To the Rollins family, a picture is worth much, much more than a thousand words. Their son, Sgt. Justin Rollins, was killed in action in 2007, the morning after he posed for a snapshot of him, his buddies, and a beautiful black and white puppy. After he died, the family petitioned the army for help in finding the pup and bringing him home to live with them.
Thanks to an unusual rescue mission, that’s exactly what happened, and “Hero” came to America to be loved and cared for by the family who so sorely missed their own hero, fallen in action.
Justin was obviously happy in the photo taken of him the night before he died. He cuddled the pup and his eyes fairly twinkled as the little dog snuggled up to the soldier who loved him. Justin’s family wanted to find the puppy and give it a home. Hero had made their son happy, and they wanted to return the favor to the dog who most likely wouldn’t have survived on the battlefield.
Now Hero lives with the Rollins family in New Hampshire, where he is loved as the last thing their fallen hero cradled before he died.
A photographer was on hand to take pictures for their story when an amazing thing happened. As unlikely as it seems, a beam of light fell on Hero just as the photographer raised her camera. When the photo was published, people from all over had opinions about the unique snapshot.
Some were sure that Justin was sending a message to his family, letting them know that he was watching over them as well as his puppy. Others thought it was the hand of God.
Yet the naysayers had a different perspective on the picture. They attributed it to the sunlight hitting the optics of the camera. As to why the photographer herself seemed to think it was more than that, they said, “Obviously, the photographer is religious.”
Of course, the most important opinions are those of the Rollins family, and they’re quite sure that Justin had something to do with the amazing photograph.
What do you think? Is Justin making a connection to his family, perhaps thanking them for finding and rescuing his last companion? Or is it simply a trick of the light or the mechanics of the camera? Watch the video, share it with your friends, and let us know what you think!
