“The
Spirit of the ‘Alamo’..Lives On!”
By
GEORGE L.SKYPECK®©
This 24”x36” acrylic of gessoed wood panel original
painting attempts to humbly depict the military/veteran sacrifices of “Lone
Star Patriots of The State of Texas.” To try to create a piece showing all
the events, personalities, campaigns, wars, and service in disasters, and
military units associated with Texas would be of an immense mural size and a
uninterrupted lifelong attempt. However, I have tried to show the items which
military veterans and active duty members remember their unique patriotic
contribution to Texas and America: namely, major unit and command insignias,
equipment, scenes, and militaria, such as, campaign and service ribbons and
medals…the centerpieces, and most important in this subject are the seal of
the STATE OF TEXAS and the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor.
I created this painting in my unique “trademarked”
style with a unique ground and background in the painting. The “ground” of
the painting is rough, much like the geography of Texas, with a unique stylized
American and Texas flag as the major background and superimposed on this is the
vast and varied geology and geography in Texas: vast skies, land and major Gulf
of Mexico coastline. Because of this, Texas is ideal for the stationing,
training and missions of America’s military services: Army, Navy, Marine, Air
Force, Coast Guard, and related federal government agencies. However, the main
recognition in the painting goes to the military veterans and active duty
members and citizens of Texas who made a significant contribution to its and
America’s military history in peacetime and war. For this painting, I consider
the “military forces of the State of Texas” to comprise these elements
solely to be able to artistically define my painting images and subject:
National Guard forces, military Reserves, active duty major commands and units,
and State Guard forces and volunteers.
Texas became a Republic after the famous battle of the
“Alamo” and others, and in 1845 War with Mexico, it became a state in the
Union of the United States of America. Texas State Guard and National Guard
units trace their lineage back to the defenders of the “Alamo” via
the Infantry Regiments of the 36th(Texas) National Guard Division,
which has been called into Federal Service again for the Global War on Terrorism
and has already seen combat service in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the famous “Texas
Rangers.” Its reserve forces have also been re-activated and deployed for
this same reason, besides the major active duty military units such as the 4th
Infantry(IVY) Division and famed 1st Cavalry Division from
Ft. Hood.
The Texas Air National Guard has a unique history of its
own dating back to the creation of the first American military aviation
elements, or the U.S. Army Air Service, the U.S. Army Air Corps, and today’s
United States Air Force and Air Reserve.
The “Texas Navy” traces its origin through naval
actions during the Texas Republic’s realm, and still exists today in a unique
historical form in State status as well as in the modern day form of the latest
submarine, the “USS Texas SSN 775.”
One of the most famous naval units is that of the famed battleship “USS
Texas BB-35“, now a museum and monument, and having the unique honor of
serving in several wars and major campaigns and the establishment on its decks
of the famous “1st Marine Division(‘Guadalcanal’)”
whose combat honors are legendary to this date.
Major scene depictions on the painting:
The Alamo Civil War( War Between the States) Indian War service
War With Spain Cuban Campaign Mexican Border service
World War One WW2(ETO,PTO,POW-lost battalion) WW2 Invasions
Italy+France USS Texas BB-35 combat at sea Korean Air combat
Post WW2 Texas Navy flags USS Texas submarine
Desert Storm
Gulf
War,Kosovo,Bosnia,UN
GWOT+Iraq+Afghanistan
Major Military Units+Commands:
USAAF(preWW2 patch) US Army Medical+Health Services Command
5th US Army(HQ at Ft.Sam Houston) 36th Division(WW1,WW2,present day)
U.S. Navy Naval Air Training Command 10th Air Force
8th Air Force Air Training Command(USAF) USAF Security Forces
USAF new insignia U.S.Army Reserve Comd. 807th USAR Medical Comd.
90th USAR Div. 95 USAR Div. 90th USAR Div./RRC 75th USAR Div.(IT)
TX STARC Comd. 49th Armor Div(NG) US Special Forces 4th US Inf Div
1st US Cavalry Div. 2d Cavalry Div. 4th Army 2d Armored Div.
US Army Missile Center 3d U.S. Army Corps
Gen John Bell Hood’s Div +Bde(Confederate Army) flags 442 Regt.Combat Team
3rd Armored Cavalry Rgt. Texas State Guard Forces(Volunteers)
1st Armored Division (36th DIV (TX) + USAR battalions and regimental DUIs)
TX Air National Guard+ USAF Reserve units’ insignias.
USCG flag.
Military Campaign, War & Service Medals and Ribbons
earned by TX veterans:
War with Mexico Civil War Indian Wars War with Spain(1898)
2d War with Mexico(1911) Mexican Border Service Victory WW1
Occupation WW1 Navy Expeditionary USMC Expeditionary
American Defense(1940-41) American Campaign WW2(ATO)
Pacific WW2(PTO) European WW2(ETO) Victory WW2
Occupation Germany/Japan WW2 National Defense Service(w/3stars)
Korean Service(Korean War) Armed Forces Expeditionary Service
Vietnam Service Gulf War(DS) Korea Service(post Korean War)
Kosovo Campaign Humanitarian Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism(GWOT)Expeditionary Service GWOT Service
Armed Forces Service(Bosnia,etc.) Iraq Campaign Afghanistan Campaign
US Reserve Forces(10 yr w/”M”) USAR Overseas(w/ “M”)
UN Korean War UN Service(varies) Vietnamese Vietnam Campaign(w/”60”)
Philippine Liberation WW2 NATO(Bosnia,etc) NATO(Kosovo)
ROK Korean War Service Liberation of Kuwait(Saudi Arabia)
Liberation of Kuwait(Kuwait) Multinational Force& Observers(MFO)
US Presidential/Distinguished Unit Citation(USA,USAF)
USN,USMC,USCG Presidential Unit Citation USA Meritorious Unit Citation
RVN Cross of Gallantry Unit Citation w/palm(all) RVN Civil Actions Cit.w/palm(all)
USAF Outstanding Unit Award DOD Joint Meritorious Unit Citation(all)
French Croix de Guerre w/palm(for WW2 combat)..and possibly
others to come!
Equipment on painting:
USAF and ANG aircraft used by units in TX-PT-13, F-84,
F-16, F-102, C-130, B-1, B-2, B-36, B-52, predator RPV.
US Army,USAR, Army NG- “Humvee”, M-1 tank, Bradley
Fighting Vehicle, UH-1, CH-47, AH-64, UH-60.
USN-USS Texas(BB-35), LCVPs invasion craft WW2, nuclear
submarines, early Texas Navy ships, F-18 and WW2 “Wildcat” fighter.
Prisoner of War Medal ribbon on painting:
Of special recognition is the five-star rank of Admiral Chester Nimitz, a Texas citizen and WW2 hero and a scene of the famous WW2 Japanese railway bridge in Thailand which was built by American POW survivors of the initial attacks on the Philippines and Java, especially the “Lost Battalion” of the TX National Guard’s 2d Battalion 131st Field Artillery. The second special recognition is for the famous Japanese/American veterans of the 442d Regimental Combat Team “Go For Broke” which fought with the 36th (Texas) Division in Italy and France in WW2 earning many decorations for bravery. And, finally, the United States Medal of Honor ribbon and the U.S. Purple Heart medal for those Texans who received them, or their families.