Semper Fidelis: A Photographic Project

Every Marine has a story to tell—a set of compelling experiences to share before, during and after their military service. The portraits in this project capture the proud, “always faithful” spirit of these men and women and the honor they have brought to their country. The images and words illuminate faces and lives across generations, revealing the character and strength of those who have served. As civilians, they have distinguished themselves as artists, teachers, mechanics, salesmen, healthcare workers and videographers. The portrait and short biography of each individual contain a glimpse of war, a reason for joining this fabled fraternity, and a reveal of life today beyond the conflicts that shaped them. The gallery shows how they remain linked to an immortal brotherhood—the United States Marine Corps.

Before They’re Gone: Portraits and Stories of World War II Veterans

The “Greatest Generation” led the United States to victory in World War II. More than 16 million Americans served in that conflict. According to the U.S. Veterans Administration, fewer than 167,000 remain. Approximately 234 are dying each day, almost one every six minutes. It is estimated there will be no veterans left to recount their experiences by 2036. This project preserves important stories and memories from World War II.

The men and women who served in this conflict did not view themselves as heroes. As Lt. Col. Dick Cole, Jimmy Doolittle’s co-pilot, once explained, “We were just doing our jobs.” Humility is a defining trait of WWII veterans. Courage and resilience are two others. In this project, I honor veterans with revealing snapshots of their lives. Many WWII veterans became quite accomplished in later careers. Their office walls reflect those accomplishments, displaying awards, plaques and medals. Veterans are photographed in their home to show how they look today, decades removed from their service in one of history’s greatest conflicts. The project has evolved into several exhibitions and eventually a book.

The Exhibit

Each participating veteran is photographed and interviewed in their home. The final image is 13×18 framed to 18×24, accompanied by an 11×14 bio sheet of approximately 600-650 words featuring the interview highlights, and a small photo from their active-duty days. As a thank you, each participant is given a photo framed in cherry wood from the photo session.

D. Clarke Evans

Clarke is a graduate of Brooks Institute of Photography, served six years in the Marine Corps Reserve from 1964-1970 and was honorably discharged as a Sergeant. He also has a Master of Arts degree in Museum Science from Texas Tech University. 

While at Brooks, Clarke scheduled, curated and hung photography shows for: Harry Benson (Magazine Photographer of the Year 1981 and 1982), Shirley Burden (Chairman of the Board, Aperture), Jerry Gay (Pulitzer Prize Winner, 1975), John Sexton, Arnold Newman, Yousuf Karsh, Milton Greene, Ernest Haas and others. Upon graduating from Brooks, in 1985 Clarke moved to San Antonio and establishing a commercial photographer studio. His personal award winning fine art photography was accepted into 42 exhibitions.  

In 2015, he resigned as a photographer for the NBA as the team photographer for the San Antonio Spurs, a position he has held since 1990. He resigned to devote all his time to the two personal projects. 

Clarke is the past president of the Texas Photographic Society (TPS),  www.texasphoto.org, a non-profit organization devoted to fine art photography. Under his leadership, TPS sponsored 54 exhibitions that were shown in 21 Texas cities, New York, Florida, and California. Through sister organizations in Europe, TPS exhibited Texas artists in France, Italy, Germany, and Greece. Under his guidance, membership increased from approximately 150, mainly from the Austin area, to over 1,200 from 48 states and 11 countries. The board of directors honored him with the title of president emeritus.