A sampling of our collective works. What you see are painstaking artistic endeavors custom created by scroll saw artists from every walk of life. Some of our members are retired, former military,housewives, young insipired individuals and may just be your neighbor. All are proud citizens. They do this to honor these brave men and women that have given everything in the name of freedom and our way of life.

 We are sent pictures from the family and our software artists turn those pictures into a graphical representation of the likeness of the subject. That graphic or pattern is then printed out and attached to a blank piece of wood.

The tan color is all one solid piece of thin hardwood oak or birch veneer on thin ply. Each black area is individually cut out by drilling a small hole and threading a skinny blade through before cutting that one area out. Some portraits have many, many cuts and take hours to complete. We use our skill on a scroll saw that the blade attaches to in order to cut the pieces out.

 Upon completion we gently sand and finish the piece. We frame one and have a second ready to be framed. Quality conrtol is incorporated during every step of the process. Only our best work gets through to be sent or hand delivered directly to the family.

 We work as a team and a lot of hard work and effort goes into each unique piece of art.

 Freedom has a terrible price and just as in the past we have paid this price in surplus. It is our hopes that these men and women will not be forgotten and their faces will grace the walls of their loved ones as a reminder that we do still care and think of what they have done for us.

 This is non-profit and we do this as a gift to the family and to honor the individual service member. If you know of someone that has lost a loved one in Iraq or Afghanistan please guide them to our site.

 

Fallen Heros Short for Web 2008

Man honoring fallen soldiers with hand crafted wooden portrait

KWTV: Portrait of a Soldier

Ken Younkin of Norman was looking for something to do when he came across an article, "Portrait Freedom Underway" in one of his woodcutting magazines."Portrait Freedom Underway" is made up of members of the MSN Scroll Saw Portraits group who are creating custom wooden portraits of every U.S. service member that has died during the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. The portraits are donated to their families.There is no charge to the family requesting a portrait.The Scroll Saw Portrait Freedom Project group includes scroll saw artists and hobbyists from across the U.S.The finished portrait is posted on the Internet and once it is approved by a moderator, the cutter is notified that the portrait can be sent to the family. Several quality control measures ensure the family receives a quality product.All labor, materials and shipping are donated.Their biggest challenge right now is contacting family members and getting photographs to work with, he said.Younkin was able to do one of Oklahoma Marine Scott Vincent. He has wanted to cut a portrait of an Oklahoman since he began the project. More than 750 portraits have been cut, but only 10 of the 62 deceased Oklahoma troops have been memorialized so far."This has been one of the most satisfying endeavors I have ever had the opportunity to do," Younkin said. "I believe that all the members of Portrait Freedom have a common interest in wanting to honor the memory our fallen military service members and recognize the sacrifice each soldier's family has made."For more information, send an e-mail to PortraitFreedom@hotmail.comhttp://groups.msn.com/PortraitFreedom/homepage

Labor of Love: Portrait Freedom Underway part 3

Ken Younkin of Norman was looking for something to do when he came across an article, "Portrait Freedom Underway" in one of his woodcutting magazines."Portrait Freedom Underway" is made up of members of the MSN Scroll Saw Portraits group who are creating custom wooden portraits of every U.S. service member that has died during the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. The portraits are donated to their families.There is no charge to the family requesting a portrait.The Scroll Saw Portrait Freedom Project group includes scroll saw artists and hobbyists from across the U.S.The finished portrait is posted on the Internet and once it is approved by a moderator, the cutter is notified that the portrait can be sent to the family. Several quality control measures ensure the family receives a quality product.All labor, materials and shipping are donated.Their biggest challenge right now is contacting family members and getting photographs to work with, he said.Younkin was able to do one of Oklahoma Marine Scott Vincent. He has wanted to cut a portrait of an Oklahoman since he began the project. More than 750 portraits have been cut, but only 10 of the 62 deceased Oklahoma troops have been memorialized so far."This has been one of the most satisfying endeavors I have ever had the opportunity to do," Younkin said. "I believe that all the members of Portrait Freedom have a common interest in wanting to honor the memory our fallen military service members and recognize the sacrifice each soldier's family has made."For more information, send an e-mail to PortraitFreedom@hotmail.comhttp://groups.msn.com/PortraitFreedom/homepage

Labor of Love: Portrait Freedom Underway

Ken Younkin of Norman was looking for something to do when he came across an article, "Portrait Freedom Underway" in one of his woodcutting magazines."Portrait Freedom Underway" is made up of members of the MSN Scroll Saw Portraits group who are creating custom wooden portraits of every U.S. service member that has died during the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. The portraits are donated to their families.There is no charge to the family requesting a portrait.The Scroll Saw Portrait Freedom Project group includes scroll saw artists and hobbyists from across the U.S.The finished portrait is posted on the Internet and once it is approved by a moderator, the cutter is notified that the portrait can be sent to the family. Several quality control measures ensure the family receives a quality product.All labor, materials and shipping are donated.Their biggest challenge right now is contacting family members and getting photographs to work with, he said.Younkin was able to do one of Oklahoma Marine Scott Vincent. He has wanted to cut a portrait of an Oklahoman since he began the project. More than 750 portraits have been cut, but only 10 of the 62 deceased Oklahoma troops have been memorialized so far."This has been one of the most satisfying endeavors I have ever had the opportunity to do," Younkin said. "I believe that all the members of Portrait Freedom have a common interest in wanting to honor the memory our fallen military service members and recognize the sacrifice each soldier's family has made."For more information, send an e-mail to PortraitFreedom@hotmail.comhttp://groups.msn.com/PortraitFreedom/homepage

happy holidays

Another new year is here and we hope you and yours welcomed it properly. 

LCpl Soeurt

LCPL SOEURT died on Oct 4th.  I am the Casualty officer that notified the family.  I am attaching the picture I have, and request to get a portrait for the Mother.  Please let me know if you need another picture or anything else for this.  My official e-mail is henry.rimkus@usmc.mil

Attachments:

Re: Cpt. Brian Letendre

It's good to know they made it Ed.

Thanks for all you do! Sometimes it takes a while to get feedback and sometimes they are just to hard pressed to bring emotions to words so know that you are doing a good thing and the portraits do help in some way.

Keep the dust flying!

Gary

Thank you "Portrait Freedom" members and all that help to honor these service members.

1,200

 Hello scrollers!!

 One could never really visualized the site of 1200 portraits being delivered to family members at the start of this project. It was a shaky and questionable bridge to cross but now in reaching the 1200 mark we have demonstrated how sound and solid our bridge really is. These brave service members deserve so much more than we can give but what we give comes from our hearts and we think that this may be enough for now.  

  It's sad to think that their smiling faces will not come back home to greet their loved ones but if it's a smiling portrait or nothing at all at least another smile makes it home in some form. I know we all hope that this homecoming of a service members likeness in wood will help in some way no matter how small. From the feedback we get from family members we can firmly say that what we are doing is a good thing, effects them in a good way and honors the efforts of our service members that keep us safe and allows us to continue our way of life as we know it.  

 For the scrollers that are half buried in dust from cutting so many portraits, for the designers that massage their hands every day before they start on a pattern and for the supporters of what we do in other ways we salute you and stand proud to know you. As we stand proudly by our scrollsaw to await another portrait to cut we at some point reflect upon all that has been done throughout our lives in the name of freedom. This reflection is the very thing we need to keep alive. As long as we have brave men and women to step forward and people like our group that has a passion to honor that commitment it will be so. 

 The next time a scroller wants to start up a project like ours they will think back on what we did and be reassured that it can be done because it has been done. No matter where this project ends feel proud that you have been part of it because the American spirit is alive and well in each and every one of you. You have shown this in the beautiful work that you have presented to the world.

The moderators of, "Portrait Freedom" salute your efforts and we pause to thank you all! 

 

Cpt. Brian Letendre

I received delivery confirmation from USPS that portraits of Cpt Brian Letendre on 14 Sep 2011.  Another great pattern by Bob Crawford.  Am ready for further cutting assignments.

Brian cutting

Very nice cutting Ed, thank you for your support of the project

Cpt. Brian Letendre

Completed portraits of Cpt. Brian Letendre were shipped by USPS 12 Sep 2011. 

Ryane G Clark

Ryane G Clark...preparing to cut

Re: Delivery in persom

That's outstanding Bill!

Thanks for going the extra step like that.

Gary

Delivery in persom