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Self Portrait - Vietnam


greensquid68-69
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greensquid68-69

I started this painting a long time ago & never finished it. Found it in a box awhile back & did finish. Thought I'd post for those interested. It's a small 8 x 10 painting, but says a lot about a true experience I went thru. 2 planes were diverted from a North Vietnam bombing run to help us when we came under attack. One of the jets screamed down a ravine near me, I looked over & could see the pilot moving his head. It was a hellacious day in the life in Nam.

 

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Jumpin Jack

You have a great deal of talent. Have you done other work like this? That's what I would call, "Up close and personal."

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Excellent, very professional, detail, colors etc, a work of art worthy of being illustrated in military history books on Vietnam if I ever saw one.

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greensquid68-69

Thank you all for the compliments. I noticed the pict is a bit blurry, I'm not that good at putting scans on this website. I'm going to attempt to put a clearer one, but if I get frustrated (which I do easily) I'll leave the original. Jumping' Jack - I mainly do wildlife & some fantasy stuff. There is a painting I did on the Civil War portion of this website, involving my Grt Grandpa's flag. But I haven't done too much military related.

 

Steathytyler - I hadn't been with my company long, we were sent up a hill & some NVA forward guards had actually slipped into our ranks & were coming up the hill with us unknown to anyone in my company. Then when we got near the top of the hill, someone noticed what turned out to be one of the NVA soldiers in our ranks with leaves in his hat, and oped fire on him - as none of us had leaves in our helmets. By that time we had walked into their main unit. They opened up on us, Marines were shot down. Our FO called in air support & 2 jets were fortunately diverted from a flight up to N. Vietnam to help us out. They came in with bombs & napalm. One of the jets screamed by over a ravine that was off to my side as I was getting to one of the wounded. I remember quickly looking over & it was so close I could see the pilot moving his head around. Soon there was so much screaming & dust, smoke & ear splitting noise from the rifle fire, incoming mortars & close bombs going off it became a nightmarish blur. I could go on, but that's how it started.

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Brian Keith

That is a great painting of a interesting moment in time. Thanks so much for sharing this part of your history. I love the detail of the leaves in the helmets.

BKW

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