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Click photos for NEKACC WIA Youth Program Inspires Community Through Work on Veterans' Mural larger versions [August 2007] [IMG] Vietnam veterans It was decades before Carter County teens Whittney Williams and Ashley Alexander were Phil Roar (left) born when American napalm bombs rained fire upon the dense jungle terrain of Vietnam. and Wendell But Olive Hill veterans Wendell Dickerson and Phil Roar saw those raging infernos with Dickerson recently their own eyes during their military service in the controversial conflict. viewed a portion of the new mural A summer project launched by the Northeast Kentucky Community Action Agency's in Grayson's Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Youth Transition Program is helping bridge the gap Veterans' Park between those two generations by creating a lasting, public memorial honoring the containing images sacrifice of American servicemen and women. inspired by the Vietnam conflict. With the guidance and hands-on help of local high school art instructors Larry Carroll The mural was and Brian Mosier, WIA Youth program participants Williams and Alexander transformed a painted by nondescript block wall beside Veterans' Park in downtown Grayson into a 100-foot-long, participants in 10-foot-tall mural bearing five vivid scenes that represent all major American the Northeast military actions from World War I through the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. Kentucky Community Action Agency's After six weeks of almost daily work-and about 1,000 square feet of paint-the crew WIA Youth recently finished work for the summer. Dickerson and Roar, who were in Grayson on Transition business, walked over to the mural after noticing the striking silhouette of a Program. Vietnam-era American soldier against an intense backdrop of red, orange, and yellow flames. [IMG] Carter County Each of the mural's five sections includes a large map of the area where combat took students Ashley place. The two aging veterans point out the areas where they served in Vietnam, and Alexander (left) only then realized they were stationed "almost next door" to each other, Roar said. and Whittney Williams painted "It's good that they're recognizing what we did, and I think that recognition is intricate details greater now than ever before," said Roar, a Navy veteran. "The images that are here on the new mural represent exactly what we went through, and it's great for these kids to do this in downtown because they realize that our sacrifices are why they're free and can do things now." Grayson's Veterans' Park Dickerson, an Army veteran whose military ties trace back to his grandfather's service during one of in World War I, agreed. their last days of work on the "I also had uncles who served in World War II, so from the time I was three years old, project this I can remember all of this," he said. "I think it's good for the younger generation to summer. Williams be doing this, and it does make us feel better and shows that people do care about us and Alexander are now." both participants in the Northeast Veterans' visits to the in-progress mural make the work even more worthwhile, said Kentucky Community Williams. An East Carter High School graduate, Williams plans to become an art major Action Agency's at nearby Morehead State University this fall. WIA Youth Transition "They'll come up and look at our images, and it flashes back in their mind to when Program. they were in the war," Williams said. "One guy came up and told us about landing in Normandy, and others have told us about Vietnam." [IMG] The veterans' Alexander, a West Carter High School junior, said those visits have also yielded mural painted by several tips from veterans that they have applied to ensure their images are as participants in accurate as possible. the Northeast Kentucky Community "We originally started with the soldier holding a flamethrower in the Vietnam scene," Action Agency's Alexander said. WIA Youth Program contains five Those plans changed when a veteran told them the soldier should instead be holding an highly detailed M-16 rifle, because most soldiers who fought in Vietnam did not commonly use a scenes flamethrower. representing all American military "So we painted a bomber dropping napalm, and a soldier walking in front of the fire," actions from World she said. War I through the ongoing conflicts Joletta Morgan, director of the Northeast Kentucky Community Action Agency's WIA Youth in the Middle Program, said veterans paying that kind of close attention to the participants' work East. shows how much the project truly means to them. [IMG] Working on the mural has also been a beneficial leadership-building exercise for Vietnam veterans Williams and Alexander, Morgan added. Phil Roar (second from right) and "They're getting a personal understanding of what these wars meant to the country, and Wendell Dickerson developing an appreciation of what these soldiers lived through for our freedom," she (far left) shared said. "war stories" with art teacher Larry Morgan said the project meshes perfectly into the framework of the WIA Youth Program, Carroll this which provides a broad array of year-round services including: tutoring, study skills, summer while alternative schooling, leadership development, mentoring, guidance and counseling. viewing the new Participating teens and young adults can also be placed in both public and mural in Grayson's private-sector work experience jobs that match their interests and teach career Veterans' Park skills. painted by participants in The WIA Youth Program is administered by the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment the Northeast Program, Inc. (EKCEP), and provided in Carter, Elliott, and Lawrence counties through Kentucky Community the Northeast Kentucky Community Action Agency. Action Agency's WIA Youth Williams and Alexander are participants in Northeast's WIA Youth Transition Program, Transition which serves young people who are still in school. Morgan said the program-named Program. Carroll "Youthscape"-places students in activities and services that encourage them and enable helped coordinate them to earn a high school diploma or equivalent, and enter college, postsecondary the painting of training, or sustainable employment. the mural. The core components of Youthscape involve empowering students to develop a positive [IMG] self image through education, group leadership activities, individual mentoring, and Olive Hill veteran interaction with peers and strong leaders, Morgan added. Phil Roar (left) shows fellow "This project is letting Whittney and Ashley make their mark on the community, and is veteran Wendell giving them a sense of ownership of something major that will always be here," Morgan Dickerson the said. "It's great both for them and the community." portion of Vietnam where he was Mike Malone, secretary of Carter County's Citizens for Veterans Association-the park's stationed during proprietors-agreed. the conflict. "Many history classes teach about these events like a 30-second soundbyte on TV," [IMG] Malone said. "But people will be able to look at this mural and think about what it With the guidance represents, and we hope it starts some thinking that will encourage people to look of high school art into the history behind the scenes even more." instructors Larry Carroll (far right) and Brian Mosier (second from right), Carter County students Ashley Alexander (far left) and Whittney Williams worked for six weeks this summer to transform a block wall beside Veterans' Park in downtown Grayson into a mural honoring the American military. Home About Us Contact Us For Employers For Job Seekers JobSight News WIA Programs Locations Problems with this site? Contact us. 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