Monday, July 5, 2010

USS North Carolina (BB-55) Oil Painting by S. Phillips



First I'd like apologize to Sonia for stealing this image
of her work without her permission. I've been so impressed
by it since the first time I saw it yesterday, I had to share it
here. I, being in the art field, know it's great when many
can view the art you've worked so hard to create. 

To tie this all together ... Happy Birthday Dad. My father,
who would have been 102 today, has a tie to this Battle Ship.
The USS North Carolina (BB-55) shelled Iwo Jima during 
the invasion in World War II. My father landed on the island
around the second day. To this day we never knew why so
early, as he wasn't part of the invasion. He, once the runway
end of the island was secured, started getting the radar ready
to help the B-29s land in the future. He was the one in charge
of the radar that guided the limping B-29s in after they visited
Japan. He also was the one that discovered how weather could
be observed with radar. Some of you might remember the old 
"Victory at Sea" of Iwo Jima and a sign that read "Los Angeles
City Limits". That was his sign he made around the third day
of the invasion.



Happy Birthday Dad ... I miss you.

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