Published: June 04, 2009 11:58 pm      

A stranger’s gift

Evansville man creates portraits of fallen soldier

GREENUP — An Evansville, Ind., man and his wife traveled to Greenup County this week to honor fallen soldier Army Spec. Jeremy Gullett.

Dan and Diane Krupp, who never met the young soldier or knew his family before Thursday, traveled the nearly 500 miles to the Little Sandy Volunteer Fire Department to present several portraits of Gullett created of the soldier from wood to his mother, father and uncle.



Dan Krupp, 65, makes the portraits by using a scroll saw. The craft is an art form he began practicing several years ago and has since begun using his hobby to pay tribute to Americans killed in the line of duty.

He said he doesn’t know exactly why he does them. “It just seemed like something that needed to be done. It’s a cool idea so I just started doing it. ... I have never sat down and figured out why ... I do this, I really haven’t. I’ve stirred it around a lot and I just don’t have a good handle (on it). I just know it’s not wrong,” Krupp said.

To date, he has made 48 portraits of soldiers who have been killed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The portrait of Spec. Jeremy Gullett is the 47th portrait he’s made honoring a fallen soldier.

“It’s an emotional thing it, really is. It is sad at times and some families are so appreciative...” Dan Krupp said. “It is something that I can do. There are a lot of things I can’t do. It’s something I can do with the scroll saw.

“Maybe it makes me feel good and sometimes when you are talking with the families, some of these families we still go back and forth. We become good friends and we barely knew each other,” he said.

Dan Krupp began making the portraits in 2004 after joining a now defunct Internet group called Portrait Freedom. After making several with the group, he began making his own in 2005.

Although he is from Indiana, Dan Krupp has made portraits of soldiers from across the United States. His finds his subjects a variety of ways.

He decided to make a portrait of Gullett after reading a story in his local newspaper about plans to dedicate a bridge in Gullett’s honor. The story had been picked up by The Associated Press from The Independent.

After contacting the newspaper to secure a photograph of Gullett, he sent the image to one of six graphic designers who make patterns for him. A retired Air Force master sergeant living in Missouri made the pattern of Jeremy Gullett, Krupp said. Krupp then the patterns to cut the portraits.

After the portraits were cut, Dan and Diane Krupp were put in contact with the family through Rep. Tanya Pullin and arranged presenting the portraits to Jeremy’s parents, Harold and Cheryl, and uncle, Ron Gullett, on Jeremy’s birthday — the same day the bridge was to be dedicated.

The trio were moved to tears by Krupp’s gift, which they agreed looked just like the fallen hero.

Cheryl Gullett said the Krupps’ gift and others she has received make her feel “very proud. That they appreciate him. That they appreciate what my son done for them.”

She said knowing that people do remember her son and appreciate his service helps her family deal with its grief.

Cheryl Gullett said she plans to display one of the portraits at the Little Sandy Volunteer Fire Department on Cardinal Point and another in her home, where she keeps other gifts made in honor of her son.