Taps

It's rare that any media outlets give journalists a full year to work on a story. Congratulations to the Rocky Mountain News for allowing reporter Jim Sheeler and photographer Todd Heisler to spend a year with the Marines stationed at Colorado's Buckley Air Force Base who must notify families of the deaths of their loved ones in Iraq. The resulting story, "Final Salute," is stunning. By following Maj. Steve Beck as he helps grieving families, Sheeler and Heisler create a portrait of courage, sensitivity, patriotism and friendship.
Note: John Temple, the Rocky Mountain News' editor, publisher and president tells me that Sheeler and Heisler worked on other stories during the year they worked on "Final Salute." But it is still impressive that Temple and the other editors made such a long-term commitment to this worthy story.
http://denver.rockymountainnews.com/news/finalSalute/