Kathleen Ronayne, Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Slava 'Sal' Veder, known for his picture of a U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel reuniting with his family after five years in a prisoner of war camp in Vietnam, died on August 22. He was 99 years old.
Veder's family confirmed that the retired Associated Press photojournalist died in his sleep at his home in El Dorado County, California, just eight days before his 100th birthday.
Born on August 30, 1926, in Berkeley, California, Veder was 46 years old in March 1973 when he was sent to Travis Air Force Base for the arrival of Lt. Col. Robert L. Stirm and other war prisoners returning from Vietnam. While at the base, he spotted Stirm's four children running toward their father.
Veder recalled in a 2015 interview with The Guardian, "You could tell, even at a distance, what they were feeling. It was all over them, their faces, the way they all broke into a run. There was a surge of emotion from the crowd, too."
Using a makeshift darkroom set up in a women's bathroom on the base, Veder produced six images, including "Burst of Joy," which won the 1974 Pulitzer Prize in feature photography. The photograph depicts Stirm with his back to the camera, highlighting the joy and excitement on the faces of his children.
The photo became a symbol of the end of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. However, for Stirm, it also represented heartbreak, as he received a "Dear John" letter from his wife, Loretta, upon his release, leading to their divorce a year later. Stirm passed away in 2025.
Veder worked as a sports writer and news editor at various publications before joining The Associated Press in 1961 as a staff photographer in Sacramento. He later transferred to the San Francisco office, where he captured the prize-winning photograph.
Friends and colleagues remembered Veder as a warm and humble individual who enjoyed ice skating and sailing. He was known for mentoring younger photographers and taking time to engage with those around him.
Brad Mangin, a freelance sports photographer, said, "He was the first Pulitzer Prize winner I ever met, like holy smokes. He was just the sweetest man."
Eric Risberg, a retired AP photographer, noted Veder's emphasis on the connection between pictures and words, encouraging deeper storytelling.
Throughout his career, Veder covered significant events, including the late Ronald Reagan's governorship, university protests against the Vietnam War, the Patty Hearst bank robbery trial, and the assassinations of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk in 1978.
Har, a former AP journalist, contributed reporting previously for this story. AP staffer Randy Herschaft also contributed to this report.