CMAC welcomes guest to talk about his experience as a combat photographer in Vietnam

Dennis Fisher, who now lives in Battle Ground, was the guest speaker at a breakfast for the Community Appreciation Military Committee last week, and Fisher was selling his book … Then All Hell Broke Loose: The Odyssey of a Marine Corps Photographer in Vietnam

Paul Valencia
Clark County Today

A combat photographer who now lives in Battle Ground was the guest speaker Friday morning at the bi-weekly breakfast for the Community Military Appreciation Committee.

Dennis Fisher shared his inspirational and oftentimes heartbreaking stories of his time in Vietnam, a man with a weapon and camera. He also has many of his photos, and those stories, in a book: Then All Hell Broke Loose: The Odyssey of a Marine Corps Photographer in Vietnam

More than once, he took a photo of an American colleague who would later be killed or injured. Fisher, himself, was also injured in the war. 

“For all practical purposes, you are just an infantryman with a camera,” Fisher said, describing his experience in Vietnam.

As a combat photographer, he was on regular patrols, the “no-name” variety, he said, as well as some of the famous named operations. His photographs were used for intelligence gathering, too. He did aerial photography, and also was used at award ceremonies.

The photos that really hit home are those from the field, showing the danger.

“The guys who were in Vietnam will recognize this stuff,” Fisher said. “For family members .. this might give you a better idea of what it looked like out there.”

Fisher noted that a photo and a two-line cutline do not tell the whole story. 

“In my book, I try to relate all the stories behind these pictures so people get a better idea of what’s going on,” he said.

Fisher, originally from Pennsylvania, has lived in Battle Ground for six years. 

He arrived in Vietnam in December of 1966 as a Marine infantry rifleman. A mistake in his orders sent him to headquarters, and later in 1967, he was given a secondary MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) as a combat still photographer.

Some 59 years after he arrived in Vietnam, Fisher published his book.

“There are a lot of books on combat photography, but none of them actually take one photographer and follow his whole tour through Vietnam so you could see what he was doing day to day,” Fisher said.

The book is available online. At Amazon, click here: https://www.amazon.com/Then-All-Hell-Broke-Loose-ebook/dp/B0FV11CP4F?ref_=ast_author_dp&th=1&psc=1

CMAC meets every two weeks in Vancouver. Many of the meetings are to plan CMAC’s events that happen throughout the calendar year. The bi-weekly meetings might include more guest speakers in the future.

“We are definitely a community organization,” said Ron Powers, chair of CMAC. “About 25 percent of our members have never worn a uniform.”

It is important for them to hear the stories of our veterans, Powers added.

Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle thanked the Vietnam War veterans who were in attendance.

“You served with courage, often in silence, and too often without the recognition you deserved when you returned home,” she said.

We see you. We respect you. … And we are deeply thankful for all that you have given. Welcome home.”

For more information on CMAC, go to: https://cmac11.com/ or its Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/CommunityMilitaryAppreciationCommittee