From Homer's legends of the Trojan Wars to the tales of modern day conflicts, the stories of men and women who have served their nations' military have been always been an important part of the oral tradition. For many who have participated, no experiences in their whole lives have been more dramatic or life-changing than going away to war. Sharing stories of those experiences—with their comrades, their co-workers, or their grandchildren—has been natural, even necessary. Their narratives reveal fear and joy, boredom and awe, anger and love. They also reveal the intimate, personal sides to history, of wars declared over global or regional issues of land, or oil or human rights, but fought by ordinary men and women, in the field and back home.

WAR STORIES is an exhibition of "stories" about the experiences of two North Country men who served America in different ways during two major world conflicts of the 20th century:

Red Grandy of Hermon, was a photojournalist in Europe from 1951 to 1986, throughout the Cold War. The subjects of his photographs range from visiting world leaders and global politics to enlisted personnel at work and play and encounters with local residents.

At age 17, Michael Cousino of Gouverneur joined the United States Marines and served in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969 as part of a CAG unit, or counter-insurgency force. Several years later, he began to "tell stories" of his experiences by creating three-dimensional, small-scale dioramas of scenes from his memories of combat and off-duty life for the ground soldier or "grunt." He has created over 300 to date.

This exhibition is made possible with support of public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency, and from TAUNY membership contributions. TAUNY is grateful to Red Grandy and Michael Cousino for the loan of their works of art and to Mahlon Clements and the Clements Agricultural Research Institute for additional loans of Grandy photographs.