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Images That Stop You in Your Tracks

Every once in a while you come across an image that causes you to stop and take note. This just happened to me reading today’s New York Times.  The photo is by Todd Heisler, shot when he worked for the Rocky Mountain News (he’s now a NYT staffer):

Todd Heisler/Rocky Mountain News
Todd Heisler/Rocky Mountain News

I don’t know how much impact it will have here in a blog format.  In today’s paper it ran one half page, above the fold.  The photo shows passengers aboard a commercial jet at Reno-Tahoe International Airport, attempting to see what’s going on as a Marine honor guard removes the coffin of Lt. James J. Cathey from the plane.  I suspect that you’ll see different things in this image dependent upon your political leanings but I think there’s no denying the image’s power.

The photo accompanies a review of Jim Sheeler’s book, “Final Salute, A Story of Unfinished Lives,” by Janet Maslin.

The New York Times has a slide show of Heisler’s photos which illustrate “Final Salute.”

NPR’s Terry Gross also has a Fresh Air interview with Jim Sheeler and Marine Colonel Beck whose work in the Marine honor guard is featured in the book.