REAL Veterans Reception set for Nov. 12
Vivian Mosley works on a scratchboard sketch on her new project to remember and honor veterans. The portraits are made on 8-by-10-inch scratchboards.
Anew event to honor veterans and help them learn about resources available to them is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 12 from 2-4:30 p.m. at Fourth and Faith, 401 N. Wooster Ave., Dover.
The Resources, Employment, Art and Legacy Veterans Reception will be an afternoon of appreciation and community for veterans. The public is invited to attend.
The event was planned by Shonda Davis, a veteran of the Air Force, who works as a realtor. She decided she wanted to hold an event for veterans after she connected with some area veterans through her job. She wanted the event to be helpful but more than a resource fair.
“I wanted to create an inviting and a little more classy environment for the vets to be honored and also give them information that they may or may not know about,” Davis said, adding veterans of all ages are invited to attend.
One of the agencies that is attending is the Serving Area Military Center of Massillon.
“I don’t think a lot of veterans down here are aware of that. They do a food and hygiene distribution on the first and third Fridays of every month in Massillon,” Davis said, adding she volunteers with the organization.
The resources available include the Tuscarawas County Veterans Services, Vet Services of Stark County, SAM Center, Vietnam Veterans of America, The Full Life Center LLC, Cross Country Mortgage and UPS.
The event will feature a variety of activities and people including Larry Notz on acoustic guitar, local veterans who also are artists, veteran authors and warrior portraits by Vivian Mosley. Light refreshments will be served. There also will be a backdrop for veterans and their families to use for photos.
One of the veteran authors is Jim Kinsey of New Philadelphia, who will autograph copies of his book, “Unwilling Warriors: Surviving the Vietnam War.” Kinsey served with the Army infantry in the mountain jungles near Laos from 1969-70. The book is available for $15.
Sponsors of the event are Keller Williams Legacy group — The Mucci Team, The Christopher Lynch Team Cross Country Mortgage and Patriot Title Agency.
Featured will be local artist Vivian Mosley, who has recently started a Forgotten Warrior project to remember and honor veterans through her art.
“This series started as a tribute to George Beley, a Marine who served in Vietnam, and Donita Klein, who cared for him and shared his struggles. I was gifted his art supplies upon his death in 2022,” Mosley said. “After completing his portrait for his brother, I was inspired to honor more warriors who fought for my freedom.”
Mosley will have some of her completed portraits on display at the REAL Reception. She is working to complete 40 portraits that will be on display at the Tuscarawas County Center for the Arts in April 2024. A reception for that show is scheduled for April 16 from 6:30-8 p.m.
“I am grateful to provide families with portraits of lost family members and to honor the living veterans who have allowed me to create a piece of art in their honor,” Mosley said. “Today, so many of us have minimal knowledge of what really happened to our soldiers. God prompted me to embark on a journey to learn more, spread awareness and remember those who have served.”
Mosley provided some facts about the Vietnam War and its aftermath.
Between Jan. 12, 1962, and March 29, 1973, nearly 3 million of America’s young men and women traveled 8,000 miles from home to fight in the jungles of Vietnam. Nearly 58,200 American Vietnam War veterans never made it back to the U.S. alive. For those who were fortunate enough to make it home, many returned with physical, emotional and mental scars.
There are fewer than 850,000 living Vietnam War veterans today, with 247,608 Vietnam veterans living in Ohio. Psychological problems are more common among the Vietnam veterans than among non-Vietnam veterans including depression, anxiety and combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder.
The portraits Mosley is creating are made on a material called scratchboard.
“Before I went on this journey of researching and started listening to soldiers share memories of the war, I knew very little. I did not understand the sacrifice, the horrific trauma experienced nor the trials faced when soldiers returned home,” Mosley said. “I certainly did not understand the scars that remain. Thinking of the strength and endurance of these warriors, I needed a medium to make a statement of strength.”
Scratchboard is a hard panel covered with a thin coating of fine, white clay covered by a layer of India ink. The drawing surface starts completely black, and the drawing is made by carving with a sharp tool. The more lines carved in, the brighter the picture becomes.
“I take a knife and scar the board, cutting into the darkness and revealing the light. For me, it is very powerful as I do each portrait and think of the scars each person endured, some to this day,” Mosley said. “I have cried as I am drawing with my knife, thinking of parents getting the news their son was KIA or MIA. I think of the young wife praying each day for her husband to return. I think of siblings who were missing their brothers. My mind wanders to the young man writing poetry, thinking of his unborn son or daughter, hoping to make it home to meet his child and hold them in his arms.”
The project has made the Vietnam War real for Mosley.
“I see the men and women who died for me to protect my freedom. I see the faces of those who are still living and have graciously allowed me to honor them with my art. Some hesitated, as the scars are still there. I appreciate the chance to let them know someone cares,” she said.
Mosley feels blessed to be able to give back.
“This is a diversion from my typical medium as this is a new technique to me as an artist. I am excited at the way each portrait has turned out,” Mosley said. “I give the honor to God and pray for each of these warriors and their families. I pray that receiving their framed art, such a small token of appreciation, will be a blessing to them.
“For some, there has never been an end to the war. It is time to honor these forgotten warriors.”