Veterans Memorial mural commissioned by the American Legion Post 67 & the city of Versailles 2023
$45 11"x 14" Paper Giclee
$195 18" x 24" Paper Giclee
Click on the image of the mural print to purchase.
Each sponsored veteran's portraits receives one 11" x 14" print. Additional prints, for the sponsored veteran's portrait, of either size will be given a discount.
All Post 67 members will also receive a discount.
Please call Steve Sawyer for any additional prints.
859-227-8188
A giclee (zhee-cla
It has been a great honor to have been asked to create this mural.
Lonnie Estes from the American Legion Post 67 contacted me in 2022 about creating a mural. Along with the Commander Nathan Lauderdale, we have found common purpose between art and patriotism.
After about of year of research I created the final image for my mural which was enthusiastically approved. The size of my mural is 18' x 24
As of Wednesday, September 27, 2023 this is my progress so far. I spent the first two day tuck-pointing the wall to repair damaged or missing mortar.
After that I painted for ten days to reach this point.
Each of these faces became an opportunity to honor a real veteran by family members or dear friends. I have painted commissioned portraits for each of these soldiers represented here.
Every service man and woman featured in this mural has their photo submitted along with a short story about their service and commitment .
This honors the sacrifices and patriotism of men an women from the Revolution
Veterans in my Mural
Jack Kain
Jack Kain served during the Korean War in the United States Air Force as a 1st Lieutenant. He was a weatherman and he served in Alaska. He was served from Jan. 6, 1951-Jan. 6, 1953.
Read his remarkable full bio here:
https://www.kainford.com/the-kain-story
WW I / Jack Kain
Rev Floyd Greene
Rev. Greene served in the Army for 6 years. In 2013 he received numerous certificates and awards for brave and courageous service as a veteran of the Army. He is an ordained Baptist minister who has served his community in local, regional, and national platforms for the NAACP, Human Rights Commission, and various highly recognized areas of the Baptist church and much more.
Veterans in my Mural
US CIVIL WAR / Rev Floyd Greene
Charles W. Sawyer & Dave H. Sawyer
Charles William Sawyer was a proud Navy veteran who served in the Second World War. Charley Bill, or CB as he was known to friends and family, was born in a small farming community in southern Kentucky on November 25, 1926. CB was 15 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941. Eighteen-year-old males were
required to register with their local draft board. However, males were allowed to
volunteer for the armed services before their eighteenth birthday. CB
volunteered for the Navy.
US Navy WW II
PRINTS OF THE MURAL ARE AVAILABLE.
John McKinney
John Wesley McKinney Senior, a veteran of the U.S. Army was born 11/25/1941.
He enlisted in 1961 and completed a mission in the Bay of Pigs invasion in Playa Giron, Cuba. John received the following awards: The Good Conduct Medal, The National Defense Service Medal, The Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar. He was honorably discharged on July 10, 1964.
John was a lifetime member of the American Legion Post 67 where he served in many capacities including Commander.
John McKinney
Captain Black
William Perkins Black (November 11, 1842 – January 3, 1916) was a lawyer and veteran of the American Civil War. He received America's highest military decoration – the Medal of Honor – for his actions at the Battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas, in 1862.
Captain Black as an American Revolution soldier
Don Richerson
Don Richerson as a medic
This space is still available for a female veteran of any war.
Starting with a rough brick wall...Sept. 13, 2023
I tuck pointed a large portion of the 18' x 24' wall to repair and replace weak or missing mortar. Thanks to our friend, Kenny Witten, I was able to rent his bucket truck as needed.
After repairing much of the wall to create a better "canvas" I painted a cool color base coat.
My first choice was to start from the top and work my way down. The American Flag was first. Sept. 16
The second phase was to create shadows on the white and then the red.
I next started the background behind the flag to create a strong contrast and then began painting my soldier in mourning for a lost fellow soldier. Sept. 19
I wanted to create a ghost-like image of my large soldier so that his dominance of size
wouldn't overpower the rest of the mural.
My next decision was to finish the flag and background. Sept. 20
Now it was time to block in my soldiers. My intent was to show the military lineage
from the American Revolution to modern times. Sept. 24
I fell from a short ladder October 4 while repairing some mortar in one of my faces and crushed the radius side of my left hand when I landed on the asphalt in the American Legion alley. Surgery was October 10 and I began repainting the mural during the Halloween festival on October 27 to finish for the Veteran's Day dedication.
The finished mural with the faces of real veterans has been accomplished.