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thedrifter
10-11-05, 06:37 PM
October 17, 2005
An artistic tribute
Barn mural honors a fallen leatherneck

Duane Richard never met Lance Cpl. William “Brett” Wightman, who died in August along with 13 other Marines in a bomb attack in Iraq. But the young artist was so moved by Wightman’s sacrifice, he put his talent to use honoring the Marine.

First, Richard painted signs reading: “Thank you, Brett,” that lined several front yards along Wightman’s funeral procession route through Sabina, a close-knit community in Clinton County, Ohio.

Then, he painted a 30-foot-wide mural of the 22-year-old leatherneck on the side of a barn on the artist’s parents’ land. Richard lined the image with 13 American flags — one for each of the other Marines killed in the same attack.

Brett’s father, Keith Wightman, supplied a color photo of his son so Richard could see how blue his eyes had been.

“You can just stare right into his eyes,” Richard said. “A true American hero.”

When the Marine’s family and friends heard about the project, they came to watch Richard paint. They told him their Brett stories and brought him food and soda.

About 10 people a day stopped to gaze at the mural, take pictures and talk.

Wightman’s mother, Pam Saville, drives past it every day.

Ellie