[philled]

Thank you for posting this. I already give to several groups that support our troops. I gave all my frequent flier miles to Operation Hero a couple years ago but now most of the ones that I give to are directed to the troops, themselves, and not the families.

However, I am now reminded of the needs of their families. Unfortunately, the son of a family friend was killed by small arms fire in Baghdad on Friday. He was a remarkable man- a 29 year old Ivy League grad who decided that Spec Ops was his calling. My wife, only five years his senior, babysat him growing up and was just recalling his intelligence, ingenuity, determination, and independence.

These portraits are wonderful and would be a treasured gift to the families of our fallen warriors. I am very impressed with the labor of love these artists have undertaken and hope that many can find a way to support them. I am.

[joanie-f]

I am so sorry to hear about your friend's son. That is among the most difficult aspects of any war to accept -- the loss of the best among us. I hope you might be able to direct his family to Kaziah's website so that she can eventually do a portrait for them. It is very easy to request one.

And thank you for all that you are doing directly for our troops. God bless you!

~ joanie