Vietnam veteran David Rasul says, “When you think of veterans, you think of honor, respect, pride, commitment and sacrifice.”
They left behind their friends, family, love interests, comforts and more to serve their country. Upon returning from duty, some veterans are not welcomed home as heroes. Veterans of color returned to feel unseen, discriminated against and betrayed by society due to their skin tone, and, for women, because of their gender.
But a group of veterans in Sacramento paid tribute to those who gave so much through a large virtual monument to their sacrifices — which now exists on the northern wall of VFW Post 67 on Stockton Boulevard.
Despite being home to a couple hundred murals, and being a city with a diverse population, this new mural marks the first in Sacramento to pay tribute to diverse veterans, said Rasul.
On the afternoon of Nov. 15, where the temperature toggled between warmth and a crisp chill, the sun hit the top right corner of the mural on the 18 by 75 foot wall, allowing its rays to spill over the edge stretching across the foreheads of each painted prominent figure: Asian, Black, Indigenous, white, men and a woman in uniform to represent the five branches of the military: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.
Multiple generations of veterans, family members, friends and community members sat facing the mural as Post Commander Zac Delwiche addressed them and presided over the day’s event introducing each speaker.
World War II veteran and West Sacramento native Abel Reynoso Hernandez sat front and center as the eldest veteran present at 101 years old. Hernandez was drafted into the Army at 18 years old and played a pivotal role in the historic Battle of Manila, Philippines, earning a Bronze Star, Combat Infantry Badge, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal and the Philippine Liberation Ribbon.
“A Post is where veterans can be around people who understand, who care, where you can wrap your arms around someone who feels the same way I feel,” said Rasul, the igniting force behind the mural.
Rasul is a Sacramento native who served as a military police officer in Vietnam. Upon returning home, he became a longtime community leader, dean at Sacramento City College and member of the Royal Chicano Air Force. Rasul raised $22,000 for the mural by contributing his own funds and rallying support from local leaders, veterans, civic organizations and community members, including 65 donors, listed on a commemorative plaque.
The VFW is on the boundary of Pro Tem Mayor and Councilmember Eric Guerra’s district and that of Councilmember Caity Maple’s. Maple herself is a Navy brat, born on base housing in Jacksonville, Florida. “This mural is a permanent reminder of our gratitude to the service of those who came before us and those who will come after,” Maple told the crowd.
Guerra shared that he is a proud former student of Rasul and is most inspired by how veterans continue to serve even after they come back. Many become artists and talk about the injustices back at home contrary to what they were fighting for and created major organizations like The League of United Latin American Citizens.
A VFW Post is a hub for veterans to gather and support and advocate for one another There are about 17 veteran suicides a day, according to the Department of Veteran Affairs. VFW Post 67 also helps veterans apply for VA benefits. This life-changing work came to a halt three months ago when some veteran services were cut by the current administration.
The artists consist of a tight-knit group: Gustavo Reynoso, Markos Egure, Henry Fink, Andy Cohen, all led by Jose Lott. They established a focus group of veterans because every brush stroke needed to convey inclusivity of different demographics and of different wars: WWI, WWII, Vietnam, Korea and Desert Storm. Men and women of various ethnicities and circumstances are represented by choosing when to be strategically vague. For example, the way a weapon or helmet was painted, so any veteran who sees the mural will themselves feel seen, Lott noted.
When each artist took a moment to speak to the crowd, Fink, whose artist name is Fisko, shared that his brother is stationed in Japan, and while painting this mural he thought about him often.
“Hopefully, this outward showing [the mural] is more than just a sentiment — it expresses our care, our love and we’re here to serve them,” Rasu said.
This story was funded by the City of Sacramento’s Arts and Creative Economy Journalism Grant to Solving Sacramento. Following our journalism code of ethics and protocols, the city had no editorial influence over this story and no city official reviewed this story before it was published. Our partners include California Groundbreakers, CapRadio, Hmong Daily News, Russian America Media, Sacramento Business Journal, Sacramento News & Review and Sacramento Observer. Sign up for our “Sac Art Pulse” newsletter here.
By Roberta Alvarado
