"Saying goodbye to Sgt. David Stelmat"
New Hampshire National Guard Magazine features a dramatic cover photo in its summer edition to honor Sgt. David Stelmat, the Littleton man who was killed by a roadside bomb in 
Iraq on March 22. The cover, shown here, shows soldiers carrying Stelmat's casket at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. Ken Williams of the Concord Monitor took the photo.
It's a move seemingly at odds with a Pentagon policy against the publishing of photos of U.S. military personnel slain in Iraq (related LA Times story June 23, 2008 here and Washington Post story here). But this magazine cover stands out and rises above. It is a fine tribute to a soldier and medic who simply wanted to help others.
Media covered the solemn event, keeping with the wishes of his family.
Maj. Greg Heilshorn, the state National Guard's public affairs officer, wrote an article to explain the use of the photo, including the decision to use it as a vertical image. He also conducted a Q&A with Williams and with one of the men carrying the casket. Heilshorn wrote in the magazine:
"Williams’ image of the honor guard carrying Stelmat’s casket on a cold, snowy morning, and a NHNG color guard standing at attention in the background is searing. He captured a sacred moment in our history and we are grateful for his permission to reprint the photo. We wanted to leverage as much of the cover space as we could, even if it meant that you would have to turn the magazine due east to view it. Stelmat is the N.H. Guard’s third combat loss in Operation Iraqi Freedom. We think this is a dignified way to honor his service and grieve his loss."
You can read the magazine in full at the NH National Guard Web site.
This great photograph, like the magazine itself, is a service to New Hampshire's citizen soldiers and airmen and to their many important missions. It's yet another reason New Hampshire National Guard Magazine is one of the state's great publications.
Comments