Apical

Apical (bonsai terminology)
The most vigorous growth produced by a tree generally at the furthest points of the tree from the root system such as the upper and outermost branches.

This is a story about a family friend who was on the beach of Iwo Jima with a 4x5 SpeedGraphic camera instead of a rifle.

In retirement, Bob helped to establish the Bonsai Garden for the Denver Botanical Gardens. When I knew him, nights were spent sleeping on a reclining chair in his living room – because navigating stairs was not an option – while his mind knew his life with great clarity.

* Some images depict war scenes and may be triggering *

"When we were landing on the beach there, the Japanese had set up canons in concrete pill-boxes in the side of the volcano that were firing down on us the whole time. So not only did we have man on the ground to worry about but also these huge canons shooting at us from above."

"People always wondered why we took such this little island here, why a small island—eight square miles—was so important."

"Looking down at the beach from the volcano within the first week there."

"It was my duty as photo officer to document the things that happened on the island."

"In taking the island, we killed 21,000 of the 22,000 soldiers."

"I printed this from film I found on a Japanese soldier."

"This, of course, was all after the war."

Apical

Meriwether's Fancy Drinking Tonic

Odin Brewing Co.