Standing Guard: A picture worth a thousand words!!
Standing Guard (photo by Frank Glick)
This photo of an American Bald Eagle perched atop of a tombstone is one of the coolest pics I have seen in a long time. The story behind the photo is even better. The picture was taken by amateur photographer Frank Glick. He was driving through Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, Minnesota while on his way to work. Glick, who always carries a camera ‘just in case’, saw the eagle perched on a tombstone, eyes alert, and head craned as if searching for prey. Come to find out, the eagle had settled down on the gravestone of Sgt. Maurice Ruch. Ruch graduated from college in mechanical engineering in December of 1941 and enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He became a rifle marksman and was stationed in the Aleutian Islands. He served four years in the military and earned a bronze star. He died from a form of Parkinson’s in 2008 at age 86.
The photo has gone virale with tens of thousands recommending and sharing it on facebook, twitter, and through e-mails (which is where I first seen it). Requests for the photo, and use of the story, have come from all over the world including the Department of Veterans Affairs, military publications, and Arlington National Cemetery. Soldiers in Afghanistan have inquired about the photo, including some from the Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne Division, stationed at Bagram Airfield.
As the saying goes, it is truly a “picture that is worth a thousand words”!!
Standing Guard (photo by Frank Glick taken at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, Minnesota 2011)
***The picture was originally published in The Star Tribune from the twin city area (Minneapolis/St. Paul). All the information about the photo I put in my post was taken from two articles that were written by Jon Tevlin of the Star Tribune. Jon Tevlin gives a much more in depth story about the photo, including more information about the photographer and a touching story about Sgt. Maurice Ruch’s widow. The following two links are the original stories that accompanied the picture. You should click on the links and check them out.
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WOULD YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHERE A COPY OR POSTER OF STANDING GUARD COULD BE PURCHASED—THANKS FOR YOUR TIME
Hi David,
You can contact the photographer, Frank Glick, at liketophoto@yahoo.com
Thanks for your interest and comment/question!!
Good Luck,
-Art-
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