First Light

Across the Threshing Floor: F/2/1 in Old Ubaydi

At the break of dawn on November 16, 2005 the Marines of Fox Company, 2nd Battalion of the 1st Marine Regiment headed into the small Euphrates River town of Old Ubaydi. In the ethereal glow of first light they worked their way across threshing floors and orchards pushing dozens of insurgents ahead of them into a village of mud daub homes and muddy farm yards. In a few minutes they would be in the fight of their lives.

New Work

Lance Corporal Dustin Barr (now a sergeant), fire team leader, 2nd Platoon F/2/1
Staff Sergeant Michael Ventrone (now a CWO2 Marine Gunner), platoon sergeant for 3rd Platoon F/2/1
IED site in Hadditha
Afghans
Over the wall in Ubaydi, Iraq during Operation Steel Curtain
Range 400, Mojave Viper, 29 Palms, California
On the berm in Ubaydi, Iraq. Captain Ross Parrish and his comm guys on the morning of November 14, 2005.
Lance Corporal Guzman tosses in a grenade in Ubaydi, Iraq.
Mass casualty evacuation in Old Ubaydi on November 16, 2005

Lance Corporal Van Goghs

A few days ago a fellow Marine warrant officer contacted me about a talented field Marine who's creating art for his battalion over in Iraq. Almost every unit has it's Lance Corporal Van Gogh, the kid who designs tatoos for his buddies, turns high school prom pictures into frameable sketches and creates the unit's Christmas card. I know this because long ago I was that guy. From time to time I hear about these talented Marines and this one, Lance Corporal Max Uriarte, has got what it takes to be a combat artist.

Here's a sample of his work.

Convalescing

Well, after 55 years without ever having a broken bone I managed on Saint Patrick's Day to do just that. I broke the middle toe of my right foot..........very badly. It was what doctors like to call an "open wound fracture with tendon damage". Two weeks after having the bone set and the wound stitched up an orthopedic doctor informed me that it wasn't healing at all. This young rather humorous Army doctor of Irish descent put it this way, "The two pieces of bone would need to call each other long distance to have any contact." So, to make a long story short, I had surgery to pin the toe back together.

I think the blame lies with one of my brothers. A couple weeks ago Doug, a banker, sent me one of those chain emails meant to grant those who pass it on good luck, and bad luck to those who don't. As you may have already guessed, I failed to send the email on.

This week I'm back in my home studio after two weeks convalescent leave. I still can't drive or walk very far. So, in order to be productive, I'm sitting at my kitchen table doing watercolors and a series of pencil portraits.

Here's a sampling.

And yes, you may want to consider sending on those emails promising good luck.

Finished Lost Wax Bronze

Final piece with coat of wax
Application of acid to darken the bronze
Heating up sandblasted sculpture in preparation for patina application
All put together and ready to be sandblasted
Getting ready to weld on the bandolier of ammunition
Welding the machine gun on to the main sculpture
Bringing back lost details
Chipping ceramic mold material from all the nooks and crannies
Breaking the mold

A sculpture that I've been working on for quite a long time was finally cast and finished this week. It depicts a Marine machine gunner shouldering a M240G at the moment he's stepping off for another assault. The primary job of this Marine is to establish a base of fire for his platoon by laying down a steady stream of suppressive 7.62 cal. rounds. Each fire team of 4 Marines has a light weight SAW (squad automatic weapon) that fires the lighter 5.56 cal. bullet. The 240 Gulf gunner provides a bigger punch and a longer range. It's also a far heavier weapon's system for the Marine to hump day in and day out. This piece stands 24" high and weighs about 50 lbs.

Pentagon Channel Documentary

The Pentagon Channel documentary show RECON is featuring a 30 minute piece about combat art. Check it out.

Heros Honored

Lance Corporal Joshua Mooi USMC 2nd Platoon, Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines

On January 8, 2009 Lance Corporal Joshua Mooi recieved his Navy Cross. Beside Joshua stood two other Marines and a Navy Corpsman who were recognized for their heroic service with Silver Stars for actions taken on November 16, 2005. A fourth Silver Star was posthumously presented to the parents of Lt. Ryan McGlothlin. The ceremony was held at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. You can read about the presentations here.

Small Christmas Gift

Here's a link to an online catalogue of our combat art exhibit at the Navy Museum. I hope you enjoy it, and may all of you have a wonderful Christmas.

Go to War, Do Art

Photo courtesy of Rob Curtis



This is the sketch I was working on when Military Times photographer Rob Curtis took the photos of me at the beginning of the video clip. Military Times has published this week an article about combat art.

Beyond Words

This afternoon my girlfriend, a Sergeant First Class in the Virginia National Guard, called me to see something on the TV. Janis served an 18 month tour in Iraq. She had over 600 missions outside the wire with a civil affairs unit. Just outside the Green Zone in January of 2004, her vehicle was IED'd. Her interpreter Nahla, sitting behind her, died. The back of her head had been blown off. They were on the way to the Baghdad International Airport to pick up Nahla's fiance, an Army Lt. Colonel. Janis didn't cry that day. She was too busy calling in a medevac and securing the blast site.

Today she had tears in her eyes. Here's why......

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......whether you say oorah, or hooah, we, the veterans of the GWOT, share a common bond few others will ever understand.

A new administration is coming to the White House with hopes of making history. We who've made history wish them well. We pray that our sacrifices and successes will not be forgotten. We, for our part, can not and will not.

...and yes, I teared up too.