Congratulations to Edmonds artist Michael Reagan, who was honored by the Washington State State Senate last week for his work to memorialize soldiers who died in war through his Fallen Hero Portrait Project. State Sen. Maralyn Chase, D-32nd District, sponsored the resolution honoring Reagan.

Reagan, who started the Fallen Heroes Project five years ago, honors soldiers and their families through hand-drawn portraits of each of our service men and women who have lost their lives in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. To date he has completed more than 2,400 portraits of the more than 5,800 soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in these two conflicts.

“He gets up every day, driven by the knowledge that his work will bring some comfort to people who are devastated by a loss that most of us can never imagine,” Sen. Chase said in explaining her desire to recognize Reagan. “This is the character of the man we honor today.”

Noting that Reagan does his portraits free of charge to the families, and his work is supported by private donations, Chase added that  “he has nothing to gain financially from his actions, he’s not making a political statement or seeking fame. His actions come from a sense of duty – as a soldier, as an American and as a human being.”

We’ve included a link to this moving video, put together by Mike Wilkinson from the United Kingdom, which features a compilation of Reagan’s portraits with voice-over narrative and music.