Kenneth Landis Hackman

April 20, 1938 - December 4, 2025 Kenneth Landis Hackman, known by many as the "Godfather" of military photojournalism, passed away peacefully at his home on December 4, 2025 at the age of 87. Ken was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather. He was married to Vida Ratzliff, an accomplished artist and printmaker, until her passing in 1999, and again found love and was married to Manola Ensign until her passing in 2021. He is survived by his son Jonathan David Hackman and his wife Vickiy Hackman, granddaughter Summer and her husband, Bobby, and his great granddaughter Juniper. He was blessed with an extensive surviving family and stepfamily, including his sisters, Ruth Graver and Irma Herr, brother Richard Hackman, many nieces and nephews and stepchildren Monica and Fred Ensign. He is also survived by a large tribe of amazing photographers he considered family.

Born in 1938, Ken discovered his passion for photography early. Following graduation in 1955 from Penn Manor high school in Lancaster Pennsylvania, he enlisted in the US Air Force to become a still photographer and photograph the world. Starting in Korea with the Bob Hope USO show, he was part of countless assignments that took him across the globe and after leaving service he became a civilian photographer for the Air Force building a lifelong career. Among his achievements he helped advance Combat Camera and was the Director of Photojournalism at the Aerospace Audiovisual Service, AAVS, at Norton AFB. He was also involved in the the camera program at Lookout Mountain and started the US Air Force photojournalism program at Syracuse university in 1971. Ken was an official photographer for Air Force One and photographed many important historical events, including the final atomic bomb testing in the Pacific, the Vietnam War, the Olympic Games and Bob Hope at the coming down of the Berlin Wall. In 2025 he was inducted into the Defense information School Hall of Fame and was awarded many times for his service including the Dept of Defense Exceptional Public Service award and the National Press Photographers Association Sprague award.

More importantly to Ken and the number of photographers that he got to work with and help train, he never stopped passing on knowledge and jumping on a plane when needed.

As a young man he started his lifelong love with Japan and we will remember him for his football rituals, New Years day seafood curry, his duck collection and his insatiable love of travel. He was a steadfast mentor, teacher, coach and judge of photography and life and inspired countless with his insight and compassion.

My father and friend will be deeply missed by all


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