Napoleon 12-Pounder's

Guardians

8x10

Sunday was a good day for painting. I got an early start at Steigerwald National Wildlife Refuge and turned out a couple 6x8 landscapes. I was home by noon, had some lunch and had energy for more. So, i went to the studio and painted from a photo i took, of a pair of cannons that are stationed on Officer's Row. As i started in, i found myself wiping the panel clear of my poor lines a handful of times so i decided to simplify and exaggerate working the entire painting more than i usually do. Forgotten what a challenge painting oval shapes can be, i just worked back and forth, making, breaking, making, breaking and then making again. It turned out to be quite fun.

I did a little research on these beauties and found while they are replicas of the Napoleon 12-Pound Light Field Cannons, they have a great story. They were made by students of Mountain View High School (Vancouver,WA) from material donated by the City of Vancouver. The students used drawings and original photos so they could get as close to an exact replica as possible, however they do not fire which is probably a good thing; Great job MV and its instructors Larry Books and Darell Midles. The placement of the cannons was taken on as an Eagle Scout project by James Deuvall of Troop 328 (Vancouver,WA), way to go James. The cannons were dedicated on November 8,1991 in honor of four Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, and they are:

First Sergeant James M. Hill: 5th U.S. Cavalry, The Indian Campaigns, 1873. First Sergeant Moses Williams: 9th U.S. Cavalry, The Indian Campaigns, 1876. First Lieutenant William W. McCammon: 24th Missouri Regiment, Civil War, 1896. Bugler Herman Pfisterer: 21st Infantry, Spanish-American War, 1899

Present at the dedication was General Colin L. Powell and Major General Patrick H. Brady. In a book i have (Images of America Downtown Vancouver, by Pat Jollota) General Powell is pictured leaving the Marshall House.

Thank you to all who had a part in this memorial and thank you to all, past and present, who put their lives on the line so that i have the freedom and the right to post this entry.