American Veteran is a photographic essay in which the subject tells their story through a simple portrait. As beauty is held by the beholder, so is the story of life and death, joy and heartbreak, and the long road from beginning to end. The eyes may be a window into the soul but they also hold the reflection of the story that makes the American Veteran. The veteran spans many generations, genders, races, and religions, all in pursuit of a dream. These veterans may not always use words to tell their story and will most likely take them to their grave. As a visual storyteller and a veteran, I turn a simple portrait into their words, into a story, their story, my story.