The Pacific Theatre: Battle for Wake Island.
Located between Honolulu, Hawaii and Japan is the strategic coral atoll islands known as Wake Island. It was one of our answers to Japans brutal attack on Pearl Harbor. The Islands became a very important resource during WWII because of its location. It acted as a crucially important fuel station, among many other things, having its own little airstrip and railroad tracks to move equipment around. The island was a constant back and forth battle for conquest, being held by both Japanese and American forces at different times throughout the war. As WWII came to a close, the Japanese surrendered the Island over to the Americans. We own it to this day, and its only inhabited by a few scientists and small military presence. There has been speculation about the fortifications being made when tensions began to rise with N Korea, China, and Russia. Satellite images show major upgrades and changes being made in anticipation of possible future activity in the Pacific Theatre.
This is my take on the popular F4U Corsair fighter doing its bombing runs over Wake Island. I started with a pen sketch, lightly added watercolors in a few layers, then came back and really added the details in with soft pastels. My favorite piece to date. I spent the last few weeks making sure I did my best to capture the strange balance of chaos and destruction posed on the most beautiful backdrop you’ll ever see. The soft sunset glow in the seemingly forever skies are just gorgeous. These pilots must have seen some of the most beautiful and horrendous things in their courageous flights. My hats off to all you amazing young men who served and fought so courageously for our country. The memory of true heroes never dies, it lives on through tales and photos and art! Thank you to all who served in WWII.
The SLIDE SHOW from sketch to final BELOW:
