Stacy Pearsall began the Veterans Portrait Project while recovering from combat injuries she’d sustained in Iraq. Her military career was over, her body was broken and her spirit was crushed. She'd lost hope in my future, faith in herself and passion for life. While rehabilitating, she spent countless idle hours in VA waiting rooms surrounded by veterans from every generation and branch of service. They inspired her to pick up the camera again so that she could honor and thank them with the only gift she felt she had worth giving, her photography. Since taking her first portrait in late 2008, she's conducted more than 189 portrait engagements, traveled to 82 cities in 50 states and captured over 8,500+ veterans' portraits. The Veterans Portrait Project has been emotionally cathartic, physically healing tool. She'd committed her life to her country and when she could no longer serve in uniform, the VPP became an extension of her service. Her new mission in life is to share the unique stories of military veterans and honor their service in a unique, creative way. Each veteran receives a complimentary, high-resolution portrait they can share with friends and family. Their portraits and stories are also included in national printed exhibitions, showcased in video productions and shared via social media, thus ensuring their contributions to American military history are never lost. The Veterans Portrait Project collection represents the over 22 million military veterans in the United States. They’re young and old, male and female. They come from all walks of life and have varied religious beliefs, levels of education and racial ethnicity. What unites them all is their service. It’s a bond that cannot be broken, and she's proud to be one of them.

[All Veterans Portrait Project images are copyrighted and may not be used without written permission]