Nellis Airman provides murals for a hall of heritage Published Jan. 28, 2010 By Airman 1st Class Michael Charles Nellis Public Affairs Office NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the imagination to create that picture must be worth a million. Only a few people in the world are creative enough to tell a story without using words. Tech. Sgt. Randy James is one of these people. Sergeant James, 57th Maintenance Group quality assurance inspector, was asked to create five mural paintings placed on the wall leading to the Heritage Room at the Nellis Airman Leadership School. The five paintings created by Sergeant James, titled Sandy Skies, The Phantom, Flying Fortress, Shortcut and Cosmic Mission depict the different eras of aviation and the evolution of the U.S. Air Force. "I love the fact that each painting tells its own story and all together they give great insight on our proud heritage," said Master Sgt. Tiffany Bettisworth, ALS commandant. The paintings named the Shortcut and Flying Fortress take the observer through the era of the World Wars and the forming of the Army Air Corps. "The Short Cut," illustrates a DH-4 using visual aides to navigate through a canyon. Used in the World War I era by the U.S. Army Air Corps, DH-4 pilots had to visually navigate using landmarks on the ground because of the era's lack of sufficient navigation technology. During the World War II era The B-17 Flying Fortresses was the main bombing aircraft used. "The Flying Fortress" depicts this revolutionary aircraft with a background of both day and night over the American flag, symbolizing the use of the aircraft in the daylight strategic bombing campaign against German industrial and military targets. Sergeant James' next two paintings take the observer into the era of the Vietnam War. The A-1 Skyraider was a reliable and rugged workhorse during the Vietnam War. Nicknamed 'Sandy,' it was used extensively by the Air Force and its sister services for its ability to provide close air support and special operations missions. "Sandy Skies," depicts a troop calling in air support in the jungle terrain of Vietnam. "The Phantom" focuses on the F-4 Phantom, which began flying missions in the Vietnam Era. The F-4 is surrounded by patches of different Air Forces squadrons that flew the F-4 on routine missions. "The F-4 Phantom was my childhood favorite," Sergeant James said. "As a military brat, the opportunity to watch the aircraft in action was a daily occurrence and made a permanent impact on me." The last illustration takes the observer into the current era of aviation. "Cosmic Mission" is an abstract painting combining the F-22 Raptor onto a background of space. This painting combines the most advanced aircraft in the U.S. Air Force arsenal with the focus on advancing into the realms of space. "Every year we give a tour of our facility to over 500 students and distinguished visitors," Sergeant Bettisworth said. "We introduce the paintings and tell the story that goes with each one, starting with the 'Cosmic Mission' and ending with the 'Shortcut'. This creates a perfect bridge leading us into the Heritage Room." Master Sgt. Robert Brooks, former ALS commandant, initially had the idea to put something along the wall that would provide a transition from the school entrance to the recently opened Heritage Room. "I wanted something on the wall since we initially opened the room in September 2008," Sergeant Brooks said. "When I spoke to Sergeant James about my vision he was excited to accommodate."
