▁em igr ated ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁of ▁America . ▁He ▁spent ▁his ▁child hood ▁in ▁Be aver , ▁a ▁small ▁town ▁in ▁Western ▁Pennsylvania . ▁He ▁is ▁a ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁gradu ate ▁of ▁the ▁liberal ▁arts ▁college ▁of ▁Col gate ▁University , ▁located ▁in ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Hamilton ▁in ▁Mad ison ▁County , ▁New ▁York , ▁ear ning ▁a ▁B A ▁in ▁English ▁and ▁then ▁an ▁MA ▁in ▁Communic ations ▁Phot ography ▁from ▁Sy rac use ▁University . ▁ ▁Career ▁Prior ▁to ▁working ▁for ▁National ▁Geographic , ▁V es il ind ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁lieutenant ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Naval ▁Reserve , ▁station ed ▁at ▁the ▁Naval ▁Communic ations ▁Station , ▁Hawai i . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁rep orter ▁and ▁editor ▁for ▁the ▁Atlanta ▁Journal , ▁the ▁Sy rac use ▁Her ald ▁Trib une , ▁and ▁the ▁Prov idence ▁Journal . ▁V es il ind ' s ▁career ▁at ▁National ▁Geographic ▁sp anned ▁more ▁than ▁thirty ▁years ▁and ▁he ▁rose ▁to ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁the ▁magazine ' s ▁Ex ped ition ' s ▁Editor ▁and ▁Senior ▁W riter . ▁ ▁V es il ind ▁currently ▁works ▁as ▁a ▁fre el ance ▁editor , ▁writer , ▁and ▁photograph er ▁and ▁lives ▁with ▁his ▁wife , ▁R ima , ▁in ▁Man ass as , ▁Virginia , ▁USA . ▁ ▁Awards ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁Form er ▁Est onian ▁President ▁L enn art ▁Mer i ▁presented ▁V es il ind ▁with ▁the ▁Order ▁of ▁the ▁White ▁Star , ▁Third