Veterans at Heinz Field

Written By Justin Merriman




TOP PHOTO: Pittsburgh Steeler Roy Lewis helps guide Jeremy Feldbusch, 28, of Blairsville, who lost his eyesight while serving in Iraq, to find the target to throw the football through. Feldbusch, a veteran of the US Army's 3rd Ranger Battalion in Iraq was injured by shrapnel and lost his eyesight in 2003. The Pittsburgh Steelers and VA Healthcare – VISN 4 partnered to provide a special fun-filled evening of football for Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans. Veterans will test their football skills with the help of Pittsburgh Steeler players. SECOND PHOTO: Pittsburgh Steeler Jeff Reed poses for a photograph with Jessica Lynch, 25, of Parkersburg, WV. Lynch served in Iraq during the 2003 invasion by U.S. and allied forces. On March 23, 2003 she was injured and captured by Iraqi forces, but was recovered on 1 April by U.S. special operations forces, with the incident subsequently receiving considerable news coverage. THIRD PHOTO: Jessica Lynch, 25, of Parkersburg, WV, catches a football at Heinz Field on Tuesday evening. BOTTOM PHOTO: Pittsburgh Steeler Chris Hoke signs an autograph on an American Flag for Doug Gindlesperger, 37, of Somerset. Gindlesperger, a sergeant, served with the US Army in Iraq in 04-05 as well as during the Gulf War in 1991.
Justin Merriman

Justin Merriman is a freelance photojournalist, commercial photographer, licensed drone pilot, and filmmaker based in Pittsburgh. His career began in Southwestern Pennsylvania, where he worked as a newspaper photographer dedicated to community storytelling and politics. Since then, his work has been recognized with regional, national, and international awards and has appeared in publications around the world.

After covering the crash of United Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on September 11, 2001, Merriman committed to documenting the U.S. military’s War on Terror, reporting from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, and across the United States. His international assignments have also included life in Fidel Castro’s Cuba, India’s campaign to eradicate polio, the aftermath of Haiti’s 2010 earthquake, Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Cuba in 2012, the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis in Rome, the second anniversary of Egypt’s revolution, Russia’s 2014 invasion of Crimea, and the uncertain future of Guantanamo Bay in 2015. That same year, he traveled the full U.S.–Mexico border to document immigration issues.

In addition to photography, Merriman works as a director and filmmaker, creating recent films on refugees in Turkey, Jordan, India, and South Africa.

Closer to home, he frequently covers stories across Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, focusing on the intersections of economic, environmental, and political life. Most recently, he reported on the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and its impact on the community.

Born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, Merriman graduated from the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg with a B.A. in English Writing. In 2009, the university awarded him its prestigious Alumnus of Distinction award. He is a founding member of Argo Collective, a group of photographers sharing diverse visions of America. He lives outside Pittsburgh with his wife, Stephanie Strasburg, a photojournalist with PublicSource.

http://www.justinmerriman.com
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