Marine from Kent honored for his work as combat correspondent, photographer

From boot camp to the battlefield, Reece Lodder shares a different perspective through the lens of his camera.

Shooting vivid, engaging photography brings out the best in the Marine Corps sergeant.

“I see it as a unique opportunity to capture moments, being in my position,” said Lodder, 26, of Kent, who has served the Marines for seven years, including a tour of war-torn Afghanistan as an award-winning combat correspondent. “To bring those moments back home is pretty special.”

Lodder’s images have caught the attention of his peers. He recently earned his third Marine Corps Heritage Foundation award, this time for his collection, “Boot Camp Prep,” which follows the intense training between drill instructors and Marine recruits.

The foundation annually awards Marines and civilians who have demonstrated outstanding portrayal of Marine Corps history, traditions and culture in a broad range of fields, including photography, documentaries, journalism, poetry, nonfiction and fiction writing.

A distinguished group of judges, including editors, photographers and Marine Corps personnel chose the winners. The award recipients were recognized during a ceremony April 23 at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, in Triangle, Va.

Lodder’s latest honor, the Sergeant Major Dan Daly Award, acknowledged the man for his still photography – in black and white or color – that captured Marine Corp life.

Having gone through the 13-week boot camp ordeal, Lodder produced a collection of emotional and striking photos, a balanced combination of wide- and close-angle images.

“That portion of the Marine experience is hard to describe unless you personally have gone through it,” Lodder said. “My goal was to bridge that gap between what you can see and what you can’t see … to tell what the moment is like.”

Which included demanding drill instructors shaping fresh recruits.

“It can be terrifying, it can be life altering in many ways for a young person who maybe hasn’t ventured outside home or outside their community,” Lodder said of boot camp.

Marine Corps life has been good to Lodder, who grew up in Everson, a small town in Whatcom County, Northwest Washington.

Wanting to serve his country and push his potential, Lodder enlisted.

As a combat correspondent with 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines Regiment out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Lodder was honored for his work during his deployment to Afghanistan, documenting the daily lives and missions of Marines.

Lodder earned the Sergeant Major Bradley Kasal Award in photography for his image, “Let Sleeping Dogs Lie.” Lodder captured Blue, an improvised explosive device detection dog, curled up between two Marines as the patrol rested in a dirty, abandoned, mud-walled compound.

He also received the General Oliver P. Smith Award in news reporting for his article, “Remembering Greeley,” which told the World War II story of 1st Lt. George Greeley Wells, the Marine who carried the U.S. flag to Iwo Jima.

Lodder, his wife and two children, live in Kent today. On active duty stationed in Seattle, Lodder is pursuing his degree in business administration and marketing from Western Washington University in Bellingham.

He wants to earn his master’s degree, open his own business and build a career as a writer, editor and photographer who is looking for new, creative ways to tell stories digitally and through social media outlets.

“I’ve always had a passion for telling stories through words and photos.”

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Lodder’s work and those of other award-winning recipients can be seen at marineheritage.com/awards.asp.