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Fallen Army Journalist Honored at Newseum
(May 20, 2011) |
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The photograph and short biography of Army Staff Sgt. James Hunter is on display near the Journalists Memorial at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. Hunter was among 77 fallen journalists honored at the 2011 rededication of the memorial, May 16, 2011. |
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WASHINGTON, May 16, 2011 – Army Staff Sgt. James
Hunter is remembered for lots of things. His fellow
soldiers will tell you he was a hard worker,
selfless and dedicated to his soldiers and their
mission. His family will tell you that he loved
Kentucky basketball and, above all else, he loved
his country.
Today, Hunter was honored for
his work as a journalist. He was an Army public
affairs noncommissioned officer who was killed by a
roadside bomb in June during a foot patrol in
Afghanistan. His rifle was slung across his chest,
but clutched in his right hand was his camera.
“He was an outstanding NCO and leader,” Army Lt.
Col. Larry Porter, public affairs officer for the
101st Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team,
said. Porter was Hunter's boss at the time of his
death. “He was very dedicated to telling the
soldiers' story.”
He and 76 other fallen
journalists were memorialized at the Newseum here
today in the 2011 rededication ceremony of the
Journalist's Memorial. The memorial honors 2,084
reporters, photographers, editors and broadcasters
who died covering the news between 1837 and 2010.
Their names are |
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inscribed on the glass panels of the memorial,
adjacent to a wall filled with photographs of their
faces, some with a short biography. Of those
reporters honored today, 59 died in 2010. |
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Krishna Bharat, founder of Google News, delivered the
ceremony's keynote address, praising the character and drive
of journalists for the risks they take to inform the
otherwise uninformed public.
“In most cases,
[journalists] made the conscious choice ... to walk a path
that was not paved with gold, but danger, to serve a higher
human cost,” Bharat said. “As we look back on the lives lost
in the service of journalism, it's worth remembering that
while we cannot predict how and when we die, we can
certainly choose how we live.
“The journalists we
remember and honor today chose lives full of meaning and
purpose,” he added. “They chose to bring news that mattered
to people who care to make the world a better place.”
The fact that Hunter was part of the ceremony is a
humbling honor, said Army Lt. Col. J. Frank Garcia, an Army
public affairs officer who worked closely with Hunter at
Fort Campbell, Ky.
“It really is great to see the
Newseum honor a soldier journalist,” Garcia said. “[Hunter]
was someone who volunteered not only to be a soldier, but to
put himself in danger repeatedly just to tell the soldiers'
story [and] to ensure the story of what [soldiers] do all
over the world is being told.”
Hunter grew up in
South Amherst, Ohio, and enlisted in the Army in September
2003. He served in the 82nd Airborne Division's 49th Public
Affairs Detachment on Fort Bragg, N.C., and deployed with
the unit to Iraq in 2006. Following his tour at Fort Bragg,
Hunter reported to the 101st Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade
Combat Team on Fort Campbell, Ky. He deployed to Iraq a
second time in 2008. He was only two months into his
Afghanistan deployment when he was killed. He was 25.
“I'll always remember [Hunter] as the guy who always
volunteered for the tough assignments,” Garcia said. “He was
the kind of guy who wanted to be up front with the troops,
living with them and experiencing their experiences and
making sure the world knew their stories.” |
Article and photo by Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
Copyright 2011 | |
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