WWII COMBAT PHOTOGRAPHER TONY VACCARO TURNS 100

Please join us in wishing WWII veteran and world-renowned photographer Michael A. "Tony" Vaccaro a happy 100th birthday! Tony served in the 83rd Infantry Division and saw fierce combat throughout the European Theater, from Normandy, France, to the heart of Germany. He took more than 8,000 photographs during his time overseas.

In our 2019 interview, Tony recalled developing his film on moonless nights inside his helmet and sending negatives back to his sister in America. His efforts to capture the true story of WWII frequently put him in danger, but he knew the importance of his work to future generations. Many of Vaccaro's close friends and fellow soldiers lost their lives during the war, and he himself was wounded twice, receiving the Purple Heart medal.

After the war, Tony became a professional photographer, first working for Stars and Stripes and later as a fashion and lifestyle photographer for prestigious American magazines and international brands. He photographed some of the world's most famous, from John F. Kennedy and Sophia Loren to Pablo Picasso and Frank Lloyd Wright.

"Giving the Past a Future, One Story at a Time."
WWII Veterans History Project