Belleau, Helmand and the Mojave-- Sketches about Marines

Sketch of a Marine at Belleau Wood.

Sketch of Afghan Farmers in Helmand Province Afghanistan.

Sketch of Marine M2 gunners in training during "Javelin Thrust."

It's a Lance Corporal's War

Here's an oil painting of a Marine leading his fire team on a patrol near Delaram, Afghanistan back in July.

It's called "the Strategic (Lance) Corporal-- Wagner Places his Team" and shows a certain LCpl Clinton Wagner, a fire team leader for second squad, 3rd Plt, Echo Company, 2nd Bn 3rd Marines, giving direction to his fire team, just after the patrol crossed a river near Delaram.

One might think a fire team leader is supposed to be a Corporal.  But in many a squad out there, "Lance Coolies" are doing an NCO's job-- leading Marines in combat situations. And the success or failure of the Campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan are in their hands, in a direct, tactical sense. Though they don't decide the big picture stategy, they affect people and situations around them, each and every day, in a thousand little decisions.

The "Strategic Corporal" is a term coined ten years ago in a paper by Gen Charles Krulak, and is still relevant today. Yet in today's campaigns, as perhaps ever, Lance Corporals are filling those boots, of making decisions that can have Stategic consequences in the war as a whole.

Walk About

Crossing the River Near Delaram

When people ask me what it's like going on a patrol, I usually remark about the strange slowness of the movement, and the almost surreal normalcy of it all. If the weapons were absent, it'd look like a casual walk in the desert or about town (until something happens to disrupt that walk about, of course).

What a strange feeling it is, to be so exposed, and yet to move do deliberately, all the while under the potential eye of the enemy. That exposure is made more stark by the vast expanses of the open desert. The watercolor sketch above portrays the feeling of stark beauty of the desert in Afghanistan, especially when there's a river there. It also addresses the lonely nature of walking around on a patrol, even if you've got a whole squad with you.

The sketch above is a watercolor I did while I was in Afghanistan, and it's of a Marine from 2/3, on a patrol near Delaram. He's against a wall, being watchful during a pause in the patrol. He doesn't seem particularly excited-- minus the weapon and gear, he could be any youth hanging out on the street.

But the calm demeanor belies the inner awareness of a person who's gotten used to this kind of casual readiness. Though relaxed, he is poised to respond should it be required of him. He can't afford to be complacent, because a firefight could come at any moment. But he can't maintain a constant state of hyper-alertness, or he'll burn out.

I'm sure someone could do a doctoral thesis on this phenomenon in human nature.

We're the Entertainment

The Future of Afghanistan watches us on every patrol.

Tomorrow's City Council is in session. The panel of judges is making its decision!

What, do you suppose, are they thinking about us? We are an enigma, perhaps; or a moment's amusement.

And how will they feel about us years from now? How will the choices "Strategic Corporals" make today affect the relationship between our countries tomorrow?

I painted this quick oil sketch because I loved the subject matter, some Afghani kids perched near a house, watching us as we pass by on patrol, like we were a circus act or street show.

Kids are the same everywhere.

The color was another thing about it that made me paint it- it's bold even though it has a lot of earth tones, and the white areas contrast with the greens and browns with a rich effect.

I applied the paint loosely so I could sort of add to the bold nature of the color and perhaps suggest the activity going on in the subtext; in the boys' thoughts as they see these exotic, strange Americans walk by...

Swelter in Some Kind of Shelter

There were some common themes that ran throughout my deployment experience in Afghanistan, and I think anyone who's been there for any period of time can sympathize with them-- three of which are 1)Dust, 2) Heat, 3) Waiting/Passing Time. I had sketches and watercolors of each of these, and will continue to draw and paint about those things, as well as all the other things common to a combat zone.

Today's Theme: Heat (or, Swelter and Shelter)

Sleeping was very difficult in the heat, especially for someone who has a shift that requires him to sleep in the day time. And it was strange that the heat of the afternoon made you want to sleep, but rigorously denied you the ability to do so! The tents also (especially at FOB Dwyer) seemed especially designed to keep the heat in...

The tents at Delaram seemed to be melted as if in a Salvador Dali painting!

Two images of Marines trying to sleep in the heat at FOB Dwyer

During our visit to Fire Base Thunder (now known as "Fiddler's Green" after the arty legend) we slept under the stars the first night, and then were able to secure some cammie netting, which I'm sure is now being used as the "visitors tent":

Our "home SWEAT home" for our time at Fire Base Thunder

Afghanistan-- It's Iraq, only dustier!

If you like yellow-brown, and if dust is your thing, you'll love Afghanistan!(Imagine-- they actually say, "One day, son, all this will be YOURS!")

I recently returned from a short deployment to Afghanistan, to collect and create images for the National Museum of the Marine Corps.

I have many sketches from my time there, as well as more than 1500 photographs, from which I'll create paintings and sculptures for the Museum's Collection.

So More Posts to Come-- in the mean time, here are some photos and video from Afghanistan:

I went on patrol with 2nd Bn 3rd Marines up near Delaram, with some members of the Afghanistan National Police as well. This video is of the patrol just leaving the town and heading out to a farm in the outskirts... we actually had to ford a river (though we'd have called it a creek back home...). I honestly never thought I'd get my boots wet in Afghanistan!

A Marine from 2/3 watches alertly as fellow squad members check out the other corner of a compound on the outskirts of Delaram, Afghanistan.

Here I am at the flight line at FOB Dwyer, as Marines from 2nd Bn 8th Marines load up on helos and start out on Operation River Liberty (I had to be satisfied with photographing their departure, as they wouldn't let us get onto the helos and go out on the push...)



Me on patrol in Garmsir, Afghanistan, with Marines and Police advisers who are maintaining good relationships with local townspeople.

Here I am, about to get on a flight back to Camp Leatherneck, posing in front of one of the guard posts at Patrol Base Jaker, where elements of the 1st Bn 5th Marines live and work, along with a detachment of the British Army & the Afghan National Army. I had to get a photo of this place, because it looks like something out of Fort Apache or the Battle of Rorke's Drift!