Article Display

Making of a mural: 55th FS, AMU commemorate 100 years

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Kelsey Tucker
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  A lot can change in 100 years; fashion, music, and laws. In just 50 years, the world has gone from mobile phones the size of a briefcase to smart phones that fit in the palm of a hand.

The 55th Fighter Squadron, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary Aug. 9, has been through countless wars, battles, missions, duty stations – and is still going strong in the 20th Fighter Wing.

To celebrate a century of accomplishments, Airmen from the 20th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 55th Aircraft Maintenance Unit have tasked the artistic minds among them with creating a work of art that will tie the past of the squadron with its present.

“The mural ties into a theme of our past 100 years and by displaying it our maintainers know what we have done and where our predecessors have been,” said Senior Master Sgt. Daniel Henderson, 55th AMU assistant superintendent. “To understand our mission now, we should know where we’ve been.”

Tech. Sgt. Brian Barnes, 55th AMU tactical aircraft maintainer, was one of the individuals chosen to take on this project.

“This (mural) is important because we want to give something visual for people to see all the unit has accomplished,” said Barnes. “It’s (a means) of us recording, giving a way for visitors and people within the unit to see what we’ve done and where we’re going.”

The painting stretches 12 feet by five and a half feet across a wall inside the AMU building, depicting an F-16CM Fighting Falcon on a field of checkered white and blue.

The blue squares, each with five white dots, represent the squadron’s emblem: a pair of blue dice both showing fives for the 55th “Shooters.”

In the white squares surrounding the Fighting Falcon are paintings of every aircraft flown by the 55th FS since its transition to an aerial unit in November 1930 – starting with the Boeing P-12 biplane and ending with the A-10 Thunderbolt II.

For a squadron as busy as the “Fighting 55th,” finding time to create the mural was difficult.

“We are in a very chaotic environment because we’re also doing flying operations, which makes it challenging,” said Henderson.

The idea for a mural began in December 2016, after which materials were acquired and the project formally began in January. According to Henderson, Barnes dedicated nearly 55 hours to the painting between fixing aircraft and accompanying the squadron to Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, for Red Flag exercises.

It was during a temporary duty assignment to Red Flag that Henderson saw Barnes’ artistic ability for the first time, when he mistakenly sent a message to Henderson that read “I can’t wait until Friday, love you,” which Barnes then illustrated as a comic.

As soon as he saw the comic, he knew that Barnes would be the right Airman for the job, said Henderson.

The commemorative painting reached completion on April 28.

The mural painted by Barnes is not the only project leadership has in store for the squadron; the squadron has plans for at least one more, and are looking forward to making their conference room more colorful with squadron patches and photos, said Henderson.

As for what else the squadron has planned for their 100th anniversary, Henderson promises, “There’s more to come.”

As Airmen of the 55th FS and AMU commemorate past trials and triumphs, their drive and commitment to preparing for what the next 100 years may bring ensures they will remain ready to face any challenge, anytime, anywhere.