In his own words, James Thresher is "terrified of heights." But since joining The Post in 1972, it hasn't stopped him from climbing to the top of the Grand Teton Mountains, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, the U.S. Capitol and the Old Post Office Building for the sake of a great photo. Thresher's daredevil passion for news photography and hard work didn't go unnoticed. After five years as a news aide and darkroom technician, the intrepid Thresher was invited to join the photo staff by Matt Lewis, then assistant managing editor. Since then he's been twice named Photographer of the Year by the White House News Photographers. Prior to joining The Post, Thresher served in Vietnam and logged 1,400 combat hours as crew chief and door gunner on a Huey helicopter. He has two children, Hannah and Sam.