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While some have made their mark on history by inventing machines
such as cars or planes, others make their mark through heritage;
impacting the culture and environment of an area by dreaming up
things like buildings, landscapes, books, or simple works of art.
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“Lady Eve,” a painting by Andrew Wieczorek, retired U.S. Air Force
Master Sgt., hangs in the 37th Bomb Squadron at Ellsworth Air Force
Base, S.D., July 14, 2016. Wieczorek, served as a ground crew member
in the 37th BS with the U.S Army Air Corps, and was selected to
paint nose art onto a B-26 Marauder known as the Lady Eve. The
painting he created over five decades later of the aircraft was
gifted to his old squadron and is now an artifact of its heritage. (U.S. Air Force photo by U.S. Air Force Airman Donald Knechtel)
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 Andrew
Wieczorek, retired U.S. Air Force Master Sgt (left) ... is one such artist,
creating a painting known as “Lady Eve,” a rendition of a U.S. Army
Air Corps B-26 Marauder bomber of the same name. The painting is now
an artifact of the 37th Bomb Squadron's heritage, painted by the
same man who created the aircraft's nose art 50 years earlier.
“The painting now rests in A-Flight in the 37th BS,” said Lt.
Col. Daniel Diehl, 37th Bomb Squadron commander. “A fitting place
for it because it highlights our heritage of where we've been for
our new guys coming in.”
“I received [the painting] from Mr. Wieczorek's cousin Edmund
Gendzielewski,” Sloma said. “Ed and I are members of the same
veteran's organization, the Polish Legion of American Veterans in
Syracuse, New York.”
Since “Lady Eve's” conception, the
painting had been passed on more than once. Wieczorek had originally
gifted it to his cousin Chester Gendzielewski, who in turn passed it
on to his brother Edmund.
Sloma continued to explain how
Gendzielewski had brought the painting into a May 2015 legion
meeting asking Sloma to "find a good home" for his cousin's
painting.
“Gendzielewski wanted to make sure that the
painting wasn't lost and that the information carefully included
with the painting was preserved for future Airmen to enjoy,” Sloma
said. “After doing some research I was able to find the origins of
the aircraft and squadron that was displayed in the painting and got
in contact with the historian of the 28th Bomb Wing, the current
home of the 37th BS.”
Diehl spoke of the significant
emotional investment involved in having the canvas at Ellsworth.
“The painting was originally in New York so it took effort to
get it out here,” Diehl explained. “It's nice to think that so many
people cared about this individual enough to go through the process
to find a home for what he left behind; if you look at it, it's
really impressive to have it hanging in the 37th BS.”
After
John Moyes, 28th BW historian, was contacted, he began the process
necessary to ensure it was given an appropriate home. With the
painting now in the squadron, members can see a bit of their
heritage and get a sense of its history and where the squadron came
from.
“If you don't know where you've been, you don't know
where you're going,” Diehl said. “The painting just further
highlights our history as a bomb squadron – it highlights a proud
heritage. This is a gentleman who five decades after he painted the
actual nose art for the actual aircraft still looked back to his
time in service with fond memories.”
Author's note: Title attribution to
Yancy Mailes, Director, History and Museum Program, Air
Force Global Strike Command
By U.S. Air Force Airman Donald Knechtel
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2016
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