I will be including this paragraph with my entire signed
collector pieces I put up for sell. I joined the Marine Corps in
1975 and always had a love of history, WWII, and
photography. Through the years I have been very fortunate to be able
to open up several Art Galleries and a tremendous interest in
art. Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to befriend many
groups of the greatest generation of World War II. Unfortunately I
unable to tell the many stories I have experienced throughout almost 50 years;
30 years being in the Marine Corps. I have been lucky to befriend
several great military artists; the greatest being John Shaw – who presently
has a show/display of his 30 years as a military artist at the Daytona Museum
of Art & Science, ending in Dec 2023 or Jan 2024. I first met
John while I was the Commanding Officer of the 4th LAAM Bn, in
Fresno California. In 1994, Fresno sponsored the Doolittle Raiders
and John displayed his great painting titled “Hornet Nest”. Shortly
after I was invited to attend the gathering of all the Marine Corps Medal of
Honor recipients in New Orleans, LA where I obtained over 25 signatures on some
of John’s prints. During the years, I met men like PFC Jack Lucas
(MOH), Cpl Charles Lindberg 5th MarDiv who was in the first
photo of the Iwo Jima flag raising, General B.O. Davis & Charles McGee
(Tuskegee Airmen), spent time at the house of Span Watson, Lee
Archer and Roscoe Brown all Tuskegee Airmen. I met many members from
the Wake Island survivors, Flying Tigers, Marine Raiders, POW’s groups, General
Snowden and Haynes from the 4th & 5th MarDiv’s
who fought at Iwo Jima, videoed a visit with Joe Rosenthal with my family at
his home in San Francisco, numerous WWII Marines from the Legion of Valor where
members have received either the MOH or Navy Cross/Distinguish Cross and so
many more. I also organized a John Shaw print signing for the
Tuskegee Airmen in Washington DC in early 2000 with over 18 signers including
General B.O. Davis, and a print signing at the opening of the Marine Corps
Museum at Quantico VA in 2006 inviting over 20 service men who fought in Iwo
Jima from across the US.
** I am telling this short story to emphasize that ALL
the signatures on the prints or photo’s I am selling are ORIGINAL, AUTHENTIC
and captured and viewed by me. Many of the veterans became dear
friends and have been photographed in groups we me and others veterans, like
Jack Lucas (MOH). I do hope you enjoy what I put up for
sale. Please check my list of civil war prints, signed photographs
and other collectibles at: