Jonathan Alpeyrie American war photographer originally from France Country: USA

Jonathan Alperin: A Biography

Jonathan Alperin, an American military photographer originally from France, began his career as a photographer in 2004. Representing the interests of the New York-based photo agency 'Polaris', Alperin embarked on an extraordinary project of seeking out and capturing as many World War II veterans as possible. His goal was to honor those who played a significant role in shaping history and restoring peace and tranquility.

Initially, Alperin, a resident of Santa Barbara, United States, photographed only American veterans. However, he soon expanded his project to include veterans from European countries. His research led him to find and persuade participants from the United Kingdom, Armenia, Czech Republic, France, and other countries to take part in his project.

By 2007, Alperin's interest extended to veterans who fought on the side of the Nazi regime. He met with members of the Waffen-SS, a feat that few had managed to accomplish. He later connected with English and American soldiers who fought alongside the SS. Establishing relationships with Slovenians and Belgians, who opposed Russian soldiers during the war, proved to be more challenging, but Alperin succeeded nonetheless.

In Zagreb, Croatia, Alperin captured the last surviving members of the Ustaše, a Croatian nationalist movement. These veterans were few in number as most were eliminated by Tito's communist partisans during the little-known Bleiburg massacre. Alperin's book portrays these veterans in a tranquil and composed manner, often depicting them wearing military uniforms and holding photo albums from their wartime experiences. It is difficult to imagine that these elderly individuals were once engaged in combat, sleeping in trenches, and recovering from injuries in field hospitals.

Alperin refrained from collecting information that would highlight the differences among his subjects from around the world. Instead, he focused on finding common ground, whether it be courage, bravery, patriotism, or even fear – all of which continue to unite World War II veterans to this day. Convincing some veterans to participate in his project took over a year, with Alperin seeking assistance from embassies and veteran associations. Some of his works were presented as diptychs, where veterans who fought against each other during the war were depicted face to face.

In addition to his photographs, Alperin personally interviewed each veteran, and these collected interviews will be included in his upcoming book. His first photo reportage was done in 2001 during his travels in the South Caucasus. Since then, he has visited approximately 25 countries, covering events in nine conflict zones. Alperin has primarily documented conflicts in the South Caucasus, East Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia.