Devestated

Tim Hetherington, 41, Killed in Libya

I am absolutely devastated at the death of Tim Hetherington. Most people don't even know his name. I never met him personally but we emailed back and forth in October when he was donating an item to our silent auction. He was a sweet man who went to really dangerous places to graphically tell stories that nobody else would. The picture at right is part of his project on Tattoo's that he shot during his work on Restrepo in the Kongrel Valley which he donated to my organization.

His work on Restrepo  about Battle Company (of which I know 2 of the soldiers mentioned) was moving, ground breaking, awe-inspiring and amazing. I have seen the movie a number of times (and really need to remember to buy it) I love it so much that I have a poster of the movie hanging in my bedroom. I met Sebastian Junger the other filmmaker who worked on the project a couple of times through work and those two men. Well, they just inspire me.

I am often someone who wells up at something moving/adorable (read this and if you don't cry you have no soul) but I don't often audibly show my emotion. But when I read the CNN breaking news alert today about Tim I literally gasped so loud the woman across the hall from my office at work asked if I was okay. I am so devastated at the loss of him, his creative genus and his kind soul. 

I pray that there is a heaven and that the PFC Juan Restrepo was there to welcome him in. May his memory be a blessing.