Cpl. Oldt Welcome Image @ Sarasota National Cemetery

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.

Warriors' Watch Welcome for Corporal Dean Oldt
Dennis Oldt welcomes his son, Cpl. Dean Oldt, on July 13 2008.

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.