"The Final Salute"

Lindsey Foat

It’s clear to me why Pictures of the Year International awarded RockyMountainNews.com’s multimedia piece “The Final Salute” first place. Living in Colorado Springs, CO, I’m used to getting a lot of coverage of military casualties, because of the numerous military facilities and bases located there. Following Maj. Steve Beck, whose job it is to notify families when their Marine dies, gave Jim Sheeler and Todd Heisler a very powerful window into the lives of grieving military families.

Of the various segments, Heisler’s photographs of the widow of 2nd Lt. James Cathey were unbelievably effective at showing the torturous nature of grief. Pictures of the pregnant Mrs. Cathey draped over her husbands coffin at the airport and sleeping next to the coffin on an air mattress, which Marines prepared for her more, more effectively illustrate the loss and cost of war than the commonly captured pictures of a the funeral. While Heisler’s work shows his sensitivity towards his subject, the emotions portrayed remain palpable. A photo is successful when for moment you’re entranced by some element of the picture. Watching “The Final Salute” I experienced many such moments.