Portrait Practice 21

 

Hi - I am almost finished with the paintings I've been doing 

from photos in the 1942 Army Air Forces Training Center yearbook.

(Please check the first post I made at the beginning of this project

HERE if you haven't been following, or to remind yourself what this is about.)

This portrait and the one contained in my next post, 

are those I have made were of the guys in the back of the yearbook,

the detachments of African American officers and cadets.

Sadly, in 1942, their place in the army and in the world

was just like the yearbook; 

they had to go to the back of the bus, 

the back of the restaurant, 

the back of the movie theatre, etc, 

if they were allowed to enter at all. 

Sergeant Johnson

Sergeant J Johnson

The unit to which Sergeant Johnson was assigned was called 

Detachment Headquarters, Second Platoon. 

There were no white soldiers in this unit. 

Their superior was a white man,

Major Wade T Leary.

 

[I may need to paint his portrait, because

the photo of Major Leary made me cringe 

a little ... his photo

made him look like a martinet.]

I salute those men & women who joined the Army Air Forces 

and other branches of the military during this time,

and were met with prejudice

across military and public domains.

If you are interested here is a 

 Wikipedia link discussing ethnic minorities

who were involved in/drafted into the US armed forces

during WWII.

Thank you so much for reading. I am nearing the end of

my project; my final post(s) will be done in November because of family travel.

So, until then, take good care

and stay healthy

and safe!

TeriRobusStudio

🎨