Eight-year-old Christian Golczynski receives the flag off his father’s coffin from Lt. Col. Ric Thompson during a graveside service at Wheeler Cemetery. Golczynski's father, Marine Staff Sgt. Marcus Andrew ‘Marc’ Golczynski, was killed by enemy fire while on patrol in Iraq on March 27, 2007.
Heather Golczynski comforts her son Christian, 8, at the funeral for his father, her husband Staff Sgt. Marcus Golczynski in Wheeler, Tenn.,, Wednesday, April 4, 2007. Golczynski, who had been a Marine reservist for 12 years, was shot March 27 by enemy fire while on patrol in Anbar province, where he was stationed on his second tour of duty in Iraq. He was assigned to the Marine Forces Reserve's Third Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, Fourth Marine Division, in Nashville.
Christian Golczynski, 8, receives the flag that covered the coffin of his father, U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Marcus Golczynski, from Lt. Col. Ric Thompson during a graveside service in Wheeler, Tenn., Wednesday, April 4, 2007. Golczynski, who had been a Marine reservist for 12 years, was shot March 27 by enemy fire while on patrol in Anbar province, where he was stationed on his second tour of duty in Iraq. He was assigned to the Marine Forces Reserve's Third Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, Fourth Marine Division, in Nashville.
Murfreesboro photographer describes approach to shooting photo of the year
Aaron Thompson, a photographer at The Daily News Journal at Murfreesboro, Tenn., received Photo of the Year honors from the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association for a photo of a young boy at his father’s funeral. The boy was receiving the flag that had covered his father’s coffin. http://www.gannett.com/go/newswatch/2007/nov/nw1101-2.htm
Going into this assignment, I was definitely a little nervous. I knew that I had to have emotional photos and that I wanted to get a strong photo of the flag presentation. From the moment that I received the assignment, my main concern was that I would be seen as intruding on the family’s privacy. The family had been completely open to us in the days leading up to the service, but I was still a little uncomfortable. After I left the church and arrived at the gravesite, I started getting a little concerned about my access. I called my Photo Editor, Jim Davis, and he told me to just stay there and shoot what I could. As the service began, I noticed Christian showing lots of emotion, so I started really focusing on him. I was expecting the flag to be presented to Marcus’ wife, Heather, but then Christian stood up to receive it. http://www.gannett.com/go/newswatch/2007/nov/nw1101-2.htm
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