She Was All They Claimed
22" x 30"
charcoal, watercolor, ink, and acrylic on Rives BFK

This piece is part of a series I've been working on titled: "Of Militant Men and Their Flying Castles." It stands as a conceptual series involving the relationships that B-17 Flying Fortress crews had with their aircraft. I've been researching extensively the history of bomber crews and their aircraft, and it has proven to be unbelievably intriguing. I hate to harp on history in great detail, so here's a description from the AZ Wing CAF website I think provides a great analysis of the hell these people experienced:

"...Most were unaware of the death and destruction they would soon be facing as they flew their Fortresses into combat.
It was the feeling of fear that engulfed these men in combat, as childhood was forgotten and the reality of war was revealed... the horror that reached out at these men as their aircraft was suddenly stricken five miles above the earth... the heartache of watching a buddy’s aircraft slowly roll over and begin its final plunge to the enemy soil below... the physical strain of using oxygen in an unpressurized aircraft at an altitude where the temperature dropped to -60 degrees. These men were not superhuman. Most were only in their late teens or early twenties. Many would be reported missing after only a few missions, while others might survive only to be killed on their final mission. They were all living at a time in our history when they had an imperative job to do and many died trying to accomplish it. "
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