Stranger #48 - Eugene Wallace

Eugene greeted me with a salute and by yelling "U.S. Army!" and snapping off a few more salutes. He told me he was back from Iraq where he'd blown off most of his legs. He'd been a Sargent. Pointing to the house behind us, festooned with American flags and red, white and blue banners, he said that was his house. Pointing farther down the road he told me that was the family store and that he'd grown up here.

 

He pulled out his wallet and held out his ID card. I peered at it but he continued to hold it out until I took it. A few more salutes were exchanged. Eugene told me he liked to draw and indicated his tattoos which he sketched and his brother inked in. He then took off his shirt to show more the tattoos which led to this photograph.

 

I left not entirely sure what I really knew but he did brighten my day and hopefully I did the same for him.

 

This picture is #48 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page

 

Done