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cheslah — Receiving The Flag
Published: 2012-06-01 01:07:26 +0000 UTC; Views: 4091; Favourites: 86; Downloads: 3
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Description
The parents of SPC Manuel J Vasquez, who was KIA in the Paktika Province in Afghanistan on April 24, 2012, recieve flags from the General at his burial at St. Mary's Cemetery in Sacramento, California on May 5, 2012.Photo by: Pv2 Chelsie Taylor, May 5 2012, Sacramento California
This photograph is not allowed to be reproduced or used by anyone without my written permission. If used, you must link back to this page and make sure I am properly credited. After all, this is my work, not yours.
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Comments: 95
Well, this image says it all... Excellent shot! Thank you so much for sharing!
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Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment! It's nice to know this image is still getting viewed once in a while.
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May God Guide you always. Capturing such strong and powerful moments demand a strong heart as well. Its not only capturing the emotions and the life of a moment in one picture but also an artist's growth through the lessons he observes in life's journey. You not only hold these moments on a lens/canvas but also deliver them, communicate to others, become a liaison and in this process feel the pain, the love, the break, the resolve- every emotion that your camera faces. This alone is a message of an artist. Keep it up, mate!
(via CRPhotography Comment Month)
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It's a solid photograph; funerals are never easy to shoot. I'd suggest not cropping on the joints and a warmer white balance - the skin tones show hints of blue and makes the living look dead.
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Thanks.
I saw what you were talking about with the blue tones, so I pulled it up in Photoshop and the skin wasn't blue at all. Nonetheless, I pulled some blue out and put it back up. I've been having some issues with DA where my photo doesn't look like it does after post, sometimes it's much darker here or the colors are dull.
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So heartbreaking 
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no parent should ever have to attend their child's funeral. this is so heart breaking.
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I agree wholeheartedly. Unfortunately for this family, this wasn't the first funeral they've had to attend for one of their children.
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that tears me apart, especially when i look at their faces in this photograph.
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The mother cried quietly throughout the whole ceremony, but the father kept it together up until this moment and shortly after the father started wailing, I had tears rolling down my face.
The mother is a strong woman, I met her a few times after the funeral. The first time I met her after the funeral was at family day with my old unit. My children were there, and she found me, picked up my youngest who was a year old, held him and cried.
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how could anyone not cry while witnessing that?
what a powerful story... i really hope for the best for those people.
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That was my worst fear when my father was sent over seas twice. My heart goes out to them and all who have died and the families of the fallen soldiers.
American Soldier- www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctVI5b…
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I still get teary eyed when I look at it for a while.
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This flag is presented on behalf of a grateful nation and the United States Army as a token of appreciation for your loved one’s honorable and faithful service.
I remember saying those words one too many times. Funeral Detail is THE hardest job in the military. Those who have never done it will surely say differently, and those not in the military will definitely say it is not. But you stand in front of a hysterically crying mother and say these words to her while handing the flag that was draped over her sons casket. Or hand the flag to a boy who is 3 years old, not truly knowing or understanding what's going on, and his mother is crying beside him, and he salutes you back when you stand up and give the flag it's final salute. Tell me that's not as hard or harder than being shot at, or sitting at a desk or thinking you know what it's like in the military when you never had the balls to join up in the first place.
Funeral Detail was the hardest job I ever did, and one I would gladly do again. I was incredibly honored to have been able to do such a job. The men and women who perform this duty have my utmost respect and gratitude. Great shot.
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I had Funeral Detail when I was with my unit in California. It really was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I remember the talks I got from the NCO's that were also working this funeral, which was my first;
"DO NOT cry."
"You are a soldier, make sure you keep your military bearings."
"Show no emotion whatsoever."
I managed to hold myself together until they began playing TAPS and lowering the soldier in to the ground. The father broke down and cried, and that's what put me over the edge.
The mother and I are friends now. She visited the unit a few months after the funeral and was looking for me. When she found me, she stayed with me the whole day. She burst in to tears when she held the Demonchild, who was barely over a year old.
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We were never told not to cry. We were told that we needed to keep our military bearings though. It's a funeral, you're giving the last military rights to your fallen or retired brothers. Of course you're going to be a little emotional. I would do it again if I could. Parts of it were fun, I mean we had one girl that went with us on a few, so we had to tone down the male ego's a bit. Plus I was always the D.D. since I was under 21, so I was constantly driving the big ass 15 pac vans. And boy did I learn how to drive those like a friggin Formula One race car....
But all fun aside, it was serious business. We may have joked around and had a good time, but when it came time to buck up and do the job, we were all locked up and squared away. We all knew how hard it was, and the guys that didn't do it thought it was a cake walk. They were always quickly corrected.
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My first car was an alero. 
I want to say I'm sorry that you've had to do Funeral Detail, but sorry isn't the right word. I wish that no one had to do it, but at the same time, it's a very powerful moment in time that you're glad you have under your belt. I loved and hated it all at the same time. I loved seeing the raw emotions of people and putting a soldier safely in his final resting place, but at the same time I hated that we even had to be there at all.
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I hated it in the beginning, mainly because I really didn't know what I was doing or the impact it had on people. All I saw was that I was being taken away from my family and told to go bury this guy over there. It wasn't until I had gone to a few that started to really see what it was really about.
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This one was shared. I will link both deviant page and Facebook page.
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I'll share the other ones related to that one, what unit are you with so I appropriately credit the photos?
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In this photo I belonged to 238 transportation detachment. I currently belong to 982nd combat camera company.
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Gocha. Here's the Facebook page.
www.facebook.com/pages/America...
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My pleasure, and I found you on Facebook again.
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Very powerful capture. Excellent perspective.
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Thank you so much. I'm glad you were able to feel it
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The viewing angle of this piece is great because it is almost the General's viewpoint.
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I can understand that but I have not lost anyone this time out.
There sweet may not be the right word but there is something special about the respect That the color pay their fallen fellow and the family of the fallen.
My father and grandfather both had military funerals.
I also a lot of close friends in Vietnam even though I was to young to go myself.
I have been an out spoken advocate for piece but I have also have been very out spoken advocate that our solders who walk in harms way to protect the family and country be treated with the greatest respect.
I once again thank you for your very honest art and for your service
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This is the most I've ever seen you speak.
Good luck in you quest for peace, I'm right there with you.
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This picture is beautiful, but it is sad that it had to be taken.
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At least he is not in any more pain.
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True. I just wish his mom wasn't anymore.
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*salutes* The fallen shall forever be remembered as the nation's finest!
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