Committee to Protect Journalists

reportagebygettyimages:

NBC News previews “Testament,” new book of words and images by Chris Hondros, the Getty Images photographer who was killed in Libya in 2011.

[Hondros cared] deeply about the suffering he witnesses, arguing passionately for intervention in Liberia in 2003, but every now and then takes a step back and wonders at the absurdity of his situation. “Why am I here?… Why am I hanging on the side of an Afghan mountain. I’m not in the Army; I didn’t sign up for this. I should be back home, watching TV or canoodling in bed or having an espresso.” Chris died tragically in his prime, but there’s no sign that he in any way regretted his life’s trajectory up until that point: “The satisfaction of photographing our era’s most important issues far outweighs any discomfort, or even fear.” 

See more on NBCNews.com and purchase the book on Amazon.

Caption: Joseph Duo, a Liberian militia commander loyal to the government, exults after firing a rocket-propelled grenade at rebel forces at a key strategic bridge July 20, 2003 in Monrovia, Liberia. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images)