a final salute

please do yourself a favor and read jim sheeler's veteran's day project for the rocky mountain news. it's titled "a final salute."

for the last year, jim and a photographer have been following a marine, whose job includes knocking on the doors of the families of service people who died in iraq.

the narrative shows the featured marine and other officers bearing bad tidings to widows and parents, bringing the fallen marine home for the funeral and staying with the fam through the agony of it all.

and it's done in typical jim-sheeler fashion with remarkable sensitivity, keen observations and fabulous writing that makes veteran reporters wish they could be as good as jim sheeler when they grow up.

you can access the in-depth story, including photos, at:
http://www.rockymountainnews.com.


find the icon for "a final salute," which is a photo showing a marine's white glove, and click.

you can get the text through nexis too, but, as of friday, the last page wasn't all there.

don't forget to have an amply supply of tissues or hankies handy.