Walter Victor, a real trooper on and off the field
The official team photographer for the Braves for 38 years is a war hero as well BY BILL SHANKS  | | John Schuerholz posos with Walter Victor, a team photographer since 1966, at the official "Walter Victor Camera Well" at Turner Field. (Photo by Walter Victor.) |
The next time you’re at Turner Field, take a look on the field before the game. You’ll find 87-year-old Walter Victor, the official team photographer for the 38 years the Braves have been in Atlanta. You’ll not just see a photographer, but a war hero as well. “I was in the 9th Infantry Division in World War II,” Victor says. “I spent 33 months in combat. I made the landing in Africa, made the landing in Sicily, and Normandy on D-Day. I’ve got eight combat stars, a silver star and two bronze stars.” After the war, the Pennsylvania native moved south because, he says, “my wife loved Atlanta since she watched ‘Gone With the Wind.’” When the Braves hit town 20 years later, Victor found a job that combined his two loves: baseball and photography. “They’re the best people there are,” he says. Over the years, Victor has shot thousands of pictures for the team. He calls Phil Niekro and Dale Murphy his favorite Braves, and the picture of Mark Lemke and Jeff Blauser near the press box fire of 1993 his favorite photo. It’s one of 12 pictures he has in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. Victor, who was honored when the Braves photographer’s booth was named after him a few years ago, has slowed down a bit over the years. But the Dawsonville resident says he’s not quitting just yet. “I’ll work as long as I can,” he says. “I love all the winning.” Bill Shanks is the author of the new book on the Braves scouting and player development philosophies, “Scout’s Honor: The Bravest Way To Build A Winning Team.” He hosted and produced a weekly television show on the Braves minor league farm system called “The Braves Show.” The Waycross native has also been a TV Sports Director in Brunswick and Macon. Shanks can be reached at thebravesshow@email.com.
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