The Grim Reality Original

25” x 19”, pastels on 500 series board.

...in my experience, [my first kill] was one of revulsion and disgust...I dropped my weapon and cried... there was so much blood...I vomited...and I cried... I felt remorse and shame. I can remember whispering foolishly, "I'm sorry" and then just throwing up. Just as I was feeling sorry for him, another Marine showed me the U.S. Government M1 Carbine the [racial slur for Vietnamese] had used on us. He was wearing a Timex watch and sporting a new pair of U.S.-made tennis shoes. So much for feeling sorry for him." - R.A. Anderson, U.S. Marine, Vietnam.

at the time I created this, I was swiftly and thankfully reminded by a friend during his Marine Corps birthday message that "accomplishment in the past does not make us prepared for the future", and although I agree that subscribing to the technical aspects of fighting and winning wars is absolutely necessary, so too are understanding the human factors associated with the gritty realism that will be encountered. War and death are glorified - sensationalized even, especially in todays digital world.

But when it comes to it, war is ugly and can leave even the strongest of men struggling with their heads in their hands for years following their righteous and necessary actions during war. How do we get left of bang with these grim realities? What can we do right of bang to effectively decompress, rationalize and accept these realities and prevent or reduce post-traumatic stress?

In part, I believe this is (or at very least should be a) goal of military artists; to express the often gritty realities of war, so that they may be discussed and addressed left of bang in an effort to prepare service members for what they may encounter.

This piece was referenced from Kilo Co 3/1, Hell House, Fallujah, Iraq, November 13th, 2004. 

Signed and accompanied with a certificate of authenticity, this original work comes unframed and ready for you to hang.