Introducing the finished, "Embassy Duty Guards" with Cpl Cameron Gianetto, USMC Embassy Duty Guard in Cyro 2010-2011. Cameron stands the fourth on the back row. When Doug and Tina Jenk's showed the photograph that November at our Syracuse Marine Parent's meeting of their son,s platoon. I was taken by the immensity and timeliness of these Marines standing on the Pyramids of Egypt. The detail on the faces I purposely kept vague so viewing it should be at a distance away. The milled stone work is etched by the sands of time. These heroes were charged to protect and defend our embassy. A short time after that photo was taken, a Facebook post appeared in February. His dad wrote "Pray for Cameron". As parents we responded immediately with our prayers, our most powerful weapon. Within two days we heard a post from Cameron. "We feel better. We are out of our blues and into our utilities". Prayers kept going. Then another post. "Well, the FAST team has surrounded the embassy. We are back in our blues." Prayers for our heroes were answered as we watched the news. The Egyptian government changed.
This week I had the honor to meet some of those Embassy Duty Guards that have served at the Ebassy in Cyro, Egypt. This painting is the largest of the series at 48"x60" and took a 18 months to complete and was created for my heroes.
This was also a week to teach and share my mission with my heroes. And there were many that came by from enlisted to the Comandant of the Marine Corp. I have many Veterans that well fit into my heroes present and past. Also, I have heroes that may not have been on a battlefield but have made a difference too with the protection they provide by manufacturing technical equipment used everyday by our heroes.
When Forest arrived home from
that first deployment, he showed me the flack jacket that sustained a hit with that 7.62 ml bullet that struck his camel pack and traveled around the sapi plate and through and out his vest. I will never for get that time. At the Modern Day Marine Expo I took time to give a heart felt thank you to the vendors who had a part in manufacturing the flack jackets that saved my son's life. Those jackets have saved so many. God gives you talents and he intends you to use them. Sometimes people may take for granted what a strong fiber like Kevlar can do, or what happens when you mix science with ceramics. Even paint to canvas can be a very powerful mix by the stories a painting has to tell.
Their story has become my mission to teach:
"A Military Series - A Parent’s Perspective” is for the American Citizen. As a parent, I have one foot in the Military and the other in the civilian world in which there is a disconnect that needs to be bridged. The paintings in this series cross that bridge by teaching the average American Citizen what our heroes in the Military sacrifice daily to keep us free and protected. As much as they protect us we need to stand behind them, for their honorable purpose is to make a difference in this world.
So many things have happened in these last few weeks. I was so blessed to be invited to the Modern Day Marine Expo. There were many events each day. See the Colors being presented? Notice the Marine Corp flag being presented forward. It has a very special detail of ribbons that not many civilians know its meaning. Each ribbon was added on to the flag to represent the war campains the Marines have been in since our country began from the Revolution, all the way forward to our present day war in Afghanistan.
This Marine Corp flag is heavy and we all should be so proud of all they represent. The Marine on the Left was given a special award for his service. Just think of the brave men and women that have stepped up to serve and protect our nation through its history. I thank God to live here in the land of the free and protected by these brave men and women.
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