The photographs in this site were made from personal work and from editorial assignments while working as a photojournalist for the Hartford Courant. If an image in this site was created while on assignment for the Hartford Courant then ©Hartford Courant. Said images have been posted after publication in either the Hartford Courant or its affiliated websites. All other images are ©Mark Mirko.
12.18.2009: Norwalk, CT - Andi Ralyea, 30, (L) and her mom Debi Qualtieri lost their son and brother Sgt. Jonathan Lootens (painting at right) when he was killed while serving in Iraq in 2006. Since then the two have become closer, joined support groups for the families of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan and redefined for themselves what families mean.
12.04.2009: Litchfield, CT - Lurie Parmentier, whose son Liam Dwyer served in Iraq as a Marine until 2007, stands with a yellow ribbon tied around a tree on the Litchfield Green. The trees on this green have been trimmed with yellow ribbons for several years, as troops began heading overseas to Iraq and Afghanistan, but now the town's leaders have declared the ribbons look shabby and should come down.