They want a tribute to those who went to war and didn’t come home.

Wednesday, March 27, 2002

They want a tribute to those who went to war and didn’t come home.

Members of the Lawrence County Chapter 765 Military Order of the Purple Heart say they are progressing in their quest for a floodwall mural to honor prisoners of war, those listed as missing in action and those listed as killed in action from Lawrence County.

The design for the 13-by-40-foot mural will feature the Purple Heart emblem against a background of soldiers, pilots and others who served in the U.S. military from World War I to the present. It will also include the names of the 216 men and one woman who bear the initials POW, MIA or KIA.

Gary Tillis, art coordinator for Ohio University Southern Campus, came up with the concept for the mural after meeting with members of the order and hearing their ideas. He then took those ideas and spent a couple weeks deciding how best to blend them into a work of art. He and student volunteers will do the actual work.

"We’re glad to do things like this," Tillis said. "This is a community service, and any time we can be involved in things like this, we jump at the chance."

Tillis will not be paid for his work. Instead, the money the order would have spent on this project will go into a scholarship fund.

"One thing that hit me in my initial conversation with these gentlemen … if I were going down to the floodwall to paint a riverboat or an official seal or something like that, I would usually be thinking about how I could make a few extra dollars," Tillis said. "But I would feel terrible charging for something like this. All the names we put on that wall will be names of people who died for this country. I’m doing it for them."

Work on the mural could begin within a week, depending how well the weather cooperates. Tillis said he hopes to have background work done by the first week of July and the entire project completed by the first week of August.

The group has planned a local ceremony on National Purple Heart Day on Aug. 7, and has invited U.S. Congressman Ted Strickland to attend.

The group also is raising money for the scholarship fund. Those who wish to contribute may send their donations to: P.O. Box 7470 Ironton, Ohio 45638.