EL DORADO COUNTY — Slava 'Sal' Veder, the Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer best known for capturing the emotional 'Burst of Joy' reunion of a Vietnam prisoner of war with his family, died on August 22, 2026. He was 99 years old. Veder died in his sleep at his home in El Dorado County, California, according to his family.

The photograph was taken at Travis Air Force Base in Solano County, California. Veder produced six images during the arrival of the prisoners of war at the base. He developed the 'Burst of Joy' images in a makeshift darkroom in a women's bathroom at Travis Air Force Base.

"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." Veder said in an interview.

Robert L. Stirm was a lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force. He spent five years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. Upon his release from captivity, Stirm received a divorce letter from his wife Loretta.

Robert L. Stirm and his wife Loretta divorced one year after his return from Vietnam. Stirm died in 2025.

Veder was born on August 30, 1926, in Berkeley, California. His parents, Ivan and Anka Veder, emigrated from Russia and changed their names to John and Ann. Before joining the wire service, Veder worked as a sports writer and news editor. He worked as a staff photographer starting in 1961.

Veder transferred San Francisco office after working in Sacramento. During his tenure, he photographed Ronald Reagan during his time as governor of California. He also photographed university campus protests against the Vietnam War and the bank robbery trial of Patty Hearst. In 1978, Veder photographed the assassinations of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk.

"He really, really emphasized the marriage between pictures and words. He encouraged me to dive deeper, and get more into what’s really the story?" retired AP photographer Eric Risberg said.

"He was a newsman at heart, it wasn’t just a career for him. It was really his passion," said Kathleen Daly, daughter of Sal Veder. She added that the organization provided a suitable environment for his work. "The AP really was the home for him because they could appreciate what he had to offer," she said.

Freelance sports photographer Brad Mangin recalled meeting Veder later in life. "He was the first Pulitzer Prize winner I ever met, like holy smokes," Mangin said. He described Veder as approachable and kind. "He was just the sweetest man," he said.

Veder retired from the Associated Press in 1993. He retired to the community of Camino in El Dorado County. Veder raised five children with his wife. He is survived by three children, eight grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.

Why It Matters

Veder's career spanned decades of social and political change in the United States, from the civil rights era through the Vietnam War and its aftermath. His Pulitzer Prize-winning work provided a visual record of the emotional toll of conflict on military families, while his other assignments captured pivotal moments in California politics and social unrest.

The death of Veder removes one of the last prominent photojournalists from the era of film photography who documented these events firsthand. His emphasis on the connection between images and narrative influenced colleagues and shaped the visual language of news reporting during a period when newspapers were the primary source of information for the public.

Timeline

On March 17, 1973, 'Burst of Joy' depicts U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Robert L. Stirm reuniting with his family at Travis Air Force Base.

Robert L. Stirm had been a prisoner of war in Vietnam for five years prior to his return in 1973. On that same day, Robert L. Stirm received a divorce letter from his wife Loretta upon his release from captivity. Veder developed the 'Burst of Joy' images in a makeshift darkroom in a women's bathroom at Travis Air Force Base. Veder produced six images during the arrival of the prisoners of war at Travis Air Force Base.

What's New

Additional reporting confirms that the photograph 'Burst of Joy' was taken at Travis Air Force Base in Solano County, California. Further details establish that Robert L. Stirm spent five years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam.