Art student gets creative to honor fallen soldier

OOLOGAH, Okla. - An ORU art student from Oologah found a creative way to remember a fallen Claremore soldier.

Taylor Hoffer, 18, used pieces of charcoal to sketch an image of Pfc. Jon Townsend.

Hoffer drew the image on a basketball court at an Oologah park.

"I got a picture of him off the Internet, just looked up his name and I brought that here with me," said Hoffer.

Even though she did not know Townsend personally, Hoffer wanted to make sure his sacrifice would be remembered.

"I didn't think it was fair that being a soldier he would be taken from this world and really only his immediate family or close friends would care," said Hoffer.

Hoffer and her mother left pieces of charcoal at the site so the community could leave tribute messages around the image.

In two days almost two-thirds of the court was covered with messages, including some from Townsend's own family members.

Townsend died on September 16th along with three other American soldiers after they were attacked with small arms fire in Zabul province, Afghanistan.