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Editorial: Photos of courage

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so Rep. Walter Jones decided to let the images do the talking.

The North Carolina Republican, whose district includes thousands of Marines and sailors stationed at Camp Lejeune and the Cherry Point and New River Marine Corps air stations, says he wanted to honor troops who deployed to combat from his region but never came home.

His makeshift memorial, posted on easels in the hallway near his office, displayed the faces of hundreds of service members who paid the ultimate price in combat.

But new rules designed to free the halls of clutter for the sake of pedestrian safety and evacuation routes made the memorial a target. So Jones hung the posters on the wall.

This, too, came under attack. Other rules, intended to keep the halls tidy and attractive, were invoked. The posters were removed.

For Jones, this was going too far; he wants those faces back up on the wall.

At least three others — Reps. Ted Poe, R-Texas; Steve Cohen, D-Tenn.; and Jim McDermott, D-Wash. — have joined him in seeking to change the rules to allow such displays. They said about 20 Congress members have had such hallway displays.

These lawmakers know such memorials serve not as obstructions, but as reminders of what it means to serve one’s country.

Surely, the House of Representatives in the name of neatness and order won’t block an effort to honor those who have given their lives in service to their country.