the U.S. Postal Service in 2002. (Courtesy Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust) (courtesy of the Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust)

Sandra Day O’Connor: A Remembrance

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In 1996 when son Byron was twelve years old, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor gave him a tour of the U.S. Supreme Court building. He had first visited her there when he was three months old, but of course had no recollection of that. This encounter, on the other hand, was one he will always remember. We started in her chambers, then made our way through the Great Hall to see the courtroom at the other end. We entered through its big oak doors. It was so impressive, the nine empty chairs straight ahead of us. Justice O’Connor explained where everyone sat based on their seniority, the chief justice always in the middle. After answering all of Byron’s questions Justice O’Connor had a surprise for him. She said, “This is not the highest court in the land.” Byron was perplexed. She put her arm around Byron and guided us up a few flights of stairs to the fifth floor.  We walked into a gym, and she pointed to a basketball court. “This is the highest court in the land!” Byron burst out laughing, the justice was highly pleased with his reaction, and that memorable moment is cherished.

Byron Hume Kennerly, 3 months old and his mom Mel Harris meet with Justice O’Connor in her chambers, 1984
Byron Hume Kennerly, 3 months old and his mom Mel Harris meet with Justice O’Connor in her chambers, 1984
Byron gets a tour of the highest court in the land from Justice O'Connor
Byron gets a tour of the highest court in the land from Justice O'Connor

I stayed in touch with Justice O’Connor over her years on the Court, and in 2001 made one of my top ten photos thanks to her. She told me she was going with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the second woman on the Court, to attend a meeting of the Women’s Congressional Caucus at the U.S. Capitol, would I like to come? The result was a classic moment. The first two women Supreme Court Justices seated in Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol surrounded by statues of white men. The irony was not lost on me or them. How things had changed!

Flash forward 27 years. I was back in the Great Hall under somber circumstances.  I photographed the nine current justices of the U.S. Supreme Court as they stood behind the casket of their late colleague Sandra Day O’Connor. I mourned the loss of an old friend and the civility she represented during her time on the Court.

The casket of Justice O’Connor in the Great Hall at the Supreme Court
The casket of Justice O’Connor in the Great Hall at the Supreme Court

As I looked down that line of solemn faces, five of them stood out. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Comey Barrett, the ones who recently  overturned Roe v. Wade. Sandra Day O’Connor would not have been one of them.

The five justices who overturned Roe v. Wade (L-R) Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett in the Great Hall at the Court
The five justices who overturned Roe v. Wade (L-R) Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett in the Great Hall at the Court

During her time on the Court she had twice helped form the majority that upheld and reaffirmed a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion. Thirty years later, the man who replaced her, Samuel Alito, authored the opinion and spearheaded the effort that overturned Roe. She would have been aghast.

None of the nine in that line were on the Court when O’Connor joined on September 25, 1981 making history as the first woman to become a member of that body. She replaced Justice Potter Stewart who had been there since 1958. Her other colleagues at the time were Chief Justice Warren Burger, Justices Harry Blackmun, Thurgood Marshall, William Brennan, Byron White, Lewis F. Powell, Jr., William Rehnquist and John Paul Stevens. An all-star class of jurists.

I was there that day at the Supreme Court, and the next at the Washington National Cathedral, at the request of her three sons, Scott, Brian, and Jay. I documented the celebration of a great American, one who changed the course of our country, for them in memory of their mom.

At the National Cathedral President Biden’s hand touched O’Connor’s casket as he walked by on his way to deliver a eulogy. I caught the brief but meaningful moment.

President Joe Biden touches Justice O’Connor’s casket during services at the National Cathedral
President Joe Biden touches Justice O’Connor’s casket during services at the National Cathedral

The president talked about being the ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee that approved her nomination. He said, “. . . her trust in the capacity of human institutions to make life better is what this world was abiding. And how she embodied such attributes under such pressure and scrutiny helped empower generations of women in every part of American life, including the Court itself, helping to open doors, secure freedoms, and prove that a woman can not only do anything a man can do but, many times, do it a hell of a lot — a heck of a lot better. Excuse my language, Father.” That got a laugh, especially from her kids.

Chief Justice Roberts said, “The time when women were not on the bench seem so far away because Justice O'Connor was so good when she was on the bench.”  In a humorous aside he observed that the Supreme Court is like a family, “a family composed entirely of in-laws.” Justice O’Connor would have agreed with that.

Chief Justice John Roberts and President Biden after they eulogized Justice O’Connor at the National Cathedral
Chief Justice John Roberts and President Biden after they eulogized Justice O’Connor at the National Cathedral

Her son Jay quoted a letter from her mom to them, “Our purpose in life is to help others along the way. May you each try to do the same. What a beautiful, powerful and totally Sandra Day O'Connor sentiment. And it is so clear to Scott, Brian and me that she lived her own life in complete accord with this.”

Jay O’Connor, Justice O’Connor’s youngest son, talks about his mom at the National Cathedral
Jay O’Connor, Justice O’Connor’s youngest son, talks about his mom at the National Cathedral

On July 7, 1981, President Reagan fulfilled a campaign promise to nominate a woman to the high court. In selecting O’Connor, a 51-year-old judge from Arizona, he said, “She is truly a person for all seasons, possessing those unique qualities of temperament, fairness, intellectual capacity, and devotion to the public good which have characterized the 101 brethren who have preceded her.”

Right after President Reagan made his stunning announcement I got a call from Time Magazine to get myself out to Phoenix and get some pictures of her.

I had no idea where she lived exactly, (it was Scottsdale, AZ), or how to get in touch, (I got her home phone number the old-fashioned way, from information). To my surprise she answered. I introduced myself, told her I was asked by Time to photograph her, and she said, “Come on over.”

That was the beginning of a relationship with one of the most delightful and empathetic people I have ever known.

When I arrived at the O’Connor home, I was offered something to drink, lunch, and yes, the opportunity to photograph Judge O’Connor. She even threw in her husband John, also a lawyer, and their three sons, Scott, Brian and Jay for good measure. She said, “They are the best part of me.”

Judge Sandra Day O’Connor and husband John in their kitchen in Scottsdale, AZ
Judge Sandra Day O’Connor and husband John in their kitchen in Scottsdale, AZ

They were still in a state of shock over the announcement. John O’Connor, who was an incredibly funny guy, said that he wasn’t sure how he would handle being the spouse of a famous wife, but that he was looking forward to giving it a shot.

I took pictures of the judge in her judicial robe holding the family bible outside their home with a cactus as a backdrop. It seemed fitting for this woman who was of the west and particularly Arizona. After a few shots outside with the family, then of her and John in their kitchen, I bid them adieu.

Judge O’Connor outside her home in Scottsdale, AZ
Judge O’Connor outside her home in Scottsdale, AZ

I photographed her again a week later when she met with President Reagan in the Rose Garden at the White House. As two westerners they were very comfortable with one another, and he was clearly delighted by his choice.

President Ronald Reagan and Supreme Court-designate O’Connor in the Rose Garden at the White House
President Ronald Reagan and Supreme Court-designate O’Connor in the Rose Garden at the White House

Two months later, and the day before the beginning of her Senate hearings, the O’Connors came to my Georgetown home for dinner. I had invited some photographer friends, telling her she was going to have to get used to them, so might as well start now. (They loved her, and she them). Another guest was ABC White House correspondent Sam Donaldson. Sam had gone to grade school with O’Connor at the Radford School for Girls in El Paso, Texas. He was the only boy attending the place at that time, and the two had a great time talking about it. At the end of the evening everyone left but the O’Connors. She and John helped me do the dishes.

The next day she was sworn in before testifying to the Senate Judiciary Committee.  It was the first televised hearing for a Supreme Court nominee.

Judge O’Connor sworn in before her testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sen. Barry Goldwater at left.
Judge O’Connor sworn in before her testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sen. Barry Goldwater at left.

In her opening statement, Judge O’Connor said, "the proper role of the judiciary is one of interpreting and applying the law, not making it."  Pass it along.

Sandra Day O’Connor testifies
Sandra Day O’Connor testifies

During the three days of hearings, Democrat Senator Ted Kennedy said, "I think that you have seen both the worst of this city and the best of it. The worst being the target of some of the single-issue constituencies who are going to urge your defeat, and the best in the fact that you have had the strong and unyielding support of a President of the United States, and strong bipartisan support from members of the U.S. Senate who have been unflinching in support of your candidacy. As a matter of fact, I have finally found an issue on which I can agree with Senator Goldwater!"

Along those lines, Jerry Falwell of the Moral Majority said that every good Christian should be concerned about the nomination of Sandra Day O’Connor. Arizona’s cantankerous Senator Barry Goldwater, an avid O’Connor supporter, replied that, “Every good Christian should kick Falwell right in the ass.”

O’Connor was confirmed by the full Senate 99 to 0. Sen. Max Baucus, Democrat of Montana, was out of town and did not vote, but most likely would have made it 100 to none.

(L-R) Brian, John, Justice O’Connor, Jay and Scott
(L-R) Brian, John, Justice O’Connor, Jay and Scott
People Magazine cover featuring my pic of Justice O’Connor
People Magazine cover featuring my pic of Justice O’Connor

I stayed in touch with Justice O’Connor over her years on the Court, and in 2001 made one of my top ten photos thanks to her. She told me she was going with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the second woman on the Court, to attend a meeting of the Women’s Congressional Caucus at the U.S. Capitol, would I like to come? The result was a classic moment. The first two women Supreme Court Justices seated in Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol surrounded by statues of white men. The irony was not lost on me or them. How things had changed!

Justices O’Connor and Ginsburg surrounded by statues of men in the U.S. Capitol, 2001
Justices O’Connor and Ginsburg surrounded by statues of men in the U.S. Capitol, 2001

In 2005 Justice O’Connor announced she would be leaving the Court to look after her husband who was suffering from Alzheimer’s. President George W. Bush nominated Judge John Roberts to succeed her. Right before that happened Chief Justice William Rehnquist died, and Bush nominated Roberts to be Chief Justice.

Rehnquist and O’Connor were very close, had attended Stanford Law School together, and he had even asked her to marry him. She declined in favor of another Stanford student, John O’Connor.

The two remained close friends, however, and she was devastated by his death. I photographed Judge Roberts who had clerked for Rehnquist and was a pallbearer as he passed by her during the ceremony honoring the Chief Justice.

John Roberts and Justice O’Connor at Supreme Court during memorial for Chief Justice Rehnquist
John Roberts and Justice O’Connor at Supreme Court during memorial for Chief Justice Rehnquist

I made another shot of the eight justices as they descended the steps of the court to attend his funeral.

(L-R) Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Clarence Thomas, David Souter, Anthony Kennedy, Antonin Scalia, Sandra Day O'Conner and John Paul Stevens descending the front steps of the Court on their way to the funeral for Chief Justice William Rehnquist, September 7, 2005
(L-R) Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Clarence Thomas, David Souter, Anthony Kennedy, Antonin Scalia, Sandra Day O'Conner and John Paul Stevens descending the front steps of the Court on their way to the funeral for Chief Justice William Rehnquist, September 7, 2005

Justice O’Connor stayed on the Court until her replacement Alito was in place.

Four years later, on November 11, 2009, John died from complications from Alzheimer’s.

Justice O’Connor was later afflicted by the same problem. The last time I saw her was at a rest home in Phoenix. She still remembered me, and we had a good chat, but it was clear the great lady was fading away.  The best laugh we had was about her and John doing the dishes at my house after the dinner party for them in 1981. “That was such a great evening,” she fondly recalled.

On October 23, 2018 Justice O’Connor wrote a letter saying that she was withdrawing from public life because of her condition. It said in part, "While the final chapter of my life with dementia may be trying, nothing has diminished my gratitude and deep appreciation for the countless blessings in my life."

Sandra Day O’Connor was a blessing in mine.

Justice O'Conner in her chambers at the U.S. Supreme Court, October 5, 1981, her first photo at work.
Justice O'Conner in her chambers at the U.S. Supreme Court, October 5, 1981, her first photo at work.

The Image That Will Live in Infamy

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Former President Donald Trump’s police booking mugshot, to steal a quote from FDR, is an image that “will live in infamy.” It will end up being the most published photo ever taken. Unfortunately for him it will also be how he will be remembered for eternity. His short-term political gain will be a long-term disaster. A picture I took of him in 2016 is eerily similar (above right). He has unequivocally defined for the ages exactly who he is, and it’s not a pretty sight. Historian Mark Updegrove told me that he wished the photo hadn’t been taken, that it only feeds the Trump frenzy. Hard to disagree.

Photographs are powerful. They tell the story for good or bad. In the instance of Joe Rosenthal’s epic and unforgettable moment of U.S. Marines raising the flag over Iwo Jima in 1945, it was about patriotism and a heroic act. Eddie Adams’ shocking 1968 Saigon execution photo at the instant the South Vietnamese general placed his pistol to the head of a Viet Cong suspect and pulled the trigger was the exact opposite. It showed the brutality and reality of war. Rosenthal’s photo was used to help raise much needed money to support the final days of winning WWII. Adams’ picture was a significant factor in Americans turning against the Vietnam War. Both won Pulitzer Prizes. Both will be remembered and taken to heart as long as there are people to see them.

Eddie Adams, Saigon Execution, 1968 (AP)
Eddie Adams, Saigon Execution, 1968 (AP)
Joe Rosenthal, Marines raise flag on Iwo Jima, 1945 (AP)
Joe Rosenthal, Marines raise flag on Iwo Jima, 1945 (AP)

The harshly-lit vision of a former president mugging for the camera in jail will also be remembered forever. The snap is a propaganda poster advertising a bad Trump play. In this version he portrays the tough and intransigent tyrant who glares menacingly into the camera. He knows exactly how he will come off, after all he prepared for the moment. Trump also understands that his MAGA adherents will love and be riled up about the image. This one was for them and will be another fundraising bonanza. The guy, after all, is an actor and can drop an expression at a moment’s notice. Trump’s life could be a Twilight Zone episode where the central character morphs into the outlaw that he’s been playing on tv. Trump’s most famous acting line is, “You’re fired,” something he said on every show during the fourteen seasons he was on The Apprentice. That phrase made a career and a presidency. Trump’s mugshot pairs nicely with that look but reveals nothing about what is inside of his head.

Donald Trump on The Apprentice (NBC)
Donald Trump on The Apprentice (NBC)
Logo for The Apprentice (NBC)
Logo for The Apprentice (NBC)

On November 21, 2016, thirteen days after he was elected, I had a portrait session with the president-elect in his office at Trump Tower for the cover of CNN’s election book, “Unprecedented.” My photo would be used on the front of a special Inaugural imprint. Trump’s staff had asked for picture approval of my photos, but CNN and I said no. They gave us the greenlight anyway.

When Trump sat in the chair we got right down to it. In the first two frames he was smiling, but it didn’t seem natural. It felt too contrived and not genuine.

Trump smiles for the camera
Trump smiles for the camera

Figuring that I needed something more serious and honest, I asked him to give me his “You’re fired” look from The Apprentice. He immediately converted his face into an intimidating scowl. That one came naturally. That moment would reemerge when he sat for another portrait session, the one with the Fulton County Sheriff’s camera.

The “You’re fired” look
The “You’re fired” look

I thought his signature look was a tad too tough.  I asked him to try something in between. Trump relaxed a bit and produced a wry face. That worked. He asked me if he could see what I was doing. I showed him the last frame in the back of the camera. He said, “I look better here than I do in real life!” I thought OMG, a sense of humor.  The inbetweener became the cover, and anyone who watches CNN would have seen the portrait a thousand times. It became their branded Trump image. The scowling photo that I took wasn’t used but was a precursor to his big act at the Georgia jail.

CNN’s “Unprecedented” 2016 Inauguration edition
CNN’s “Unprecedented” 2016 Inauguration edition

When the Inaugural edition came out Trump tweeted, "@CNN just released a book called 'Unprecedented' which explores the 2016 race & victory. Hope it does well but used worst cover photo of me!"

In 1863, Scottish immigrant Alexander Gardner took a portrait of another president, Abraham Lincoln. He’s looking into the camera, quietly strong, confident, and relaxed. It’s photo that defines him for history. It is how the world will always imagine him. It’s how he was by all accounts.

Abraham Lincoln by Alexander Garner, 1863
Abraham Lincoln by Alexander Garner, 1863

A hundred and sixty years later down in Georgia, inside the grimy Fulton County Jail, a man who had once been President of the United States poses for the sheriff. Most people would find this situation embarrassing and humiliating. Not Trump. He produced a premeditated expression that seems at once angry, paranoid, and criminal. It was an acting tour de force and will be the visual legacy of Donald J. Trump. It is how he will be forever known.

The former president glowers for his booking photo. Rather than a painful moment as it would be for most normal people, he turned it into a fundraising opportunity. The grift goes on.
The former president glowers for his booking photo. Rather than a painful moment as it would be for most normal people, he turned it into a fundraising opportunity. The grift goes on.

Frederick C. Weyand, Compassionate General

By

David Hume Kennerly remarks at the
Gen Frederick C. Weyand U.S. Army Pacific HQ Building dedication
Ft. Shafter, Hawaii,  August 11, 2023

I would be remiss if I didn’t note that General Charles Flynn, and General Fred Weyand had a couple of things in common. They both commanded the 25th Infantry Division 50 years apart and the U.S. Army Pacific that Flynn now heads, also 50 years apart!

(L-R) Gen. Charles Flynn, Nancy Hart Kuboyama, Frederick Hart, Command SGT Major Scott Brzak with portrait of Gen. Weyand
(L-R) Gen. Charles Flynn, Nancy Hart Kuboyama, Frederick Hart, Command SGT Major Scott Brzak with portrait of Gen. Weyand

I am grateful that Nancy Hart Kuboyama asked me to give this talk today about her dad, and my friend, the great American General Frederick C. Weyand. Also thanks to Frederick Hart for your terrific remarks about your grandfather.

Nancy Hart Kuboyama, General Weyand’s daughter with portrait of her dad in the building that now bears his name at Ft. Shafter, Hawaii
Nancy Hart Kuboyama, General Weyand’s daughter with portrait of her dad in the building that now bears his name at Ft. Shafter, Hawaii

In the case of my own family, General Weyand and my youngest son James also have something in common. They both graduated from University of California, Berkeley, but Fred beat him to it by over 80 years! In 1976 General Weyand was named Cal’s “Man of the Year,” an honor that no doubt delighted him.

There are so many words to describe Fred Weyand, so I’ll narrow them down to: Brave. Kind. Humble. Compassionate. I recognized that after first meeting him in Saigon in 1972 when he was the last commander of U.S. military operations in Vietnam. He also possessed remarkable diplomatic skills, a vital asset as he guided and led the withdrawal of the last American troops from Vietnam in 1973 that ended direct U.S. combat operations.

General Weyand and South Vietnamese Army officers, Saigon, 1972
General Weyand and South Vietnamese Army officers, Saigon, 1972

We got to know each other better on a journey from Washington DC to Vietnam and back on a C-141 cargo plane in 1975. 24 hours over and 24 back with plenty of excitement in between. The trip was a sensitive mission ordered by President Gerald Ford to see if anything could be done to stem the tide of the advancing North Vietnamese Army into the South. Weyand was the right guy for the job. He had served several tours of duty in Vietnam and knew the place well.

General Weyand gets his orders from President Ford in the oval office as Sec. of State Kissinger listens
General Weyand gets his orders from President Ford in the oval office as Sec. of State Kissinger listens
General Weyand runs to his waiting C-141 at Andrews AFB
General Weyand runs to his waiting C-141 at Andrews AFB

During one of those tours Weyand was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism on two occasions while commanding the 25th Infantry Division. On January 8, 1967 after one of his companies became pinned down by intense Viet Cong fire and surrounded, he directed his helicopter pilot to take him there. The DSC citation says, that Weyand “dauntlessly walked around the treacherous perimeter, comforting the casualties and encouraging the beleaguered defenders. His presence on the battlefield was a source of boundless inspiration and enabled his men to hold out until relief arrived.” Less than a month later he helped locate a two-vehicle patrol that had strayed into enemy territory. Braving enemy fire he landed in front of them, turned them back towards safety, and undoubtedly saved their lives. All in a day’s work for Fred Weyand.

On the flight over to Vietnam we talked about people we had known in the war. One of them, Brigadier General Jim Hollingsworth, had performed similar acts of heroism in 1966 and 67. He knew Holly well, and said admiringly, “That guy was a piece of work!” “Look who’s talking.” I told him. Those guys were true warriors.

General Weyand arrives at Saigon’s Ton Son Nhat Airport
General Weyand arrives at Saigon’s Ton Son Nhat Airport

General Weyand’s military instincts also helped save Saigon during the Tet Offensive in 1968. A correspondent wrote that, “Weyand got the feeling that something bad was coming right in our own backyard." He convinced a reluctant General William Westmorland to deploy troops in and around Saigon. His prescient action dealt the North Vietnamese a major military defeat and saved the South Vietnamese capital.  Weyand knew, however, that the success on the battlefield was offset by the anti-war sentiment back in the U.S., that it took more than military action to win a war. He strongly believed that you needed the American people backing the effort. Even before Tet he privately told people that he didn’t see a good outcome in Vietnam.

When we landed in Saigon, Weyand went off for briefings on the deteriorating situation. I left his group to make side trips up north to Nha Trang, then over to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It was chaotic. The night I got to Nha Trang the city was evacuated in front of a North Vietnamese attack. My helicopter took fire from fleeing South Vietnamese troops crowded aboard ships in Cam Ranh Bay. Phnom Penh was worse. The Cambodian capital was surrounded by Khmer Rouge troops. The airport was taking constant fire. Things looked bad.

A ship crowed with fleeing South Vietnamese troops in Cam Ranh Bay. Some of them fired at my helicopter
A ship crowed with fleeing South Vietnamese troops in Cam Ranh Bay. Some of them fired at my helicopter
Vietnamese civilians flee Nha Trang
Vietnamese civilians flee Nha Trang
A Cambodian refugee girl in a Phnom Penh camp
A Cambodian refugee girl in a Phnom Penh camp
A picture of me in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, March 29, 1975
A picture of me in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, March 29, 1975

I made it back to Saigon in time for Weyand’s meeting with South Vietnamese President Thieu. Weyand assured Thieu of Ford’s commitment to him. He laid out some options, but it appeared to me that Thieu was skeptical.

General Weyand and U.S. Amb. Graham Martin meet with South Vietnamese President Thieu in Saigon
General Weyand and U.S. Amb. Graham Martin meet with South Vietnamese President Thieu in Saigon

On the flight back to the states I told Gen. Weyand what I had experienced, and it added to his pessimism. We discussed the report he was going to deliver to President Ford. I was pretty sure it wasn’t going to be a hit.

On the flight from Saigon to the U.S. Weyand prepares his report for the president
On the flight from Saigon to the U.S. Weyand prepares his report for the president

General Weyand gave President Ford his unvarnished opinion. He told him that an infusion of aid to replenish military supplies might help, and at the very least would show public support.  He ominously added that the government of South Vietnam was on the brink of military defeat.  He also told Ford that the US should plan for a “mass evacuation of some 6,000 American citizens and tens of thousands of South Vietnamese and Third Country Nationals . . .”

President Gerald Ford gets the unpleasant truth about the Vietnam situation from General Frederick Weyand
President Gerald Ford gets the unpleasant truth about the Vietnam situation from General Frederick Weyand

There it was. General speaks truth to power. Power didn’t like the message, but believed the messenger.

Saigon fell less than a month later, an event that deeply saddened but didn’t surprise General Weyand.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. George Brown and Gen. Weyand during the final withdrawal from Vietnam
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. George Brown and Gen. Weyand during the final withdrawal from Vietnam

In an interview with Col. Harry Summers in 1988, Weyand said, “What particularly haunts me, what I think is one of the saddest legacies of the Vietnam War, is the cruel misperception that the American fighting men there did not measure up to their predecessors in World War II and Korea. Nothing could be further from the truth.”  And the general knew that firsthand, he had served with distinction in all three of those wars.

It is such a wonderful tribute to General Frederick Weyand to have this beautifully designed U.S. Army Pacific Headquarters building named after him. Knowing Fred, however, I think he would have been a wee bit uncomfortable with all this attention!

The Weyand family at the dedication of the new Army Pacific HQ at Ft. Shafter that bears his name
The Weyand family at the dedication of the new Army Pacific HQ at Ft. Shafter that bears his name

Nancy told me that her dad and mom retired in the islands because they loved the Hawaiian spirit. That spirit, and Fred Weyand’s, will always be with you whenever you enter this magnificent place.

Aloha, Fred.

General Frederick C. Weyand’s final resting place at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific above Honolulu
General Frederick C. Weyand’s final resting place at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific above Honolulu

The Blast

By

Sixty three years ago, on August 7, 1959, I was 12 years old and something really bad happened in my sleepy little lumber town. Around one a.m. in the wee hours of a sweltering summer night the big siren over the fire station five blocks away from our house went off and woke me up. It was loud enough that you could hear it for miles, and was how volunteer firemen were summoned in an emergency.

Because it was a hot night the French windows in my bedroom were open. I perched up on the sill to see what was going on. From our house on the hill I could see a big fire a few blocks away in downtown Roseburg. This was not a drill. It appeared that the Gerretsen Building Supply store was ablaze, and flames were shooting into the air.

Moments later there was a blinding flash, then a huge explosion. The concussion that followed a couple of seconds later blew me across the room and into the wall. It knocked out all the glass in our house except for my windows that were open. I scrambled back to my vantage point and witnessed what looked like a mushroom-shaped cloud from an atom bomb detonation.

It looked like an atom bomb blast to me (Getty Images)
It looked like an atom bomb blast to me (Getty Images)

Pieces of burning wood from the warehouse rained down across the town and some of the fiery debris set the dry field behind our place ablaze. This was by far the most exciting thing I had  experienced so far in my young life. It never occurred to me that I could have been killed. My dad ran into the room shouting that we had to get out of there. He said something about being under attack by the Russians. (Worth noting that this was at the height of the Cold War and “duck and cover” under your desk drills in school to save yourself from a nuclear bomb blast—good luck with that). Even at that age I thought why the hell would Russians want to attack Roseburg?

A duck and cover drill from the 50’s. It was important to cover your ears . . . (National Archives)
A duck and cover drill from the 50’s. It was important to cover your ears . . . (National Archives)

My father marshalled me, mom, and my three sisters into the living room. I remember our cat batting a broken piece of glass around. “We’re heading to my brother’s place outside of town,” he announced. “But dad,” I said, “can’t we stay?” The answer was, “Get in the car now!” Dang, no more Russian invasion for me. As we drove away from town the yellow-red light from the fire reflected off Mt. Nebo on the other side of the river. I craned around for one last look at the disaster. My parents and sisters were traumatized. I was bitterly disappointed that we had to leave.

A National Guard soldier amid wreckage on Highway 99 that ran through Roseburg (Oregon Historical Society)
A National Guard soldier amid wreckage on Highway 99 that ran through Roseburg (Oregon Historical Society)

That 1959 blast was the greatest disaster in Roseburg’s history. A Pacific Powder Company truck loaded with over six tons of ammonium nitrate and dynamite had been parked next to Gerretsen’s, and the fire caused it to blow up. Fourteen people died in the disaster. The junior high school that I was supposed to attend the following year was right across the street from ground zero and was ruined. When the truck exploded it made a crater over fifty feet in diameter and twenty feet deep. The fireball created by the explosion went 500 feet in the air, hence the mushroom cloud effect. Windows were broken more than eight miles away. People in the surrounding towns thought they were experiencing an earthquake.

The 50-foot crater across from Central Junior High where I was supposed to go to school was destroyed by the blast (Oregon Historical Society)
The 50-foot crater across from Central Junior High where I was supposed to go to school was destroyed by the blast (Oregon Historical Society)

In an excellent recap of the event, David Tishendorf, former managing editor of The Roseburg News-Review wrote, “The truck itself disappeared. Only two pieces of it were ever found: the front axle was blown through the air, struck once four blocks away, gouged a hole in the pavement, bounced back into the air, struck a tree, bounced back 50 feet and came to rest in front of the Greyhound bus depot; the spindle went crashing through Long and Orr Mortuary.

Downtown Roseburg was torn apart (Oregon Historical Society)
Downtown Roseburg was torn apart (Oregon Historical Society)

Buildings were flattened, as if a giant hand had swatted them aside; chimneys were wrenched from houses; walls swayed, buckled and fell. Power lines snapped, windows shattered, spraying glass fragments; foundations were shifted. Cars were slammed violently about. The massive rush of air carried bricks, metal fragments, glass and other debris in a deadly shotgun-like blast. A nearby Coca-Cola bottling plant was destroyed. Bottles exploded like machinegun bursts . . .

Trucks from the Coco-Cola bottling plant were incinerated (Oregon Historical Society)
Trucks from the Coco-Cola bottling plant were incinerated (Oregon Historical Society)

The blast picked up a police patrol car containing two Roseburg patrolmen and blew it 100 feet through the air. The patrolmen walked away with minor injuries. The final toll would be 14 killed, 125 injured, and 350 buildings damaged over a 50-block area . . . But the night was not over. Heat and flying brands from the explosion set off fires in a seven-block area destroying dozens of buildings.”

Wreckage from the blast (Oregon Historical Society)
Wreckage from the blast (Oregon Historical Society)

The giant explosion in Beirut almost exactly 61 years later on August 4, 2020, was caused by  2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate blowing up. That blast was over 700 times bigger than the Roseburg event. Hard to imagine. I found this photo from the following day in my town, you can see the crater at the right. I luckily escaped unharmed, and it proved to be good training for my later career, at least to the degree that my dad never again made me leave the scene of a good story!

Before and after photos of Beirut after the massive explosion that killed more than 230 people and wounded 7,000 others
Before and after photos of Beirut after the massive explosion that killed more than 230 people and wounded 7,000 others