“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”–George Santayana

50 years ago on this day (8/27/70) I boarded a Greyhound bus, leaving behind my home, friends and family for the first time in my life. I was accompanied by many other young men who were also on their way to the Oakland Induction Center. There we were processed, sworn in, then taken to the airport and flown to San Diego to start our boot camp training. It was a time of unrest. Our nation was torn apart, divided by an unpopular war. In many ways, it was not much different than the turmoil and desperation that is devastating our county today.

Self-destruction: This is a 20” x 16” oil painting on a stretched canvas. It’s not typical of the type of artwork I usually paint. This image expresses my anger, frustration and disappointment in regards to the current welfare of our country.

Credit: To William Pope L’s flag sculpture “Trinket”, for helping to inspire the creation of this artwork.