The state of New Hampshire will honor the life and work of slain photojournalist James Wright Foley on Aug. 24, the day of his memorial service. Gov. Maggie Hassan has ordered all flags to be flown half-staff on that day.
Mass will be 9 a.m. at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in Rochester, followed at 2 p.m. by a “Holy Mass of Healing, Hope and for Peace.”
WMUR reported in lieu of a funeral, a memorial Mass is planned for what would have been his 41st birthday, Oct. 18, 2014.
James Foley, a native of Rochester, NH, was a journalist working for online news service GlobalPost when he was captured Nov. 24, 20012 in Syria.
On August 12, 2014, James Foley’s family received an email communication that he would be executed “in retaliation for US airstrikes against the Islamic State,” according to the GlobalPost.
The email was published in full by GlobalPost with permission from the Foley family.
On the day of his execution, his family released the following public statement:
“We have never been prouder of our son and brother Jim. He gave his life trying to expose the world to the suffering of the Syrian people. We implore the kidnappers to spare the lives of the remaining hostages. Like Jim, they are innocents. They have no control over American government policy in Iraq, Syria or anywhere in the world,” the family wrote.
“We thank Jim for all the joy he gave us. He was an extraordinary son, brother, journalist and person. Please respect our privacy in the days ahead as we mourn and cherish Jim.”
One week later James Foley was beheaded, and the video was posted on YouTube by ISIS, who claimed responsibility for his death.
On Aug. 21 Hassan released the following statement:
“James Foley exemplified the best of our journalistic ideals, fearlessly going to some of the world’s most dangerous places to expose the horrific consequences of war and the beautiful humanity of those innocent civilians affected by it. An unconscionable act of terror took him from us far too soon, but his unyielding commitment to advancing our cherished First Amendment right across the globe and the truths he unveiled will live on forever. As Granite Staters and people around the world mourn, our thoughts and prayers remain with the Foley family and their loved ones.”
Click here to link to an archive of articles and photographs by James Foley on GlobalPost.com. Click here to view On Location Video: Syria’s casualties of war, a video report by James Foley published Aug. 28, 2012, three months before he was captured, one example of the work he did, every day in the trenches, to expose the suffering in Syria and try to give voice to those who would otherwise be invisible to the world. Click here to read a letter published on www.marquette.edu, James Foley’s alma mater, recalling his thoughts on being held captive in 2011 in Tripoli. It provides a window into his mind, heart and spirit.
