Santa Fe veteran LeRoy Sanchez recalls photographing Vietnam from a Navy Reserve role
The local photographer documented war zones and celebrity visits during his 1969-1970 deployment, an experience he says prepared him for a long career in the field.
By Madison Darwish ·
LeRoy Sanchez estimated that 56,000 U.S. military personnel died during the Vietnam War, a figure he frequently cites when discussing his service. He served in the Navy Reserve from 1969 to 1970, documenting the conflict as a photographer rather than an infantryman. His work took him to various locations across Vietnam, including the Da Nang Hospital and sites visited by entertainers like Bob Hope.
Sanchez, a native of Belen who graduated from Santa Fe High School in 1965, moved to Los Angeles to study photography. He enlisted in the Navy Reserve while still in school and married to Helen Sanchez. Upon learning of his studies, the military assigned him to the public affairs office of the Navy Reserve. His duties involved capturing images of reservist activities and daily life in the war zone. One of his most difficult assignments required him to photograph wounded soldiers being treated at Da Nang Hospital. Sanchez, who disliked the sight of blood, said he had to hold his breath to complete the shots in the operating room.
The veteran is currently honored in Santa Fe’s Heroes program, which displays banners of local military veterans on city streets from Memorial Day to Veterans Day. His banner is located on St. Francis Drive and features an image of him looking through a camera lens. Sanchez noted that during the 1970s, returning veterans often faced little recognition or support due to the war's unpopularity. He and other returning soldiers wore civilian clothes upon arrival in the United States to avoid potential confrontations with protesters at the airport.
Sanchez reflected on the socioeconomic factors that influenced who served, noting that his parents in Belen earned an average salary of about $8,000 at the time. He contrasted this with the financial status of political leaders, observing that a multi-millionaire president did not have to serve. He and his wife, who was born in the United Kingdom and was not yet a citizen, briefly considered fleeing to Canada to avoid the draft but decided against the move.
After returning to the United States just in time for his wife’s college graduation, Sanchez pursued a long career in photography. He graduated from Los Angeles Technical College and worked for decades at Los Alamos National Laboratory. He also spent a year and a half as a White House photographer during the Bill Clinton administration and two months photographing in Yosemite National Park with Ansel Adams. His work has been displayed in Santa Fe, including employee portraits at Tomasita’s.
Now retired, Sanchez continues to photograph as a hobby in his home near Zia Road. He stated that his memories of Vietnam help him cope with challenging times in his life. He described his philosophy as being able to handle any situation if he could get through the war.
The next major recognition for local veterans will occur during the upcoming Veterans Day observance, when the city’s Heroes program banners remain on display.
