Unveiling the scars of war

By: Hayden Kobza Editor-in-Chief  
Contributor: Yoly Viera
Reporter: Kyla Wetmore 

From Afghanistan and Iraq to India and Bosnia, John Moore, a senior staff photographer and special correspondent for Getty Images, has covered wars around the world during his work as a conflict photographer. After spending a considerable amount of time photographing people in combat, Moore felt it was his duty to portray what happens after the conflict, when the headlines have been published, and the news cycle has moved on. 

“These millions of Americans have worn the uniform, and many are often forgotten,” Moore said in a recent interview with the Accent. “It’s important for me to show that the fighting that was done was only a sliver of their life; the rest of their lives await afterward. And I think, as a photojournalist, it’s important to show the totality, and not just a small piece—a small, violent piece—of someone’s life.” 

As Veterans Day approaches on Nov. 11, Southern has invited Moore to speak at this week’s Convocation. The event will be held at 11 a.m., Thursday, in the Iles P.E. Center. Students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to attend. 

The 2005 Pulitzer Prize winner for Breaking News Photography during the Associated Press’s Iraq War coverage will present a collection of photos depicting veterans, aiming to dignify those who return from their duty not only with physical injuries, but with invisible struggles as well.  

Moore, who resides in Stamford, Connecticut, joined Getty Images in 2005 and has documented conflict and migration in more than 70 countries on six continents. In addition to his Pulitzer Prize, the University of Texas at Austin graduate won five World Press Photo honors, including the 2019 Photo of the Year for “Crying Girl on the Border” and the 2025 photo “Night Crossing.” He has also been awarded the Robert Capa Gold Medal for courage from the Overseas Press Club and the Robert F. Kennedy journalism award for his long-term immigration coverage. Published in 2018, Moore is the author of Undocumented: Immigration and the Militarization of the United States-Mexico Border. 

“Although I’ve concentrated on immigration issues for the last few years, I’ve also worked covering conflict, and part of that coverage has been my continued photography on veterans’ issues,” Moore said. 

The New York Times and other media outlets have described Moore’s work as humanizing—a descriptor he said can be complicated to recognize when absent, as each instance of dehumanization is situationally dependent. 

“I think it’s important for viewers to see the people I photograph as fellow human beings,” Moore said. “And that might sound simplistic, but oftentimes, when we see the news, we see it in terms of statistics, and people will really only care about a story and the people I photograph if I can establish some sort of human connection.”  

According to Moore, a key part of humanizing people in photography is establishing trust with the subject. Moore discussed how people can generally determine if someone is trustworthy by the way the person approaches them, even if there is a language barrier. He also warned about taking photos without the proper level of consent, which can leave the subject intimidated.  

In spot news, where coverage is on the street or during events, Moore said photojournalists can photograph almost anything, but emphasized that in more private situations, it’s important for them to reach out to the subject first. 

“We’ve all seen pictures where the subject of the photo looks uncomfortable or self-conscious,” he said. “That’s always a danger in this profession; we have to establish a certain level of trust very quickly with those we photograph, and often that’s a skill that one learns over time.”  

Some students at Southern expressed appreciation for the upcoming Convocation’s focus on Moore’s work with veterans. 

Alier Vega-Morales, a freshman computer science major, said he believes people should be aware of the time veterans have given and the sacrifices they have made for the United States. His grandfather, who served in the Marines, has affected how Vega-Morales empathizes with veterans.  

“They’ve been through something that we [civilians] won’t be able to understand,” Vega-Morales said. “I think that there needs to be more recognition for veterans, because there are veteran benefits like health care for them and their families. But I think that just a day to honor them isn’t enough. There should be more history of what they’ve done so that we could honor them better.” 

Vega-Morales recognizes how Moore’s efforts towards veterans are crucial in spreading awareness, expressing appreciation for photojournalism’s ability to capture the reality of a moment.   

“I think it needs to be raw. We can’t understand if people sugarcoat it, so it has to be as truthful as it can be,” he said. 

Joshua Chotobar, a freshman clinical psychology major, expressed that since he doesn’t have a veteran in his family, he is not knowledgeable about veterans’ benefits. With awareness, he believes that the public would understand better what it means to be a veteran. 

“I would definitely go to that [Convocation] just to get more knowledge,” he said. 

Lysandra Diaz, a biology major with a biomedical emphasis, described how her life with her father has been affected during his time of service in the Air Force.  

“I feel like there should be [more] programs put into place after you retire, especially since [my father] served his whole life,” Diaz said. “I mean, ever since he was a teenager, he was in the Air Force, and so it’s such a big adjustment to be in it and then get out of it.”  

Diaz said that having a photojournalist with projects focused on veterans feels more personal to her because she has someone close to her who served in the military.  

Moore hopes that students will leave Convocation with more certainty in the media, as he has seen that distrust has made it more difficult to tell people’s stories. 

“So many people have cameras now that they assume that everyone with a camera is the same,” said Moore. “Well, that’s not true. Photojournalists are trying to tell a story, and I wish people were more visually literate on the importance of photojournalism.”