“I couldn’t take my eyes off it,” said Tamayo, 41. Marco Tamayo, an area resident who monitored the progress of the mural about three times a week, said it’s a powerful reminder of the military heroes who once walked Logan’s streets. The vast majority, however, are touched by the images – including one woman who was so moved that she couldn’t bring herself to get out of the car and drove off weeping. Others wonder why he used symbols that allude to the veterans’ Mexican American heritage. Some wonder why more veterans from Logan were not depicted. Reactions to the finished mural have been equally intense, Aguilar said. “What do you do when a grown man comes to you and cries?” Others came directly from the men, including a few who shared repressed war memories.
Some anecdotes came from the veterans’ kin.
Reynoso, of the Army, who rescued Jews from a concentration camp and later became a Santa Ana firefighter.Īguilar keeps all of their images in a large, plastic envelope in case he needs to touch up their faces he recites most of their back stories without skipping a beat. Veterans such as Luciano Arzate, of the Army, who died during the Battle of the Bulge at age 20 Fred Chavez, also of the Army, who captured 22 German troops at age 21 and Joe M. The real stars of the mural, however, are the 67 veterans from various military branches whose faces are depicted in it. In another area, two comrades lean on each other for support. A faceless man in fatigues – representing unknown soldiers and those who are missing in action – stands in the center. Today, period-specific bombers soar at the top of the mural. The more he discovered, the more he incorporated. At the same time, Aguilar spent $300 on books and research materials to make sure his work was historically accurate.
But the project evolved as he learned more about WWII and the Santa Ana residents who served in it.Īs word of the mural spread, families from other areas began submitting photos of their beloved fathers, grandfathers and uncles – the majority of whom were Mexican Americans from Santa Ana. The idea for the project surfaced about three years ago, when Aguilar’s brother challenged him to take his artistic talents to the next level and create something for the community.Īfter obtaining permission from the owner, Aguilar began work in February 2012 by power-washing and fixing cracks in the wall and applying the first strokes for the light blue sky and massive bald eagle that would anchor the top.Īguilar initially planned to replicate the faces of 40 Logan veterans in his piece. “Every minute that I spent out there was worth it.” “I left my heart, my soul, my everything at this corner for the past year,” the Santa Ana resident said of the work, which features the faces of more than 60 Orange County veterans. Painter Carlos Aguilar didn’t set out to become a virtual expert on World War II or to move the descendents of local veterans to tears.īut through his labor of love – a newly minted wall mural at the corner of Custer Street and Washington Avenue in the Logan neighborhood – that’s exactly what he’s done.Īguilar, 33, has dedicated the last year and a half to creating the military-themed piece, titled “Among Heroes.” Now that he’s finished, he’s reflecting on his experience and deciding whether to expand the mural or seek steady construction work to cover his mounting bills.
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