Notables. . .

[doodlemaier]

From images.google.com, search 'soviet, mandrake'. The first two images retrieved are this one:

The fact that I was able to find it displayed at the Smithsonian Air & Space museum in Washington, DC after a couple years of searching is part of it . . .

The fact that I found another painting, a rendering of a soviet Scud-b missle system done before anyone outside the intelligence community even knew what one was, by the same artist hanging next to it is only part of it.

What I think is cool, in particular, about these two paintings is that they were both done by Dennis Mosher during his tenure with U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency. . .

. . .who happens to be my dad (or 'Pops' as he's commonly referred to in this journal).

Fortunately, I was able to locate the paintings before the Smithsonian removed them from their permanent exhibition, which happened only a couple months ago. So, I've included the links to the webpages with details about each weapon (click on the thumbnails for a larger view)

Yak-25RD Mandrake

Soviet Scud-B
(Based on the likeness of the background in the latter with other paintings of his of his home state, I like to tease Pops about the notion of Iraqis driving a couple of scud missles around the black hills of a big red state like North Dakota. He claims its Siberia. I wonder: What's the difference?

Comments

[ex-lotusmant250.livejournal.com]

i have to admit, i liked the smiling face better than the war paintings. :p

War Paint. . . .

[deansavatar.livejournal.com]

Pops would've been happy to kick it in the prairie state for the rest of his life painting pastoral scenes and ducks . . .

Ah, but he met a woman out east and moved to Trafficland, and that's where shit got complicated.

[dontshootthecat.livejournal.com]

Wait until lil' d sees this! Has the Smithsonian taken them down yet? What are they going to do with them? Go Pops!

[deansavatar.livejournal.com]

H took these pictures of me back in January, I think (it was cold). Since then they have been removed from the permanent collection. I don't know what they've done with them, though. They are property of the Joint Chiefs of Staff because they were commissioned through his employment with them - tagging for the largest gang on the planet, if you will. You could probably inquire with the Smithsonian to locate them now but they're certainly not in as auspicious surroundings, if they're even being displayed at all. I thought you knew these were up?