Knight Ridder Photographer Captures Last Days of 12 Fallen Marines
August 16 2004 - 5:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Knight Ridder Photographer Captures Last Days of 12 Fallen Marines
Comprehensive Multimedia Package Features Eyewitness Accounts of
Two Weeks in Iraq With Echo Company and the Aftermath Back Home in
America WASHINGTON, Aug. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Knight Ridder
today announced the launch of an online multimedia experience
chronicling the final weeks of 12 U.S. Marines serving in Iraq and
the impact of their deaths on their families back home. Anchored by
veteran Philadelphia Inquirer photographer David Swanson, who was
embedded with Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, the Web
feature tells the Marines' stories through their own eyes and those
of the parents, wives, siblings and friends they left behind, using
photos, audio and video clips, letters and articles. The account is
also based on the Marines' classified After Action reports of the
conflict, which Knight Ridder obtained. It can be found at
http://www.krwashington.com/. "By creating this package, we are
able to help preserve not only the history of our country's
conflict in Iraq, but the memories of the young men who were lost,"
David Swanson said. "I was deeply saddened by their tragic deaths,
but I feel fortunate that I am able to give others a look into the
last two weeks of their lives." John Walcott, Knight Ridder
Washington Bureau Chief, said, "Through this incredible multimedia
feature, David Swanson and his colleagues from Knight Ridder
newspapers across the country provide an unprecedented perspective
on the war through the eyes of the soldiers and their families -- a
side of the story that until now has gone largely untold." Walcott
added, "At Knight Ridder, we had more reporters in Iraq during the
U.S.-led invasion than any other print news organization, and we
now maintain a full-time bureau there. We were able to offer
unmatched coverage before the war and as it unfolded and, as this
package shows, we continue to do so." Swanson was embedded with
Echo Company from April 1 through April 14, 2004, in Ramadi, Iraq,
on assignment for Knight Ridder. The members of Echo Company and
their loved ones welcomed the chance to have their stories told and
offered Swanson and other Knight Ridder reporters virtually
unlimited access to view, photograph and report on what happened in
Iraq and the effects in America. Visitors to the site can relive
some of the most chilling moments -- from witnessing the deaths of
members of the company, to looking into the frightened eyes of a
young Iraqi child as her father is taken prisoner, to listening to
a mother describe the knock on her door when two Marines came to
tell her that her boy was dead. Highlights of the Echo Company
website package include: ** Swanson's day-by-day account -- While
viewing videos featuring a series of dozens of photos, visitors can
hear Swanson describe what it was like to be embedded with the
Marines. Also available is a moving written account from the front
lines of the Marines' ambush in Ramadi, where the company lost 10
men. ** Audio clips -- As part of a page dedicated to each soldier,
the package includes a series of audio clips from loved ones,
including testimonials from wives describing their last phone
calls; mothers reflecting on the day they received the news of
their sons' deaths; and friends reminiscing about old times. **
Extensive photo galleries -- A collection of photographs of each of
the 12 fallen members is showcased on the Web site. The families
provided many of the photos; others came from Knight Ridder
newspapers and some were images captured by David Swanson in Iraq.
** Personal profiles -- Each of the 12 Marines has a detailed
profile, which includes Knight Ridder-reported articles and an
online guest book for visitors to sign. The articles provide a
window into the personal lives of the young men, complete with
heart-warming stories and reflections of family members. **
Question and Answer with David Swanson -- Visitors to the site can
post questions for David Swanson to answer. Echo Company is based
at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, Calif., and is due to return home
in next month. Since the conflict in Iraq began, Echo Company has
lost 22 of its 185 men -- more than any other Marine or Army
company -- and has had more than 40 wounded. Knight Ridder
reporters Lisa Fernandez of the San Jose Mercury News, Joseph L.
Galloway of the Knight Ridder Washington Bureau, Thomas Ginsberg of
The Philadelphia Inquirer, Nevy Kaminski of the Bradenton Herald,
Lee Hill Kavanaugh of The Kansas City Star, John Simerman and Sara
Steffens of the Contra Costa Times, and Thaai Walker of the San
Jose Mercury News also reported for this series. About Knight
Ridder's Washington Bureau The Knight Ridder Washington bureau
serves Knight Ridder newspapers and the more than 350 client
newspapers of the Knight Ridder/Tribune News Services, with
Washington and international coverage. Bureau correspondents cover
the White House, Congress, national security issues, the economy,
legal affairs, law enforcement, science and other beats. Eight
foreign correspondents are posted in major capitals around the
world to bring international news home to Knight Ridder readers.
Knight Ridder is the nation's second-largest newspaper publisher,
with products in print and online. The company publishes 31 daily
newspapers in 28 U.S. markets, with a readership of 8.7 million
daily and 12.6 million Sunday. Knight Ridder also has investments
in a variety of Internet and technology companies and two newsprint
companies. The company's Internet operation, Knight Ridder Digital,
develops and manages the company's online properties. It is the
founder and operator of Real Cities (http://www.realcities.com/),
the largest national network of city and regional Web sites in more
than 100 U.S. markets. Knight Ridder and Knight Ridder Digital are
headquartered in San Jose, Calif. DATASOURCE: Knight Ridder
CONTACT: Polk Laffoon, Vice President/Corporate Relations,
+1-408-938-7838, or , or Lee Ann Schlatter, Director/Corporate
Communications, +1-408-938-7839 or , both of Knight Ridder Web
site: http://www.krwashington.com/ Web site:
http://www.knightridder.com/
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