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Tim Hetherington on Independence Day

LAST 4TH OF JULY, 2010... while looking to do something mildly "patriotic"I went to see an afternoon showing of Restrepo at the Angelica Theatre in NYC. There were about 50 people in the audience. After the film ended this tall guy got up and introduced himself as Tim Hetherington.

He said he would be happy to answer any questions that we had. The ensuing discussion with the audience lasted well over an hour. No one left. Everyone was engaged with Tim. There was no announcement that he would be there. No mention of it on any lobby billboard. He was just there, on the 4th of July, to answer any questions and to inform people of what our soldiers are going through. He remained there all day, showing after showing.

I asked him a few questions while he spoke to the audience and actually grabbed a quick coffee with him in the theater lobby to ask a few more before he went back into the theater for the next showing of Restrepo, so he could address another small audience at its end.

That is how I will always remember Tim...as a real PATRIOT. Someone who put his life on the line to understand, to report, to educate and enlighten the rest of us civilians. And as a caring someone who really really gave a damn. That's why he was there last year....to tell the story of the men of Restrepo and by default the story of all the men and women who serve our country and each other under such conditions. While most Americans were at the beach or a BBQ, Tim was in a dark theater, watching Restrepo over and over and hoping to grab a few minutes with each audience at its end to try and make them understand, if only a little.

When I heard of his death it was like hearing that a close family member had died. And I had only met Tim for a few minutes!

I think of tim often and I will especially remember him on this 4th of July and everyone that follows. God Bless you Tim and Thank You. Rest in Peace.

And on this 4th of July, 2011...THANK YOU beyond words to the men and women of our armed forces and to their families.

Comment by Sebastian Junger on July 5, 2011 at 11:56am: Dear Mark -

Thank you so much for posting this...as Tim's friend and colleague, I deeply appreciate what you said.

Best wishes,

Sebastian

Comment by Mark Mazzonelli on July 10, 2011 at 10:37am: Dear Sebastian,

I appreciate your Thank You regarding what I wrote about Tim but it isn't necessary. It was a honor to have met him, however briefly. It is I that owes you a Thank You for the work you have done.

It's people like you and Tim and Chris Hondros and so many others that stand in a long line of correspondents from the Richard Engel's to the Ernie Pyle's to the Robert Capa's that put your lives on the line to report back to us citizen civilians from one hot spot to another to keep us informed and hopefully involved. The world is a far richer place for what you do because we count on people like you to bring us the unvarnished truth, no matter how difficult it may be to see or to understand. THANK YOU!

Tim Hetherington on Independence Day

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