PHOTOGRAPHS
Private Lukowski, Iraq (2006)
Staff Sgt. Russell Klika
C-Print
11" x 17"
Edition of 9
Most Black Hawk photos always show the helicopter, what I tried to show was what happens on the ground as the helicopter is taking off. The air is black with all the dust and it is impossible to see. 18-year-old, U.S. Army Pvt. Andrew Lukowski of the 1/187 INF and others from the 101st Airborne Division were participating in air assault missions to search for weapons caches in Northern Iraq. The entire day we went up and down searching the desert and each trip I sat across from Lukowski, wondering if he was sharing his experiences with his family. Having three sons of my own, one the same age, I couldn’t help but to be proud of this young soldier. - Russell Klika
Official United States Army photograph.
