thedrifter
11-14-07, 11:18 AM
Once again, graffiti mars war mural
By Hillary S. Meeks
hmeeks@visalia.gannett.com
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The image of four war-weary Marines on a downtown Visalia wall was marred Monday — the day after Veterans Day — when vandals "tagged" the Korean War Veterans mural.
The mural, "Smoke Break," by local artist Rudy Vargas, was spray-painted with red and green graffiti in the same lower right-hand spot almost exactly a year ago, said retired U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Bob McNabb.
"This is the first time I can recall any of my projects being treated like this," Vargas said after the first incident occurred.
Vargas is a professional artist who served in the Marines in the 1970s and '80s. He finished the mural the day before it was dedicated on Nov. 11, 2002.
He was also a Visalia police officer for several years before pursuing his passion of painting, McNabb said.
"Graffiti is bad enough in itself, but this is disrespect to the veterans," said McNabb, a member of the Visalia Veterans Day Committee. "Whoever this individual is has got no respect for the freedoms that he so lavishly enjoys."
He said last year's incident was chalked up to the over-enthusiasm of young people after the Cowhide game.
But the committee still had to shell out more than $500 to fix the vandalism.
Artist Glen Hill, who painted the Vietnam war mural at the Visalia Convention Center, was hired to paint over last year's graffiti.
Money earmarked for other veterans projects will now be diverted to fix the mural.
"It's not just spraying a can of paint and tagging," McNabb said. "It has a lot of ramifications that go beyond that. It affects people's emotions and different projects we had to do."
Retired U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Dan Kelley, chairman of the committee, expressed similar disappointment. He suggested that the person responsible divert his or her energies toward beautifying Visalia.
And if the offender doesn't want to do that, Kelley has another suggestion.
"Give them a paintbrush and let them go to Iraq and graffiti there," he said.
Ellie
By Hillary S. Meeks
hmeeks@visalia.gannett.com
Post Comment
The image of four war-weary Marines on a downtown Visalia wall was marred Monday — the day after Veterans Day — when vandals "tagged" the Korean War Veterans mural.
The mural, "Smoke Break," by local artist Rudy Vargas, was spray-painted with red and green graffiti in the same lower right-hand spot almost exactly a year ago, said retired U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Bob McNabb.
"This is the first time I can recall any of my projects being treated like this," Vargas said after the first incident occurred.
Vargas is a professional artist who served in the Marines in the 1970s and '80s. He finished the mural the day before it was dedicated on Nov. 11, 2002.
He was also a Visalia police officer for several years before pursuing his passion of painting, McNabb said.
"Graffiti is bad enough in itself, but this is disrespect to the veterans," said McNabb, a member of the Visalia Veterans Day Committee. "Whoever this individual is has got no respect for the freedoms that he so lavishly enjoys."
He said last year's incident was chalked up to the over-enthusiasm of young people after the Cowhide game.
But the committee still had to shell out more than $500 to fix the vandalism.
Artist Glen Hill, who painted the Vietnam war mural at the Visalia Convention Center, was hired to paint over last year's graffiti.
Money earmarked for other veterans projects will now be diverted to fix the mural.
"It's not just spraying a can of paint and tagging," McNabb said. "It has a lot of ramifications that go beyond that. It affects people's emotions and different projects we had to do."
Retired U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Dan Kelley, chairman of the committee, expressed similar disappointment. He suggested that the person responsible divert his or her energies toward beautifying Visalia.
And if the offender doesn't want to do that, Kelley has another suggestion.
"Give them a paintbrush and let them go to Iraq and graffiti there," he said.
Ellie