The Army just released these haunting images taken moments before a combat photographer's death

While this is a tragic incident SGT Michael Thorin, combat photographers and journalists focus their career on capturing images photographic or in poetry or prose of the battlefield and the soldiers who fight, exist and live out their existence far from home.
Most likely SPC Hilda Clayton would be thankful that the images she captured immediately prior to her death were captured on film as a testimony to her efforts and those she was photographing during live-fire training exercise in Qaraghahi in eastern Afghanistan.
As a trained and experience infantry mortar man I am very familiar with the dangers of mortars which are not cleaned properly. I expect powder residue built up in the tube. Generally mortar fuses, like grenade launcher rounds only arm after sufficient revolutions which allows them to travel well beyond the kill zone for the weapon.
This incident reminded me of the death of Ernie Pyle in WWII which influenced me so much as a youth who read his works.
Images: A mortar tube accidentally explodes during an Afghan National Army live-fire training exercise in Laghman province, Afghanistan, July 2, 2013. This photo was taken by U.S. Army SPC Hilda Clayton, who died in the blast; A mortar tube accidentally explodes during an Afghan National Army live-fire training exercise in Laghman province, Afghanistan, July 2, 2013. The blast killed Army SPC Hilda Clayton and four Afghan soldiers; Death of Ernie Pyle April 18, 1945

Prayers are being said for the family of SPC Hilda I. Clayton, Heroine !!!

SGT Michael Thorin sad to hear stories like this. Prayers for the intire family.