David DeJonge was raised
in a small farming town, Hudsonville, Michigan where he graduated from
Hudsonville Public High School in 1987. He has purposefully steered his life
from hayfields to ringside seats of history while photographing individuals who
have literally changed the face of global history and culture. In his
photographs he explores the depths of color and composition to create a
profound style that is completely his own. His unique work compels the
viewer to return again and again to the image, always discovering something new
and meaningful.
Who’s Who in the DeJonge
Portfolio…
DeJonge has created
portraits of such influential people as Dr. Henry Kissinger, Newt Gingrich,
Amway co-founder Richard DeVos, John Bissell, Former Ambassador to Italy Peter
F. Secchia, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, F.W. deKlerk (Nobel Peace
Prize recipient and former President of South Africa), Madeleine Albright,
Jesse Jackson, Edsel B. Ford II, JC Watts, Rich Little, Richard Thomas (John
boy from The Walton’s) Presidential candidate and Senator John McCain,
Presidential Historian Richard Norton Smith, FOX news correspondent Chris
Wallace, and Norma McCorvey more readily known as Jane Roe of Roe v. Wade. An
additional career milestone was creating the last portrait of United States
President Gerald R. Ford before his death.
Additionally, his work
has been featured on: ABC, BBC, VOA, Stars and Stripes, The Los Angeles Times,
NBC, CBS, CNN, NPR, AP, UPI, Reuters and shown on “This Week” with George
Stephanopoulos. His hypnotic images deeply reflect art, religion, society and
the human psyche. This powerful combination compels the spectator to look more
deeply within than at the impression they are observing.
Subjects discuss David
DeJonge’s photography:
Secretary of Defense
Robert Gates: “I want to compliment photographer David DeJonge on his
artistry and thank him for his dedication in bringing the project to fruition.”
Edsel B. Ford II: “David
DeJonge is the greatest photographer on the planet.”
Newt Gingrich: “Anyone
looking for traditionalism in their photographs but still desires a
distinctiveness that will separate them from the rest will find David DeJonge
the perfect man for the job.”
President Gerald R.
Ford: “I deeply appreciate your super portrait. Both Betty and I love it.
Congratulations on your fine work.”
Photojournalist…
DeJonge has been a
photojournalist for nearly 25 years working for the Grand Rapids Press,
Associated Press and as a contributor to Parade Magazine, Weekly Reader,
Encyclopedia Britannica and many other magazines and newspapers. In his role as
a journalist he has written stories for Military Heritage magazine, the
Pentagon, the Army and is in the process of writing several books on
iconography, World War One and marketing. He has received dozens of awards for
photojournalism on state, national and international levels. His documentaries
have taken him from the Arctic Circle to England and all across North America.
Through such diverse
interactions DeJonge has developed excellent communication skills and the
ability to work with subjects and people at every level from Presidents of the
world to the homeless on the street.
DeJonge is featured
frequently on news interviews and speaks across the United States. DeJonge has
spoke in the Pentagon, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, The
National World War One Museum, Schools, Colleges and addressed a variety of
organizations.
Veterans Service…
While DeJonge himself
has not served in the military, his volunteer hours for veterans’ projects
number into the tens of thousands. His first documentary, “Faces of Five Wars,”
documented 27 first-hand combat accounts from every war of the twentieth
century. The exhibit of still photos from the documentary is the only exhibit
to have been featured in the rotunda of the Michigan State Capitol. DeJonge and
his family donated the entire project to the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans to
serve as permanent educational exhibit. To date it has educated over 250,000
people about the life of the American veteran. This project continues to grow
as DeJonge donates a portrait every year to the Veterans home after they select
their Veteran of the Year.
World War I Portraits of
the worlds last survivors…
DeJonge began the
project of photographing the only surviving World War I veterans with over 12
subjects, but sadly before he could complete the travel to take portraits of
all of them, 4 four died. DeJonge’s travels on this project have surpassed
150,000 miles criss-crossing the continental United States several times. In
the end DeJonge photographed 9 who served during World War I including William
Seegers the last first-hand witness who served for Germany during the War.
Seegers deserted and fled to the US as soon as humanly possible in 1919 working
as a pressman for the Philadelphia Inquirer. DeJonge also documented John
Babcock of Spokane, Washington, who served for Canada during WWI and the United
States Army during the 1930’s. In addition to donating thousands of hours to
the project, DeJonge, has provided free of charge to the Department of Veterans
Affairs the images and provided portraits to the families for display at the
subject’s funeral and as gifts.
DeJonge hopes to
continue to raise awareness with Mr. Buckles, the last surviving World War I
veteran, so that the WWI veterans will be permanently recognized and
memorialized in Washington DC. In the summer of 2008 DeJonge traveled to
England and documented their last three WWI vets including the last person to
have fought in the trenches and the world’s oldest man, 113-year-old Henry
Allingham. DeJonge was again featured on CNN for this project. DeJonge is the
only photographer and person in the United States to have documented and
interviewed these last survivors of WWI.
Advocate for National
World War I Memorial and Veterans…
DeJonge has been pivotal
in creating visionary projects that educate and result in positive change in
American culture. He has been proactive for three years in moving the entire
nation to remember and reflect on World War I including assisting in the
introduction of HR 482 and S. 2097 laws to create a National WWI Memorial on
the National Mall in Washington, DC. By using his documentary project on the
last survivors of World War I, DeJonge has methodically transformed this little
know cause into a highly discussed and reported issue. DeJonge’s project has
brought the need for a memorial in our nation’s capital to the radar screen and
has caused every network to cover this cause while educating millions in doing
so. Three months after a White House Oval Office visit and a high profile
unveiling of his World War I project in the Pentagon with the Joint Chiefs,
DeJonge co-founded the WWI Memorial Foundation with the past president of the
DC Preservation league (Edwin Fountain) and was on the path for one of the most
difficult fights to pursue in the nation’s capital—build a memorial. Through
working with schools in Texas, Connecticut and Illinois, DeJonge began a method
of having American students learn about history and fight for a memorial. In
Houston 3,000 people participated in the service learning educational exhibit
and middle school students raised nearly $20,000 for the Memorial. DeJonge’s
next goal is to replicate this success in 1000 school districts across the
United States and have over 2 million students participate. DeJonge is now
acting President of the World War I Memorial Foundation, Washington, DC.
DeJonge’s project on WWI
survivors received extensive coverage. His Pentagon unveiling was covered by
over 1000 media outlets and created tens of thousands of stories on the
internet. By creating strategic planning for Internet presence DeJonge’s Google
search hits went from 30,000 to over 500,000 in just two years. This
pre-planning method builds strong internet presence for causes that are created
and/or advanced by DeJonge. This exposure produces real-time marketing for
organizations that are trying to solidify a reputation for their causes.
Awards, accolades and
other fundraising projects…
DeJonge has received
somewhere around 100 awards for his work through photographers organizations
including a first place in the world for his documentation of the funeral of
Tuskegee Airman Col. Faite Mack titled ‘the final gift’ and a National first
place for his promotional campaign from the Professional Photographers of
America. He has spoken on photography and marketing all across the Midwest.
In May of 2006 DeJonge
was instrumental in documenting the diversity of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
or Lou Gehrig’s disease. DeJonge traveled with JJ Bouma who was diagnosed with
the disease across the United States using Route 66 as the basis for the
project. JJ’s Cruise 66 for ALS raised in excess of $300,000 for research. By
chronicling individuals and photographing them at landmarks along America’s
mother road, DeJonge was precise in demonstrating the diversity of the disease
as it affects the American population. This project was unveiled in Washington
DC at the annual ALS Association meeting in 2007.
He is founder and now
Chairman of Survivor Quest, a 501(c)3 non-profit whose mission is to document
survivors of world events and create compelling documentaries and educational
exhibits. Over 50,000 students and parents have participated in its educational
projects learning about American history from multiple states including Texas,
Connecticut, Ohio, Michigan and Illinois.
In 2010 DeJonge was
honored with the Edwin Hubble Medal of Initiative for his efforts to bring
honor to veterans from the Cherry Blossom Festival in Marshfield, Missouri.
Other honorees of this medal include Jonathan Sandys (Winston Churchill’s great
grandson), George and Barbara Bush, Lady Bird Johnson and Attorney John Truman
nephew of President Harry S. Truman.
Spokesman for World’s
Last Survivor from the Western Front of WWI…
DeJonge is also the
spokesman for the last World War I veteran, Frank Woodruff Buckles, who is the
last known survivor from the Western Front of WWI. Buckles was born in 1901,
sailed to WWI on the Carpathia and was also a POW in Los Banos, Philippines for
39 months during WWII. DeJonge has acted as his press agent and facilitated
press conferences in Washington, DC, West Virginia, Missouri and Arlington, and
interviews with news agencies including; ABC Nightly News, NBC Nightly News,
The Today Show, George Will, New York Times & interviews from South
America, Europe & the Asian region.
Personal...
DeJonge is a committed
patriot and has been married for 16 years and has four children. He continues
to work diligently as an inventor, writer & advocate for those in need
whether homeless, veterans or emotionally scarred by traumas in life.
