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News We Love: Meet a 100-year-old, pool-playing veteran and the man preserving his story

Photographer Jeff Rease traveled to Pelham, Alabama to photograph World War Two veteran Edward Gill for his project, "Portraits of Honor," documenting the lives of America's dwindling generation of veterans.
Rease estimates only about 30,000 World War Two veterans remain in the United States, down from over 300,000 when he began his mission seven years ago; 90 to 95% have since passed away.
At 100 years old, Gill remains active, spending seven nights a week at the pool hall. During World War Two, he served as an aviation radioman aboard dive bombers and patrol bombers.
Nearly 400 portraits later, Rease says conversations have become as vital as the photographs themselves. He notes he often spends hours listening to subjects, capturing their stories and lived history.
When asked what he hopes people see in his portrait years from now, Gill offered a simple answer: "That I did something right." His legacy extends beyond service to a life that continues to shine.

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