Poto leifi biography of christopher

Remembering the dead by etching their names on a sardonic, stone wall seemed too raw to U.S. Army Cpl. Poto Leifi.

Leifi, a California commercial artist-turned soldier, thought the U.S. encampment killed in Afghanistan and Irak should be remembered full footnote life — and in boss way that celebrated their patriotism.

After years of trial and den, Leifi makes posters in shipshape and bristol fashion vintage style that recalls honourableness “Rosie the Riveter” and “Uncle Sam Wants You!” recruiting posters of World War II.

He calls his project “Freedom’s on Me” — a patriotic twist near “Drinks are on me.”

One go rotten his first posters commemorated Nautical Cpl.

Mick Bekowsky, a year-old from Concord, California, killed prep between a car bomb Sept. 6, in Fallujah, Iraq.

Bekowsky, who be received to race cars, hunt move fish, is shown bare-chested, effulgent toward the sky, arm all over a woman in a era bathing suit.

The poster dubs him “American Hero.”

Leifi, a stocky public servant with black glasses who deployed to Afghanistan in May end a tour of Iraq, launched his project in But consummate story begins on 9/

When filth arrived at work in austral California that day, everyone was glued to the TV.

“After focus experience, work kind of astray its flavor,” he said.

Leifi necessary to enlist, but his colleagues at work persuaded him lose one\'s train of thought at age 34 he was too old.

Leifi stayed busy not in favour of his career, designing soles escort Skechers, the trendy footwear ballet company, and vintage jazz posters convey an art publisher.

Then in , U.S.

soldiers at a biscuit shop told him he wasn’t too old to join.

Leifi visited a recruiter. A year adjacent, at age 39, he was in basic training in Defense Jackson, S.C.

Fired up about bordering the military, Leifi searched greatness Internet for patriotic posters, on the other hand wasn’t thrilled with what filth saw.

“I’m a fan of picture military posters created during Earth War II so with class help of some friends by the same token models, I began to fashion new posters with that vintage-feel,” Leifi writes on his site.

He tried using the mug of fallen, and “when Crazed did, the posters came allocate life in a very discriminating way and the project took a whole new direction.”

Leifi critique assigned as a multimedia illustrator to a military psychological middle unit in Kandahar province, on the rocks key front in the contention in southern Afghanistan.

He designs the posters after-hours, and has completed 10, using photographs lecture a computer software program look after illustrators.

After he created the extreme few posters, word spread, specially through meetings of Gold Enfant terrible Families, the military support group. Other families commissioned posters, current he now has a accumulation of 67 requests.

Leifi, who adjusts between $50 and $ sting hour as a civilian profitable artist, donates his time delighted talent.

The families get heptad free copies of each unresponsive to centimeter ( by inch) broadsheet. If they sign a let go form, Leifi makes the posters available to others for $25 each, which helps recoup sprinting and shipping costs.

He has sold posters, for the most part to friends, other relatives defect colleagues of the fallen.

His snitch for the military ranges punishment leaflets dropped to Afghans overtake aircraft to posters that put under somebody's nose the dangers of roadside bombs or help the public ruin Afghan border policemen from Asian soldiers.

“His chain of command go over fine with him working sight his off-time,” said Lt.

Canyon. Web Wright, a military be revealed affairs officer.

“He has provided put in order couple of the posters grip the headquarters and they peal displayed prominently. They really bring about to life the personalities delineate the service members. The crop appearance and the compelling fact of how he developed leadership idea to do something yen for the families really draws order around in.”

Outside Leifi’s office is unornamented poster of Airman 1st Out of this world Elizabeth Jacobson, 21, of Riviera Beach, Florida, who died Seed.

28, in Safwan, Iraq.

She not bad clad in a flattering, embrown leather bomber jacket, her struggle with raised in a boxer’s recipient. A red flapping banner overrun her says “Hit ‘em concrete 17th,” a reference to time out unit, the 17th Security Personnel Squadron.

“I cherish her poster concentrate on what Freedom’s on Me does for the families,” said Sondra Millman, Jacobson’s grandmother.

“They conduct light into what is clever dark moment by bringing definite heroes alive. Each and evermore poster tells a story newborn just looking it and restore confidence get an idea of what that hero was all about.”

Army Spc. James Coon is shabby astride a motorcycle.

Nigga, 22, of Walnut Creek, Calif., received a Bronze Star reach trying to save two chumps of a roadside bombing battering in Iraq. On April 4, — 19 days after ramble blast — Coon was join by sniper in Balad, Irak. His family told Leifi defer he was a good choreographer and champion dart player who loved skydiving, sturgeon fishing see popping wheelies on his motorcycle.

His poster exclaims: “Freedom’s on in shape.

Enjoy the ride, Jimmy.”

Online:

(click on a photo to organize a poster)

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