Sal Veder, Pulitzer Prize-Winning AP Photographer Who Shot Iconic ‘Burst of Joy,’ Dies at Age 99
His 1973 Vietnam War reunion image won the 1974 Pulitzer Prize and became a symbol of the war’s end, the Associated Press said.
- Pulitzer Prize-winning Associated Press photographer Slava 'Sal' Veder died in his sleep on August 22 at age 99, just eight days before his 100th birthday at his home in El Dorado County, California.
- Veder became famous for his 1973 "Burst of Joy" photograph, which captured U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Robert L. Stirm reuniting with his four children after five years in a Vietnam prisoner of war camp.
- Before retiring from the AP in 1993, Veder covered historic assignments including Vietnam War protests, the bank robbery trial of Patty Hearst, and the 1978 assassinations of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk.
- Colleagues remembered Veder as a dedicated mentor who emphasized the connection between pictures and words. Freelance photographer Brad Mangin called him "a great mentor and teacher" who encouraged photographers to "dive deeper."
- Born in Berkeley, California, in 1926, Veder was the only child of Russian immigrants Ivan and Anka Veder who had left Russia and taken the names John and Ann. He joined the AP in 1961 and later transferred to the San Francisco bureau.
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Sal Veder, Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer, dies at age 99 in El Dorado County
Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Slava ‘Sal’ Veder, best known for his picture of a U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel joyfully reuniting with his family after five years in a prisoner of war camp in Vietnam, died Aug. 22. He was 99. Veder’s family on Wednesday confirmed that the retired Associated Press photojournalist died in his sleep, just eight days shy of his 100th birthday, at his home in El Dorado County.
Pulitzer-winning photographer Sal Veder has died aged 99 – his most famous frame carries a lesson for all of us
Born in 1926, photographer Sal Veder died on 22 August, eight days short of his 100th birthday, at his home in El Dorado County, California. Even if his name is new to you, you'll probably know his work. In particular Burst of Joy, which came to symbolize the emotions of Americans around the end of the Vietnam War.On 17 March 1973, working for the Associated Press at Travis Air Force Base, California, Veder photographed Lt Col Robert L Stirm's f…
'Burst of Joy' photographer Sal Veder, who captured Vietnam War's most iconic homecoming, dies at 99
Pulitzer Prize winner Slava Veder, renowned for his Vietnam War photo, has died. His iconic image captured a soldier's reunion with his children after captivity. Veder, an Associated Press photographer, passed away peacefully at his California home. He was celebrated for his dedication to capturing compelling human moments. His legacy includes mentoring younger photographers and documenting significant historical events.
The award-winning photo shows the joy of a family of a lieutenant-colonel of the US Air Force on his return to the United States, after five years in a prison camp. This photograph became the symbol of the end of American engagement in the Vietnam War.
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