As soldiers and marines perish in Iraq, headlines and funerals mark their passage. The families that cannot forget are often forgotten themselves.
In the summer of 2004, audio producer Zac Barr partnered with photojournalist Andrew Lichtenstein and began interviewing American families who had lost a loved one in Iraq.
The pair traveled to the South, Midwest and Northeast and into family's homes to record their memories. At the same time, interactive designer Tim Klimowicz was producing a data-driven representation of coalition fatalities mapped across the dimensions of time and space.
Never Coming Home details a deeply personal and public bereavement, and shows a portrait of grief and sacrifice of families with a hole in their lives, nothing but memory where once there was a living son and brother.
The Iraq War Coalition Fatalities Project is an interactive animated chart of US and coalition military fatalities that have occured in the war in Iraq since the onset, mapped across the dimensions of time and space. It runs at 10 frames per second — one frame per day — and a single black dot with a red halo indicates the approximate location that a coalition military fatality occurred. Accompanying the dot is a 'tic' sound, the volume of which increases relative to the number of fatalities that occurred that day. More fatalities in a smaller area produce visually deeper reds and more pronounced 'tics'.
As soldiers and marines perish in Iraq, headlines and funerals mark their passage. Never Coming Home details a deeply personal and public bereavement, and shows a portrait of grief and sacrifice of families with a hole in their lives, nothing but memory where once there was a living son and brother.
Note: Not all comments will be posted due to space and time constraints.
Brittany Heber -- Forset City, NC
Jul 28, 2008 at 8:44 AM
I just wanted to say THANK YOU to all the soldiers families. I am very grateful and sad at the same time. I will continue to pray for your family. And everyone who thinks we should pull our men out of the war should think about this... If we do that, then all these other men have died in vain. Remember what we are fighting for, even if its not the reason the war was started, now we are fighting for our brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters who lost their lives.
CATHY -- MIAMI, FL
Feb 15, 2008 at 12:54 AM
That was awesome! Thank you so much!
Bobby F.Williams Sr. -- Flint,Michigan
Jan 22, 2008 at 3:27 PM
Your loss saddens me greatly,and I wish you all well.
Katia Roberts -- Seattle, WA. USA
Nov 2, 2007 at 3:46 PM
Incredibly moving...Makes the devastation of this war so much more real than mere numbers.Thank you for this.
Geoff Hobbs -- Hilton Head Island, SC, USA
Oct 24, 2006 at 9:55 AM
Every member of Congress should receive this on a daily basis until our Men and Women of the Armed Forces come home. I'm sitting here in tears wondering why I complain about lifes little hiccups when families are being shredded by war.
Gil Tanton -- Duluth, GA, USA
May 15, 2006 at 3:53 PM
Your loss is a wound that will never heal. Your loss is because your loved one saw that we (America) were attacked by people who kill and oppress their own people and openly declare to kill us. Your loved one has done what my only son did, joined to fight if necessary the evil of the world and keep it from our doors here at home. "To those who fought for it, life has a flavor the protected never know."
Tina Anderson -- York, PA, USA
May 12, 2006 at 8:05 AM
My husband is at Camp Anaconda in Balad, Iraq in the Navy Customs BN Quebec, Delta Company. He was deployed 8 days after our son was born. My heart goes out to all of you and your families.
Jack Young -- Baltimore, MD, USA
May 5, 2006 at 9:29 PM
This is one of the most moving websites I have ever seen.
Larry Barr -- Eugene, OR, USA
Mar 24, 2006 at 1:05 PM
An impressive bit of work that brought tears and anger. If more Americans watched this heartwrenching story of a mother's loss for a very dubious and misconceived rationale, the next election might produce sane and humane leadership for this once moral nation.
Charlotte Lowrie -- Woodinville, WA, USA
Nov 16, 2005 at 5:43 PM
I didn't expect to be in tears this afternoon, but I am now after listening to Never Coming Home. My word, you have so much deeply meaningful content!
