The Most Difficult Job & Its Delivery

   National Public Radio excels at radio stories that give texture and context to serious stories. One of the most difficult jobs is detailed in the story of Marine Maj. Steve Beck, the bereavement officer who delivers the news of a soldier's death to family and survivors. The story was first shared with Rocky Mountain News reporter Jim Sheeler and photojournalist Todd Heisler. Beck is a man whose own military training and family history prepared him--as well as anyone can prepare for the tragedy of death and its burden--to serve his country and the soldiers. This story was told again On "Fresh Air" from WHYY today, April 30, at NPR. It's at: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90065224 An excerpt from Sheeler's new book, "Final Salute, A Story of Unfinished Lives" is available at the NPR site.

   The photojournalist Todd Heisler, brought several of his images from "The Final Salute" series to Peninsula College last year. Todd was exemplary in fulfilling a request made before he won the Pulitzer Prize,  a prize shared with Sheeler, to visit Peninsula College and share his images. Subsequently Todd left Denver for The New York Times. Editor John Temple, of the Rocky, helped coordinate and collaborate the move for the Chicago photojournalist. In preparing for Todd's visit, I shared news with my brother, a former Pentagon officer, who happened to meet Maj. Beck. He then arranged a phone interview with Col. Beck with my Newswriting Class at Peninsula College. Col. Beck gave us some of the history behind the newspaper's "The Final Salute" package and how important it was for journalists to handle the story with exact context and the utmost care. For example, as we were exchanging questions over the speakerphone in The Buccaneer newsroom, Maj. Beck asked me what's the difference between use of the word casket versus coffin? Digging deep, Maj. Beck was, in effect, asking what did the connotative meaning of casket strike the reader, hold the reader, evoke in the reader's mind versus the word coffin? After sharing a few of those differences, Beck seemed satisfied. It was as if we'd passed a test. Failing might mean an abbreviated interview, a courteous finish and departure. Instead, we heard directly about the careful, incremental collaboration that was struck between Beck and Sheeler as they struggled to weigh and meet their respective duties and responsibilities.

   Heisler had another series of ground rules and agreement. As a photographer, he had to be present for certain moments. He had to bear witness to times that were both private and public. Given he was documenting the bereavement officer, survivors and family members at some of the most vulnerable, raw moments of their lives, he would step back and lower his camera at the slightest signal from a widow's suggestion. Sheeler and Heisler shared the story of their work on "Final Salute" at the American Society of Newspaper Editors ASNE conference in Seattle. They both received ASNE awards for the work and offered they're perspective on how the work, the people and their editors changed their lives. One of the most telling lines Sheeler shared had to do Editor Temple's directive to the newspaper staff handling the story. He reminded the reporters and editors how the white-gloved Marines carefully handled the American flag as it was folded and presented to family members at a funeral or memorial ceremony. Temple told his staff that they must treat the words and images of "The Final Salute" with the exact same care and precision as the Marines did when touching and folding the flag.