PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. — A group of veterans and their family members have spent months painting a large mural in the basement of a Port Washington restaurant — a tribute to Americana timed to the nation's 250th birthday.
More than a dozen people from several Wisconsin counties have contributed to the project, organized by the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 82. The only requirement to pick up a brush: be a veteran or have a family member who served.
Diane Burkhalter, president of the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 82, comes from a military family. Her late husband also served in Vietnam. She organized the series of veteran-focused art sessions.
Watch: Port Washington veterans create mural to honor the fallen:
"I hope they see the positive future that we're trying to project in it," Burkhalter said. "It almost gives you goosebumps when you think what all of the veterans throughout the years have sacrificed."
Hundreds of hours have gone into the mural, which is filled with color and symbolism. There are scenes of American success stories like the Moon landing and also American icons, like the Statue of Liberty and the Liberty Bell.
Gene Hembrook, a retired U.S. Air Force veteran who served in Vietnam, is among those who have contributed to the mural. He said the act of painting carries deep personal meaning.
"I had friends that didn't come... that didn't come home. And that still bothers me. And to me, this is a way of honoring them," Hembrook said. "What I try to do is honor their memory to say, 'hey they were here' and they did what they did, the maximum, the ultimate sacrifice."
The mural is not yet finished. Once complete, it will be displayed at the Legion Post for the Fourth of July before being auctioned off for charity, with proceeds going toward charities that work to reduce veteran suicides.
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