On April 10, 2013, VFW Post # 8870 sponsored a public forum regarding the Fallen Heroes Project. The Founder and President of the Fallen Heroes Project, Michael Reagan, was the featured speaker. The event was hosted by Third Place Commons, located in Lake Forest Park. More than 100 people attended the event.
Mike, a portrait artist who lives and works in Edmonds is a combat veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps who served in the Vietnam War. He began drawing portraits of fallen service members when a grieving widow asked him to draw a portrait of her husband who had been killed in Iraq. Mike, of course, agreed to draw the portrait and did so free of charge. Since that first experience nine years ago, Mike and his wife, Cheryl, have dedicated their lives to drawing portraits for all American and Coalition families who have lost a loved one in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. To date, he has drawn over 3,200 portraits, all free of charge. He has brought untold comfort to grieving Gold Star family members. The Fallen He-roes Project was founded to help support what Mike refers to as his calling.
A highlight of the evening was when Mike unveiled, for the first time, a poster that contained the portraits he had recently drawn to honor the memory of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims. Following the Newtown tragedy, Mike reached out to the family members of the victims and provided each with a portrait of their loved one.
VFW Post #8870, of which Mike is a member, sponsored the forum to honor Mike in recognition of the great personal sacrifices he and his family have made to provide love, support, comfort, and peace to the families of our Fallen Heroes.
Interested citizens who would like to know more about the Fallen Heroes Project or who would like to make a donation to this wonderful effort can contact Michael at his web site, www.fallenheroesproject.org