Photographs from Jeff DelaCruz’s Time on the Ground in
Iraq

by Brett Leigh Dicks

It proved portentous that Jeff DelaCruz commenced his studies at
Brooks Institute of Photography on September 11, 2001. As he made
his way to class on his first day, he learned of the attack on the
World Trade Center. Though the event occurred on the other side of
the country, it would soon redirect the course of his life.

soldier.jpg

After graduating from high school and realizing he could not
afford to fund his studies on his own, DelaCruz joined the United
States Army Reserve. When he arrived in Santa Barbara, he became
part of the city’s 425th Civil Affairs Battalion of the U.S. Army;
when they shipped out to Iraq in 2004, the Brooks student went with
them.

“When you join up during the Clinton administration, you don’t
expect something like this to happen,” DelaCruz explained. “You
don’t expect the World Trade towers to go down. You don’t expect
the war in Iraq to happen. When I was 17, I couldn’t imagine those
things happening. I knew war was a possibility, but I just didn’t
believe I would have to be involved in something like that. When it
became a reality, I knew it was going to be a life-changing
thing.”

While serving on active duty with the Civil Affairs battalion in
Iraq, DelaCruz used his camera not only to document what he was
encountering, but also to ride out the emotional rollercoaster he
was experiencing. His photographs are currently on display at the
Brooks Institute’s gallery on Cota Street.

“Photography gave me a greater purpose,” explained DelaCruz. “I
was blessed to have a good leadership squad who understood that I
needed to do this in order to make it through the mission. War is
an all-consuming thing, but it’s made up of all these individual
events that can’t all be told. I wanted to tell those stories and
to make war as realistic as possible.”

What quickly becomes apparent within this collection of images
is DelaCruz’s remarkable sense of perception. He puts the viewer in
a throng of Iraqi women as they learn of their pending relocation.
He quietly observes the tender exchange between an American soldier
and Iraqi girl. We ride along with soldiers and explore the
aftermath of battles. This is not the perspective of a casual
observer; it is the point of view of someone caught in the middle
of it all. DelaCruz also captures the before and after: grave faces
as Santa Barbara families bid farewell to the soldiers in his unit,
and expressions of uninhibited joy upon their return. In capturing
the realities he witnessed, the photographer helps dispel
misconceptions about war.

“I am trying not to make this show political,” stated DelaCruz.
“It’s not about a specific political issue; it’s more about war
itself. I signed up because I had an idealized vision of war based
on movies. Going to Iraq took the idealism away. I desired this
horrible thing, and I got it. That’s what I want this show to
do — I want it to show people the reality. I want them to think
seriously about war as a solution. Is this really the way we should
go about solving our problems?”

Now back at Brooks and preparing for graduation, DelaCruz spoke
passionately about moving to Chicago and starting his own
photographic business. His time in Iraq is behind him, but the
experience of it and the photographs he took there will no doubt
influence his future.

“I’ve been focusing on this show for a year now,” said DelaCruz.
“I don’t want to make the most horrible portion of my life
everything I am. But it has put what’s important into perspective.
And it completely changed me — it made me a lot more edgy. I can’t
drive in Los Angeles traffic anymore because that freaks me out. I
also get upset about the things I did over there. But it did force
me to grow up — maybe a little too quickly. And it has made me a
better person.”

4•1•1
Soldier’s View: A Pictorial Reflection of the War in
Iraq
opens with a presentation and reception on Fri.,
Nov. 10 from 5-7pm at the Brooks Institute Learning Center, 27 E.
Cota St. The show runs through Dec. 22. For more information, call
690-4912.

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