The TAPS Honor Guard Gala
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Fifteen -year-old Jessica Reed sings the National Anthem as the Joint Services Color Guard stands station. Ms. Reed's father, Army Captain Joseph Bell Reed, died in a helicopter training accident.
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The TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors) Honor Guard Gala is at the Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC on Tuesday, April 5, 2011. Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki was honored with the TAPS Military Leadership Award; the late Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) was honored will be perpetually remembered by the Ted Stevens Leadership Award, initiated this year
— Report and photographs by James R. Brantley
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Senator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) | 
Sean O'Keefe (who was with Sen. Ted Stevens when their plane crashed in Alaska, killing the Senator), Coast Guard Vice-Admiral Sally Brice O'Hara and Lockheed Martin Vice-President Dionel M. Aviles
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Mary Jo Myers and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force General Richard Myers (ret)
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Wife of the late Senator Ted Stevens, Liz Stevens and Lily Stevens Becker |
Secretary of Veterans Affairs General Eric Shinseki and TAPS founder and president Bonnie Carroll
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Oshkosh Defense Senior Director John Scudder, Candy Martin and DuPont Protection Technologies Director of Army Programs Douglas J. Morrison
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Deborah Mullen and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen | 
Oshkosh Defense Senior Director John Scudder and Jennifer Christiansen
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Kathleen Faulkner and Tricia Hefti
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Janet Manion, Tom Manion and Buzz Hefti
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Four-year-old Cheyenne Becker, Krystal Becker, eleven-year-old Cierra Becker. Army Staff Sergeant Shane Becker died in Iraq in 2007. Cierra is featured in the documentary "Gold Star Children" shown during the gala.
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John Dressendorfer and Judy Dressendorfer
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Patricia Shinseki and Terri Williams |
Ryan Manion, Captain Aloysius Boyle and Krista Foy
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Ten-year-old Katheryn Reichard, eight-year-old Briana Linn, Jennifer Reichard, Deborah Mullen
and Michele Linn |
Stefanie Higgins, Chase M. and Kristin Caehill
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A tiring four-year-old Cheyenne Becker gets a comforting kiss from eleven-year-old Cierra Becker |
Liz Katzman, Kimberly Hazelgrove, seven-year-old Katelyn Hazelgrove
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The scene at the Mellon Auditorium |
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