Pink Elephant Tattoo Inks Memorials for Curtis Gearhart

Friends of Fallen Iowa Veteran Honor His Memory in Ink
WHO 13 News
BY REID CHANDLER
NOVEMBER 19, 2016

ANKENY, Iowa - A group of tattoo artists in Ankeny are remembering a dear friend through ink.

Curtis Gearhart, an Iraq War veteran and Des Moines native who took his own life last week, had many friends and family who want to honor him in a permanent way. That's why the artists at Pink Elephant Tattoo in Ankeny opened their doors Saturday for a special charity event; $50 tattoos to customers would ensure every penny be donated to Gearhart's family. What's more, the tattoos people could choose included designs Gearhart either had on his own body, or designs he intended to get.

"It's a piece of him that everybody can have," said Jesse Drake.

It's a tragedy told too often, but when Gearhart took his own life, it hit the people here inside this tattoo shop like a train.
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