Throughout the coming year of 2009, Brandon Powers can expect to hear many different tales about mismatched shoes. Powers, a journalism student at Valdosta State University in the State of Georgia plans to launch an extensive photography project. A professional photographer, Powers intends to use his camera, in order to preserve for posterity images of the wounded veterans from the Iraq war.



Powers has initiated a search for veterans under the age of twenty-seven. He hopes to find at least thirty volunteers, men and women who are willing to tell a story about their service in Iraq. Powers will have his camera ready, as each volunteer reveals his or her tale He wants to photograph each veteran in both the studio setting and the veteran's home.

Statistics on veterans of the Iraq war show that one of seven injured soldiers dies of his or her injuries. The rest go on with their life, while coping with effects of a battle injury. Many times, that injury has caused the veteran to confront the typical problems of an amputee. Mismatched shoes represent an ongoing problem in the lives of growing numbers of veterans.

Several different non-profit organizations have sought to fill the needs of the injured veterans. The National Odd Shoe Exchange (N.O.S.E.) has extended help to amputees since its founding in 1943. The Exchange has become a recognized source of top quality mismatched shoes. The Exchange offers both single shoes and pairs in which the two shoes have significantly different sizes.

Before creation of the Internet, an amputee could register with the Exchange by sending a letter to a P.O. Box in Chandler, Arizona. Now, any amputee in need of mismatched shoes can simply go online and find mismatched shoes. That website instructs amputees as to the information that it needs?information about shoe sizes, and possible restrictions on any required pair of mismatched shoes.