Behind The Lens: Waterfront Warrior

A veteran holds a young boy on his shoulders as he stands beside a reflecting pool at the Memorial.
A veteran visits the 9/11 Memorial with his young son. Photo by Jin Lee, 9/11 Memorial.

This father and son visited the 9/11 Memorial this summer with Long Beach Waterfront Warriors, a nonprofit group that provides relaxing beach vacations and other activities to wounded, ill and injured combat veterans and their families. New York City Police Department and Port Authority Police Department officers that were on duty that day formally welcomed the Waterfront Warriors to the site.

This moment stood out to me because of how young the son is. I’m a father myself, and I couldn’t help but wonder how grateful he might be to be back home and carrying his son like this. He served his country and made great sacrifices. Now he is home with his family. For me, this illustrated what I hope was a moment of peace.

By Jin Lee, Director of Photography, 9/11 Memorial

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