New mural welcomes CINC Installation Excellence, Lemay and Hennessy evaluators Published Jan. 29, 2009 By Staff Sgt. Aileen Carter Nellis Public Affairs NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- A newly decorated mural made its debut Jan. 27 at the Nellis entrance, welcoming thousands of visitors each day. This mural was the work of Mr. Marty Purdy, a member of the 99th Civil Engineer Squadron's structural shop. The opportunity to have Nellis and Creech members decorate the 16 by six feet billboard came from the 99th Air Base Wing's command chief's office. In a matter of a week and a half, Mr. Purdy was able to sketch his ideas onto paper and transform it into a masterpiece. The mural depicts an Airman dressed in the Airman Battle Uniform, a helicopter, an MQ-1 Predator and the Red Rocks mountains in the background. Mr. Purdy said he wanted to highlight the different themes of the mission of Nellis and Creech in such a way that those entering the base would remember. "It's a chance to make an impact, something that looks professional, catches the eye and captures the mission," Mr. Purdy said. The biggest challenge of painting this mural was trying to incorporate the various themes of the mission here, he said. Mr. Purdy retired from the Navy as an anti-submarine chief petty officer. He has worked as part of the 99th CES for the past 13 years. Painting and artwork is one of his hobbies and can be seen on various billboards at Nellis as visual reminders of what we do here. "I enjoy doing art," he said. "I try to become a better artist, and this project helps the base."
