Two Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists who chronicled the Iraq war’s toll on the families of fallen American soldiers will visit Kansas University this week.

Reporter Jim Sheeler and photographer Todd Heisler will be the featured speakers for KU Editors Day. They will speak at 8:30 a.m. Saturday in Budig Hall.

The journalists, who work for The Rocky Mountain News, spent nine months following Marine Maj. Steve Beck as he delivered the death notices of fallen soldiers to their families.

Their special report, “The Final Salute” earned them Pulitzers this year for feature writing and feature photography.

“I don’t care how you feel about the war in Iraq. It makes me cry. It just moves me. It’s just an incredibly moving piece,” said Rick Musser, KU journalism professor.

By phone recently, Heisler discussed the development and execution of the story.

“It was challenging,” Heisler said. “On an emotional level, it was very difficult. You got very close to this grief that the families were going through.”

The story idea came from Sheeler, whose job was to cover the war from the homefront.

The original plan was to follow one fallen Marine’s return from overseas and tell the story through the eyes of his comrades.

The night before the burial of her husband's body, Katherine Cathey refused to leave the casket, asking to sleep next to his body for the last time. The Marines made a bed for her, tucking in the sheets below the flag. This photo is one of the 20 images by Todd Heisler in the Final

But the perspective changed, and the journalists approached Beck, who was skeptical at first.

“It’d never been done before,” Heisler said. “How do you convince somebody to let you do something that they’ve never seen before?”

But the journalists developed a relationship with Beck, spending countless hours over months. Heisler said he had to understand the Marine’s perspective on the very emotional, delicate situations.

“He understands what my job is, but also I had to understand what his role was,” Heisler said. “He was very protective of these families. I had to understand why.”

The journalists gained nearly complete access to the people and events, barred only from those moments when Beck made the actual notifications to families. After notice was given, the journalists were permitted to meet and observe the families and Beck.

Capturing the story took a lot of dedication, Heisler said.

“We didn’t think about how long it would take or how much time was spent,” he said. “Jim and I and Major Beck were all very dedicated to the story.”

Beck and John Temple, editor of The Rocky Mountain News, also will attend the free, public event.