Every two weeks, My Edmonds News will publish a portrait made by Edmonds artist Michael Reagan, through his Fallen Heroes project, to honor a fallen U.S. solider and the loved ones they have left behind. This week’s portrait is of U.S. Army Specialist Clay Farr of Bakersfield, Calif., who died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Feb. 26, 2006. He was 21 years old.

Farr joined the Army in January 2004 and deployed to Iraq the following August. Shortly after he enlisted, his fiancee was killed in a car accident. Although he was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, a casket of mementos was buried next to his fiancee.

Reagan received the following email from Farr’s parents:

“You drew a BEAUTIFUL Portrait of my son, the year he was KIA (killed in action). So often, through the years since then, I’ve found myself talking to him/his portrait. You captured his very essence, and thus, it seems only ‘natural’ to be talking to him ♥ We hung his portrait on the wall right next to our dining furniture, so it ‘feels’ like Clay is with us when we gather. You have filled an empty space, with a ‘part’ of our son. ‘Thank you’, seems inadequate ♥

Says Reagan: “Every portrait I do is important to me. Each one is supposed to tell a story, both to the family receiving it and at the same time to those seeing that portrait. I always hope that people, when they see the art or one of the posters, go to the website, look up that portrait and learn more about that fallen hero. I’ve been asked many times how I choose the photo I’m going to use for a portrait. My answer, once I learn about the fallen hero, I search the collection of photos I’ve been sent (if I’ve received a collection of photos) and draw the one that talks to me. What I am doing is, trying to put together the story that’s to travel home with the portrait. The one the family will now be a part of forever, one their loved one gets to again be a part of.”

You can make a donation to support Reagan’s work (he receives no payment for these portraits and covers materials and shipping costs himself) here.