If you’re around Kenmore Square this holiday week (we can say holiday now, yes?), get yourself over to the Panopticon Gallery in the Hotel Commonwealth and check out Grunts: The GI Experience.

Grunts is military vernacular for United States Army or Marine foot soldiers, the mass of devoted men and women who make up the bulk of the armed services. Commemorating the 70th anniversary of the bombing at Pearl Harbor, Panopticon Gallery presents Grunts: The G.I. Experience curated by Jim Fitts.

Fitts met a number of grunts while living in Hawaii in the early 90’s, which piqued his interest in the subject. A boxing fan, he regularly attended matches at the Scofield Barracks at Fort Shafter where he befriended several Marines. It was then that he realized his impression of what their lives were like was rather different from reality.

“Over the years, I have rarely seen what I would consider an unfiltered, real life photographic portrayal of military personnel ”…scenes of everyday life, says Fitts. “This exhibition will come as close to the reality of the grunt experience as I have ever seen.”

And a memorable one, as the always-sharp Mark Feeney details in his Boston Globe review.

Consider it your patriotic duty to go see it.