Warriors’ Watch (and A Hero’s Welcome) welcomes always leave me thankful and humbled. It’s why I enjoy doing the midnight missions in bitter cold, or in the rain, or in the dead of summer heat – the conditions that these men and women have to endure in support of my freedom makes complaining about cold, wet, or heat imbecilic.
But today I’m humbled even further. One of my images from our welcome of Corporal Dean Oldt on July 13, 2008 was selected as one of only 16 images for inclusion in a permanent art exhibit at a National Cemetery.
I can’t thank Dean and Dennis Oldt enough, first for letting the Warriors’ Watch be part of their welcome, and now for allowing the image below to be included in this exhibit.
The image will be one of 18 selected nationally for the exhibit. Each image will be etched onto glass plates for a permanent installation at the Sarasota National Cemetery.
The artist for the installation is Larry Kirkland, who comes from a military family and has done at least one other work for our veterans before. The work is funded by the Patterson Foundation.
I’ve included the highlights from the rest of the welcome below. I’ll say it again: Welcome home Corporal Oldt, and thank you for your service.
what beautiful photos, they brought tears to my eyes, as my son is in the Air Force, the sacrifice these men and women do for the US. what a precious moment for his family to have him back in thier arms. You captured a unforgetttable moment for this family! well done!! and GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS!!!
Thank you Stephanie for the compliments! And thank you and your son for his service and sacrifice.
I immediately started crying!! We have a son David II who is an active duty Army soldier and will soon be deployed to Afghanistan. I felt the relief lifting from the parents & family members just by looking at their faces. We recently drove by the Sarasota National Cemetary and didn’t realize it until the ride back home to North Port, FL what it was…But it made us tear up. Safe returns to ALL and Thank you for your service!!
Thank you Jodie!
Dennis and Dean our my neighbors and Dean went to school with my daughter. I watched the escort come thru my neighborhood and this is why I joined the WWR a year ago. Completed approx. 8 missions so far, what a tremendous group of folks. Sean, I recently met you and thanks for the pictures.