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Born at the Crest of the Empire

Saturday, September 30, 2006

Picture of the Day













The Maine National Guard is giving life-size from-the-waist-up pictures of soldiers to the families of deployed guard members. Guard officials and families say the cutouts, known as Flat Daddies or Flat Soldiers, connect families with a relative who is thousands of miles away. The Flat Daddies are toted everywhere from soccer practice to coffee shops to weddings.

posted by mikevotes at 5:27 AM

10 Comments:

  • Is it icky of me to think this is weird?

    By Blogger sumo, at 1:04 AM  

  • No. I think everyone does. I first heard about it on NPR amonth ago. I thought it was creepy weird then. HAving seen the pictures, it's even weirder.

    Mike

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 6:12 AM  

  • Sick. Pathetic.

    About a year ago, I saw a news photo of a small boy, maybe 8 or 10, holding a folded American flag he was just handed at the funeral of his father, who was killed in Iraq. The boy was looking up at the person who just handed him the flag with a confused and angry expression that said "I don't want this. I want my dad." I wish I had kept it.

    By Blogger abi, at 7:51 AM  

  • You might have seen it here. I don't think this is it, but here's the closest I've put up to your description.

    http://bornatthecrestoftheempire.blogspot.com/2006/04/picture-of-day-2_25.html

    Mike

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 11:28 AM  

  • When I see these Flat Daddies I can't help but think that they already look dead. It reminds me of the way the media shows photographs of murder victims over and over until they become lifeless.

    These Flat Soldiers are not just thousands of miles away on a business trip - they are away at the killing fields.

    By Blogger Ptelea, at 11:44 AM  

  • I do find it kinda weird that they picture them in uniform.

    I do understand the concept of this thing,the idea that it helps keep a mental presence for the family, but how creepy is it that these families are taking these to soccer games and events, sitting them at the table for dinner, etc.

    And the other thing that you touch on is the way they are frozen. When those men come back, they're going to be completely different people.

    Mike

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 12:57 PM  

  • That isn't the picture I saw, but I think both kids had the same thought in mind. Thanks for posting the link.

    By Blogger abi, at 1:48 PM  

  • So if your Dad then gets killed, do you keep the Flat Daddy as a momento, or do you get rid of it?

    Tough call.

    Again, this is so weird it almost seems like a joke.

    By Blogger Praguetwin, at 4:14 AM  

  • Yeah. I know.

    Mike

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 7:14 AM  

  • Sweet Jesus, this is just perverse.

    Surreal.

    We are sinking to new depths of weirdness every day.

    By Blogger QuakerDave, at 11:37 AM  

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