"I Consider Myself To Be Lucky," -Giles Duley, Photojournalist & Triple Amputee

Click to see Giles' site.

Last year, as David Emerson, Jillian Hunsanger and I were planning the War Photographers' Retreat in honor of Tim Hetherington, word went out through the grapevine and brambles about the event. It's funny how news travels. Somehow I became aware of photojournalist Giles Duley. I was rather incredulous. He had gotten blown up in February, lost 2 legs and an arm. And there he was as we were working feverishly during the summer, perched on Facebook giving "Likes" to our efforts at WarRetreat. What resiliency, I thought. And I must say after watching his progress on Facebook -he's a bit of a dog. (That's a good thing). Just last week, he noted that it had been one year since he was blown up. He wasn't sure what to call it. "Bombiversay?" he asked, with the black humor of someone who has been through war.

Giles Duley, who does not consider himself as war journalist, has nonetheless covered several around the world. His focus has been on what war does to people --especially landmines. While embedded with the American troops, Giles was blown up by an IED.  He says he was lucky to be embedded with the Americans, as he was flown quickly to Kandahar Airfield and then onto subsequent hospitals, and finally back to the UK where his recovery continues. Here's an article in the NY Times, written last year.

Listen to this recording of Giles at the launch of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Landmines and Unexploded Weapons of Conflict. (7 Minutes)