Veteran’s Day 2008

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On this national holiday celebrating veterans, I hope this: Never again should the US soldier and their family be the only ones who know what war means.

There is a project started by an extraordinary portrait artist, Kaziah Hancock, called “Project Compassion” and it has focused on doing oil paintings of the soldiers who have died for their bereaved families.

I saw a TV program about these portraits yesterday and some of the volunteer artists who have worked from photos and video sent to them from the families.  The program also showed these families receiving the portrait from the Fed Ex man, sometimes with their whole family waiting with them.

The expressions on these faces as they saw their lost son or daughter, husband, sister or brother, grandchild come to life again showed the power of art and love.  It stopped time for a moment in my living room, too.

Here was an artist who said “I have to DO something” for these people.  She didn’t wait for someone to tell her what to do.  This morning, I am asking myself the same question.

Any ideas?

©Pat Coakley 2008

PHOTOGRAPHS CANNOT BE USED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION

6 Replies to “Veteran’s Day 2008”

  1. I’d seen this woman and her painting as it followed it’s path to the parents home. It might have been a 20/20 or Dateline or another human interest news show.
    I cried.

    Looks like she’s growing her perspective to a serious organization.
    Don’t we have things to feel proud of.

  2. maybe start with ‘the boston banner project’ (just thought that up) where images of choice perhaps archetypal or directly focused (on pictures of our fallen soldiers perhaps) or something like what the sacrifice means, perhaps a smile a handclasp a plate of food a bowed head a prayer a thanksgiving table, printed colorfastlightfast on fabric and hung like flags all over with the words “peace” and “gratitude” or something like that…i need to think some more…..feel some more, that has come through here clearly and uncluttered
    maybe a web page where artists can contribute their take on gratitude and sacrifice

  3. “Never again should the US soldier and their family be the only ones who know what war means.”

    Trust me on this, US soldiers and their families aren’t the only ones who know what war is. Unfortunately there are millions of people all around the world who are only too familiar with it.

  4. Bonnie, yes, I agree…the participating artists appear to have done something without polemics.

    Tipota, Interesting…Yes, think some more..I knew you would have ideas!

    Razz, I can see how you read it this way as I should have been clearer. I meant within the US, particularly with this Iraq and Afghanistan war. It has appeared from the very beginning with no pictures allowed when the caskets of these young men and women come home, with no attempt by Bush whatsoever to involve the citizenship in any sacrifice or work to help, you may remember he told us “to go shopping”…It appears to me that unless you are a military family in the US, as a US citizen this war has been an abstract in our life. That’s what I meant. War by TV is what this whole period of time has been for the majority of Americans. In Vietnam, we had the draft and those serving came from a much wider pool of American families.

  5. Last night, my son came home with an assignment from his teacher – to do some research and find out why November 11 is a special day. So my wife asks him what holiday it is and he says, Veteran’s Day. So she asks him what a veteran is. And he says, “Duh. It’s the person who takes care of animals.”

    Ouch.

    We have no immediate or past (living anyway) members of our family who have served during wartime, so we weren’t surprised. But we did have a very fruitful discussion, and he’s good to go now.

    Wouldn’t it be nice to live in a world where more people didn’t have to know what a veteran is? However, I’m so proud of all those who serve, and I’m sure they are proud to have served.

  6. Your son is not alone, Tysdaddy, that I know for sure! Also, when you don’t have someone in the family who has a military history, it is just so much more removed from children. I see from your blog that he is no longer unaware of the true meaning!

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