This is an actual photograph. Not a scan.
I took this at the Lake Worth Florida Street Painting Festival 2008. All the artists work with chalk.
Of all the street paintings I saw that day, nothing moved me inside more than this one.
When I got home, I looked up the name James John Regan. Here is what I learned.
James John Regan from Long Island, New York served his country in Iraq.
Regan was a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment, the premier light-infantry unit of the United States Army. Their mission is to plan and conduct special missions in support of U.S. policy and objectives. Regan was on such a mission when his vehicle was struck by an IED during combat operations in northern Iraq, on Feb. 9. Sgt. Regan, a fire team leader, was moving his unit to an objective when he was killed.
The woman crying over the grave was his fiance.
An actual photograph of this scene was published in National Geographic. The artist used that photo as his model for this chalk painting.
Real people. Real Americans. Real sacrifice!
1 response
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Mel Lane said (2 Oct 2009):
Thank you Jason, for providing the insight into this picture. I took my son "Jason" to the airport Thursday morning, as he is headed back to Iraq after a 10 day leave to see his new born son.
