Journal Entry for Sketch #9
May 18th The Vietnam War Dead
Today I decide to focus on the Vietnam Dead since I feel that I have made my peace for the moment with the Iraq dead and need to start moving back in history to other wars. As with the Iraq dead I follow my intuition and am lead to drive to a large group of gravestones that are all from Vietnam—48 dead in all. Most of these stones bear the acronyms “PH”, “SS”, or “BSM” signifying they have received either a Purple Heart or Service Medals for valor in war. I count 30 Purple Hearts among the group but observe only one bouquet of flowers on all the graves. A red and white carnation with a fern on the grave of Lance Corporal Byron Randall Duke, U.S. Marine Corps who died on January 31, 1968.
I walk through the group of graves and finally am lead to what I am looking for, a man who died on this same day:
California
Ens US Navy
Vietnam
PH & SS
1/9/47-5/18/67
Dead at 20 years of age
This is where I sketch today.
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0 thoughts on “Rosecrans 9: The Howling of Impotence”
“The Mouths of Dismemberment” All characheters have lost limbs and all seem to be speaking or singing.
It may also have something to do with indigenous people.
All figures except the one on the half moon seem to me to be whaling or pleading to the heavens.
“The Howling of Impotence”
Dismembered souls, disconnected, arms reaching for bodies, legs trying to swim. If impotence had a voice it would howl for eternity and long for what it has lost.
These title suggestions were submitted in writing by persons attending the Rosecrans Exhibit at the Louden Community Center in Santa Cruz, CA:
No Name: Laughter Stops
No Name: Reincarnation
“Fall of the Gods of War” the figure on the left seems to be worshipping or giving an offering to his diety. the fingure in the middle seems to be manipulating the figure on the right. Maybe this is a parable of how the chicken-hawks in power manipulate those on the right while at the same time replace what we really need with religious rhetoric.
Volleyball is in the air and game has been lost. The howling figures in the foreground have been defeated by the mass in the background and we have not a clue as to what this victory will bring – shades of 1919 whose shadows haunt us today throughout the middle east. Will we ever learn – victory and defeat is never the answer.