USA. Federalsburg, Maryland. 2007. A house in Federalsburg, Maryland, after the funeral of Manuel Ruiz, who was killed a few
days earlier in a helicopter crash in Iraq. The funeral reception took place at the local Veterans
of Foreign Wars club. Members from the small community clustered around the buffet table,
chatting and drinking while a projector ran a looping slideshow of Ruiz’s childhood. Afterward
the family posed for pictures. They grimaced as the photographer pleaded with them to smile.
The youngest son grinned widely on command and then ran off to play with his friends.