Sal Veder, Pulitzer Prize-winning AP photographer who shot iconic ‘Burst of Joy,’ dies at age 99
Summary
Sal Veder, a photographer for the Associated Press, died at age 99. He is best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning photo "Burst of Joy," which shows a U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel joyfully reuniting with his children after being a prisoner of war in Vietnam.Key Facts
- Sal Veder was born in 1926 in Berkeley, California.
- He worked as a staff photographer for the Associated Press starting in 1961.
- In 1973, he captured the famous photo of Lt. Col. Robert L. Stirm reuniting with his family at Travis Air Force Base.
- The photo "Burst of Joy" won the 1974 Pulitzer Prize for feature photography.
- Veder died in his sleep at his home in El Dorado County, California, on August 22, 2025.
- The photo became a symbol of the end of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.
- Sal Veder was known as a humble person who mentored younger photographers.
- Lt. Col. Stirm, pictured in the photo, later divorced his wife and died in 2025.
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