norman rockwell’s ‘the war hero’ a new interpretation and graphic analysis · 2015-11-11 ·...

SANJAY R SINGHAL, RA

Copyright © 2015 Sanjay R Singhal. All rights reserved.

NORMAN ROCKWELL’S ‘THE WAR HERO’

A NEW INTERPRETATION

AND GRAPHIC ANALYSIS

CONCEIVED, DEVELOPED, AND WRITTEN BY




TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

THE PAINTING

THE INTERPRETATION

THE MEDALS AND THE SERVICE FLAG

THE ENSIGN OF THE IMPERIAL JAPANESE NAVY

THE GRAPHIC ANALYSIS

CONCLUSION



INTRODUCTION

The War Hero, by Norman Rockwell, is one of my favourite paintings; as with all Rockwell pieces, it is a

backwards glance1 into an America I do not know. Nor could I have known it, without the timely assistance of

HG Wells;2 I was born in 1964. The War Hero was painted in 1945, and appeared in October of that year, on

the cover of the Saturday Evening Post;3 it is not part of the Willie Gillis series, which Rockwell had made

popular during the war,4 and which were designed to lift the spirits of the country. This is a rather different

work; it is a celebration, and a reminder, of all that we have endured, and overcome; the war is over.

My source material has come, primarily, from the Internet, and has been utilised here via the Fair Use Act; I

have given credit for same, insofar as possible. It should be noted, however, for the purposes of this document,

that my analyses and my interpretations are entirely my own; they are not the work of others, nor were they

provided to me by others.

My interpretations have not been submitted to either a professional historian, art critic, or indeed to anyone

connected to Norman Rockwell, the Saturday Evening Post; in all honesty, I shouldn’t know where to start.

I have stated that the analyses and interpretations presented herein are entirely the results of my own work, and

my own efforts, and so, I must also state that any mistakes, glaring or otherwise, are also my own. I’m hardly

perfect, although I certainly try my best; the reader’s gracious indulgence is humbly requested.

Finally, to answer the question which my friends, colleagues and acquaintances have asked, since I first began

to buttonhole them with my enthusiasm, and bore them with my efforts, in the immortal words of Sir Edmund

Hillary (who, in fact, once held me as a baby): “Because…it was there.” 5

Respectfully submitted,

Sanjay R Singhal, RA

11 November, 2015

1 Wharton, Edith. A Backward Glance. New York, D Appleton & Company, 1934. One of my favourite books, by one of my

favourite authors. 2 Wells, HG. The Time Machine. London, William Heinemann, 1895. 3 Diana Denny. Rockwell: The War Years. The Saturday Evening Post. http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2012/05/24/art-

entertainment/rockwell-the-war-years-2.html. 24 May 2012. Web. Accessed 20 October 2015. 4 Ibid. Classic Covers: The All-American Soldier Willie Gillis. The Saturday Evening Post.

http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2011/05/28/art-entertainment/allamerican-soldier-willie-gillis.html. 28 May 2011. Web.

Accessed 20 October 2015. 5 Often attributed to Hillary, but first uttered by George Mallory. Sean Sullivan. Because It’s There: The Quotable George Mallory.

The Clymb. http://www.theclymb.com/stories/passions/explore/because-its-there-the-quotable-george-mallory/. 2013. Web.

Accessed 24 October 2015.



THE PAINTING

The War Hero (aka Homecoming Marine), by Norman Rockwell, 1945; this image was downloaded from the

Internet, and is utilised here via the Fair Use Act.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6n12m0061NA/UqNNGHLVrRI/AAAAAAAAFq0/ugnOGADRAC8/s1600/Norman-Rockwell-_434891-58+-+Copy+(3).jpg



THE INTERPRETATION

Unusually for Rockwell (but, perhaps, not so much for myself), the subject is off-centre; it is a young, red-

haired Marine, seated to the left, looking up at the faces of the men around him. It is similar, in some aspects, to

his later painting Saying Grace;6 it is a man's world, and there are men in it.

The young man, whose portrait was based on a real Marine, looks tired; there are lines around his eyes, and his

face is drawn. Certainly he is much thinner; one might call him gaunt. His eyes have a strange, haunted look; to

paraphrase Edith Wharton, I am frightened to think what must have gone to the making of them.7 He cannot be

very old; perhaps no more than twenty-five or twenty-six.8 He has probably been gone for at least four years

(based on his service medals), and his enlistment photograph presents a much younger face; it is a face we do

not know, or recognise.

The young Marine holds a battle flag; it is the ensign of the Imperial Japanese Navy.9 This, as well as the

colour of his uniform (khaki cotton twill),10 tells us the Marine has seen some horrific fighting; he has been in

the Pacific theatre. Perhaps he has only just come home, bearing his captured flag; Japan did not formally

surrender until 2 September, 1945.11 Perhaps he fought on Iwo Jima, or on Okinawa; he has seen Death, he has

looked it in the face.12 13

Yes, he has looked upon Death, and has been courted by it, but he has also served, and gallantly; the Marine

wears the Silver Star, the third-highest military decoration issued by the United States Armed Forces.14 It is

awarded for valour, for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States. It is of no small importance;

it is an achievement of great merit, and recognition.

In the upper-right hand corner, we see a newspaper proudly pasted upon the masonry wall with his enlistment

photograph; the Marine has served his country well. We see a Service Flag, and we suddenly realise why the

Marine has come here, at first and, at last.

6 Sotheby’s Author(s). Norman Rockwell 1894-1978: Saying Grace. Sothebys.

http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2013/american-art-n09048/lot.10.html. 2015. Web. Accessed 20 October 2015. 7 Wharton, Edith. The Age of Innocence. New York, D Appleton & Company, 1920. 8 The average age of the American solider in World War Two was twenty-six. The Sixth Division Author(s). What Was The Average

Age of US Soldiers in WWII? The Sixth Division. http://onesixthnet.yuku.com/topic/912/What-was-the-average-age-of-US-soldiers-

in-WWII#.VibQsCs7I-5. 2015. Web. Accessed 20 October 2015. 9 Zoltan Horvath. Japanese Military Flags: Naval Ensign. Flags of the World.

http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/jp%5E.html#ensign. 27 September 2014. Web. Accessed 20 October 2015. 10 Usually referred to as the Summer Service Uniform, and used extensively throughout the Pacific theatre. Mark Flowers. The

Summer Service Uniform. World War Two Gyrene. http://www.ww2gyrene.org/uniform_khaki.htm. 2004. Web. Accessed 21

October 2015. 11 BBC Author(s). On This Day: 2 September. BBC.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/september/2/newsid_3582000/3582545.stm. 2008. Web. Accessed 21 October 2015. 12 The Battle of Iwo Jima was fought in February/March 1945, just before Okinawa. CN Trueman. The Battle of Iwo Jima. History

Learning Site. http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/world-war-two/famous-battles-of-world-war-two/the-battle-of-iwo-jima/. 2015.

Web. Accessed 21 October 2015. 13 The Battle of Okinawa began in April 1945, but did not end until the beginning of June. Ibid. The Battle of Okinawa. History

Learning Site. http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/world-war-two/the-pacific-war-1941-to-1945/the-battle-of-okinawa/. 2015.

Web. Accessed 21 October 2015. 14 US Department of Defence Author(s). Military Awards for Valour; Top Three: Silver Star. US Department of Defence.

http://valor.defense.gov/DescriptionofAwards.aspx. Date Unknown. Web. Accessed 21 October 2015.



The Service Flag, bearing a blue star on a white field, surmounted by a red border, was displayed by immediate

family members (it is still in use, albeit somewhat modified) with a son, a brother, a husband, or a father in

active duty.15 We see the Marine in this setting, and now, we comprehend its importance; for the young, war-

hardened man, it is his home, and it is his family.

Yes, this is a garage; it is where men take their cars to be repaired, or looked over. It is not a woman's world;

Eve has not made her appearance in this strange garden of steel and oil, chromium-plating and rubber. We see

the figure of the man in the centre; he wears a mechanic's cap, and his gaze is fixed upon the Marine. Perhaps

he is his older brother; perhaps he was not able to serve. Does he ponder, as he gazes upon his younger sibling,

what strange places he has seen? Does he think of a colour of the sky that is different from his home, or of the

shape of a girl in a bar, with a flower in her hair, with skin he has never touched? Does he feel the heat, rising

up from the bamboo thickets, does he smell the surf, and hear the waves?

We cannot know; we cannot guess. Our hero has returned to his town and to his brother's garage, where he

once worked, before the war. Perhaps he will take up his overalls and his cap again; they are hanging on the

wall, where they have been proudly displayed since he went away. His name is Joe; we do not know his

surname, and it is not important. What we do know is that he worked here, with his brother; his name is Joe.16

There are boys in the garage this afternoon; perhaps they are Joe's nephews, for they bear a striking

resemblance. One, slightly taller, stands next to his father. Today, he has taken one step closer to manhood,

and although he himself may not realise it, his childhood has been left behind; he has seen the face of war, he

has learned of its terrible finality. The other, slightly smaller, is seated next to his Uncle Joe; he looks at him

intently, he is wondering to himself, who is this man? Is this really my Uncle Joe, who used to carry me pig-a-

back? He looks the same, but....

There are other men in the garage, their eyes are fixed upon Joe. In the foreground, with his back to our view,

is a thin, old man; we do not see his face, but only the rim of his eyeglasses. He wears a soft cap, and I wonder

who he is; perhaps he is Joe's father, and he, too, has come to the garage this afternoon, to hear his son's story,

and to look upon him with new eyes. His son has been gone a long time; he has grown old, in the waiting.

There is another man in the background; we do not see him clearly. His hair is dark, and slicked back; his skin

appears slightly olive-toned. Perhaps he is a refugee, possessed of some skill with motorcars and their

maintenance; perhaps Joe's brother has given him employment. We do not know very much about him, but he,

of all the men, stands the furthest away; perhaps he too is wondering what sights young Joe has seen, and what

he has done, in the defence of his country.

I turn now to the final, older man, seated on the right-hand side of the painting; I have kept him for last, for he

has become the most important to me, of all the men, for he is the proudest. We all know him; we have seen

him before. He is the neighbour one sees in churches, and at civil ceremonies; we do not always know his

name, but we know his face, and his position. His black, shiny cap denotes his trade; he is a driver. He has

brought his vehicles here in the past, to be repaired; he knows the family, he is a pillar of the community. He

has said prayers for him, and his country. His expression is one of pride, and rightfully so.

15 Blue Star Mothers of America Author(s). About the Service Flag. Blue Star Mothers of America.

http://www.bluestarmothers.org/service-flag. 2008. Web. Accessed 23 October 2015. 16 One is reminded, perhaps, of Lieutenant Joe Cable, who was not so lucky and who did not return home. James A Michener. Tales

of the South Pacific. New York: Macmillan; 1947.



He is older than the others; he might be their father, or grandfather, but I do not think so. No, I think he may be

a veteran of the Great War;17 he has fought his battles, he has looked upon Death.

The old man, beaming with pride, does not speak; there are no words he can say. Later, he will go up to the

young Marine, and he will buy him a drink, perhaps a beer, or a whiskey. He will tell him that he also served,

and came home, and took up his life once again; he will not tell the young man anything else.

There is no need to say anything else; the war is over. The faces of the dying men in the convoys, and the

blood-stained fields of Leyte and Okinawa have faded into grey mist; they are behind us, now.18 There is only

silence, in a moment held before us in a glass; the war is over, and in the garages and sheds and machine-shops

across the country, the men have gathered to hear the stories of those who fought, and returned.

The war is over; we have taken our last look upon it, and now, we must move forward.

17 History Extra Author(s). Why Is World War One Called the Great War? History Extra. http://www.historyextra.com/feature/first-

world-war/history-extra-explains-why-ww1-called-great-war. 30 September 2014. Web. Accessed 23 October 2015. 18 Ibid, Trueman. The Battle of Okinawa.



THE MEDALS AND THE SERVICE FLAG

The first image presents the Silver Star medal, with decoration colours as shown.19 This is the same medal

worn by the young Marine in the painting, and, as his highest decoration, is worn on the left.20 The second

image presents the Service Flag,21 with a single Blue Star denoting an immediately family member in active

duty in the United States Armed Forces; it was first used in 1917, during the First World War.22

19 The image of the Silver Star is in the public domain, and has been downloaded from Wikipaedia.com; it is utilised here via the Fair

Use Act. Although I do not normally use or cite Wikipaedia articles and/or images, this was the best version I could find. 20 American War Library Author(s). Marine Corps Order of Display/Wear. American War Library.

http://www.americanwarlibrary.com/display/usmc.htm. 5 November 2008. Web. Accessed 8 November 2015. 21 The image of the Service Flag is in the public domain, and has been downloaded from Wikipaedia.com; it is utilised here via the

Fair Use Act. Although I do not normally use or cite Wikipaedia articles and/or images, this was the best version I could find. 22 Ibid, Blue Star Mothers of America Author(s). About the Service Flag.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tBfMZPmNbQQ/UqNYtmM6i_I/AAAAAAAAFrk/1sh2YocQ-34/s1600/nrwh08a.png

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-el5Lxc4_aN0/UqNVBmPWESI/AAAAAAAAFrY/J-xqlt9Qpnc/s1600/nrwh09.png



The other medals are, in descending order, the Purple Heart,23 the Distinguished Unit Citation,24 25 the Asiatic-

Pacific Campaign Medal,26 the Organised Marine Corps Reserve Medal,27 and the Marine Corps Good

Conduct Medal.28 This Marine has seen hard fighting, and has been wounded; he has lived to tell about it.

23 The Military Order of the Purple Heart Author(s). History of the Order. The Military Order of the Purple Heart.

http://www.purpleheart.org/HistoryOrder.aspx. 2015. Web. Accessed 21 October 2015. 24 WW2Awards Author(s). Distinguished Unit Citation. WW2Awards. http://en.ww2awards.com/award/540. 2015. Web.

Accessed 21 October 2015. 25 I was unable to locate a suitable photograph of this medal, although I did find the decoration colours. 26 Medals of America Author(s). Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal. Medals of America. http://www.medalsofamerica.com/Item--i-

F050_FULL_SIZE_LIST. 2015. Web. Accessed 21 October 2015. 27 Now known as the Selected Marine Corps Reserve Medal. Ibid. Selected Marine Corps Reserve Medal. Medals of America.

http://www.medalsofamerica.com/Item--i-F039_FULL_SIZE_LIST. 2015. Web. Accessed 21 October 2015. 28 Ibid. Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal. Medals of America. http://www.medalsofamerica.com/Item--i-F036_Full_Size_List.

2015. Web. Accessed 21 October 2015.



THE ENSIGN OF THE IMPERIAL JAPANSE NAVY

The ensign of the Imperial Japanese Navy, as used from 1889 to 1945.29 Notice the off-centre placement of the

"rising sun" emblem, and its correspondence to the figure of the young Marine in the painting.

29 The image of the Imperial Japanese Navy ensign is copied here under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version

1.2 or any later version(s) published by the Free Software Foundation.

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THE GRAPHIC ANALYSIS

Let us now examine the structure of The War Hero; we have finished, for the present, our examination of its

soul. This is a contemplative piece; it is a centred arrangement. There are many factors which contribute to this

unity of focus and direction; they are a hallmark of Rockwell's talent.

The young Marine, is seated slightly off centre, to the left. There are directional gazes from every other figure;

Rockwell uses smaller objects, lines and shadows to direct our eye to him. Even the folds of the captured

Japanese flag contribute to this arrangement, and it is an intentional one.

It is tempting to suggest that Rockwell's composition of The War Hero was influenced by the battle flag; it is

the centre of the Marine's story, and he holds it in his hands. The draped, triangular folds of cloth and the bright

bands of red correspond to two other red objects in the garage: the small American flag on the shelf in the

upper left-hand corner, and the border of the Service Flag30 in the upper right-hand corner.

Our attention is focussed upon the clasped hands of the Marine, his brother, and the two boys; the eyes of the

other men also direct our gaze. The hands of the father and the driver are not shown, but one may assume they

are clasped as well, based on the position of their arms. The mechanic's arms are not clasped; he is not a

member of the family, and this suggests that the driver...may be the Marine's uncle. Certainly the colour of

their hair is similar; it is of some interest. If we look at their profiles, they are mirrors of each other; we

perceive a balance of young and old, the aged warrior, gazing in pride upon his warrior nephew. His expression

declares his emotion: he is proud of this boy.

This is a family of men; we are looking at them, but they do not see us. We see two fathers, in the foreground;

they are the older generation. In the centre, we see two brothers: the eldest, who looks intently upon his

younger brother, the Marine named Joe; they are flanked by the third set of brothers: two small boys, watching

in amazement. The standing boy, Joe's nephew, has taken a step back; he is looking upon his uncle with new

eyes, and new comprehensions; does he know of a place called Korea? Will he go there? Will he fight? 31 32

We do not know, of course; the year is still 1945, and some time will pass before the spectre of war will appear

again. Perhaps the boy will go; perhaps he will become a soldier, and fight; he will carry his uncle's example

before him, and in the green hills above Inchon, he will remember his uncle's medals, and he will understand.

(Continued on next page)

30 Ibid, Blue Star Mothers of America Author(s). About the Service Flag. 31 US Army Author(s). Korean War 1950-1953. US Army. http://www.army.mil/koreanwar/. Date Unknown. Web. Accessed 7

November 2015. 32 If we assume an age of 12 or 13 for the older boy in this painting, dated 1945, then by 1950 or 1951 he would have been 18: old

enough to be drafted, and old enough to fight in Korea. Michael Ray. United States Laws: Selective Service Acts. Encyclopaedia

Britannica. http://www.britannica.com/topic/Selective-Service-Acts. 2015. Web. Accessed 8 November 2015.



The War Hero (aka Homecoming Marine), by Norman Rockwell; 1945. This image was downloaded from the

Internet, and is utilised here via the Fair Use Act. The right eye of young Joe, the Marine so recently returned

from the Pacific theatre, is the focus of every other person in the garage; notice the arrangement of legs & arms

which also direct our gaze. It is hard to look upon him, but one cannot look away.




Notice the use of slightly tilted parallel lines to arrange the figures, shifting the focus as our eye travels through

the painting. The yellow lines are centred upon the Marine's clasped hands, and the battle flag he holds; they

align with the mechanic's right arm, his father's left shoe, his brother's right eye, and his own mechanic's cap,

bearing his name. The orange lines are centred upon the brother's clasped hands, his left arm, and his

cigarette; they align with the mechanic's tilted head, the brim of his father's cap and the folds of his shirt. They

also align with the smaller enlistment portrait of the young Marine pasted on the wall.

A third alignment, in red, places the figure of the driver within the group.

My first review of the structure of the painting’s composition revealed a series of dynamic, triangular

alignments between the eyes of the young Marine, his brother, and their clasped hands. Curiously, both of the

boys’ hands are clasped together as well; this is a moment to be held, to be treasured, and kept in one’s memory,

long after the reality of it has passed. The horizontal lines which organise the painting are not level; they are

tilted slightly upwards to the left, again drawing our eye to the figure of the young Marine.


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Notice the use of slanted, parallel lines to arrange the figures, shifting our focus as our eye travels through the

painting. The top line, in red, aligns with the eagle, globe & anchor device on the Marine's cap, his brother's

eyes, the barest glimpse of his enlistment portrait behind his nephew's head, and finally, the blue star of the

Service Flag. The second line, in orange, aligns with the Marine's upturned head, notably his ears & right eye,

the winch knob, and the standing nephew's head. The third line, in yellow, aligns with the seated nephew's

head, the Marine's service medals, the lower winch knob, the brother's clasped hands (again!), and the standing

nephew's clasped hands. The fourth line, in blue, is less distinct; it aligns with the father's belt and the driver's

trousers. Nonetheless, it is a parallel arrangement.

A second arrangement of tilted, parallel lines organise further elements within the painting, and again leading

our eye to the figure of the young Marine. They are curious compositions, each containing items which, in

relationship to the other, provide further meaning and depth. Of special note is the connection between the

young Marine and the standing boy: his nephew. He is looking at him, as if to say, “You are next; you must pay

attention; this will happen to you.” The baton is being passed, to a new generation.


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The centre of the painting is the clasped hands of the brother, perched upon the workbench; they are big, rough

hands; they have worked, very hard, for the past four years. The elements of the painting all focus upon these

hands; there is a vertical arrangement which divides the painting into two halves. This line, highlighted in red,

connects the light fixture, the brother's head, eye and chin, his clasped hands, and the knee of his father, in the

foreground. One might suggest that the father's left shoe is also part of this arrangement.

The centred, vertical division of the painting is not, I suggest, accidental; Rockwell is too careful a master of

composition to allow such things. The figure of the brother is the secondary focus of the composition; of all the

figures, his is the most prominent. It is a curious arrangement; he occupies the centre, and in this perspective,

the painting says something about his struggle, and his fight. There is a bond between the brothers: one has

gone to war, has fought, been wounded, and has returned; one has stayed at home and maintained his garage,

cared for his family, and perhaps their father as well. They have both travelled hard roads; now, in the glow of

victory and the homecoming, there will come a moment when the two of them will be alone. There will be

another conversation, and another story; we will not overhear it, but we already know what will be shared. It is

a covenant of horror, of blood and guts and the screams of dying men; it is the reality of war, and yet within its

embrace, it is a badge of honour, and of service.

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The geometry of the painting is now clear; it is a diamond, impaled upon a star; both are highlighted in

red. Each corner of the diamond brings the figures into the conversation; it is become a family portrait of two

fathers, two sons, and two grandsons. The standing figure, of the mechanic, remains outside the circle.

I suggest, in this arrangement, the use of two geometries as a dynamic: the first anchored by the young Marine,

and the second by his brother. The third anchor is the driver, and his position here makes his relationship to the

family clear: he is not a casual acquaintance, but a valued relation and friend. It is a triumvirate, with its apex

not the young Marine, but the brother; it has been a long, difficult time.

The clasped hands, once again, occupy the centre of these geometries; we are reminded of the family’s prayers

for a son, a brother, and an uncle, who has been gone for a long time and is now safely returned. Three aspects

of a boy, who is become a man; we see them here, within the diamond and the star.


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Further geometries within the diamond and the star have been highlighted in orange; we realise that these lines

connect the enlistment portrait, the eyes of the brother, the Marine and the seated nephew. A second, diagonal

line connects the clasped hands (!) of the standing nephew, and touch upon the Marine's left knee, the battle

flag, the seated nephew's left leg, and the frame of an automobile bumper, propped up against a packing-

box. In the opposite direction, a single line connects the brother's eye, the letter ‘R’ on the standing nephew's

sweater, and the right eye of the seated uncle. Additional vertical and (sloped) horizontal lines define the space

even further; they are a part of the structure within which the figures are composed. Notice the top, horizontal

line, highlighted in orange, connecting the American flag on the left, and the enlistment portrait on the right.

The geometries grow more complex, grids overlaid upon each other in a tartan motif; Frank Lloyd Wright

would have been proud. Nothing is accidental; each of the elements within the painting is brought into the

arrangement; our eyes travel about the space, and observe each detail again, as if for the first time.

The standing nephew’s position, beneath his uncle’s enlistment portrait, tells us a story; the future is not far

away, and he will be the next to go. We fear for his safety, and clasp our hands, in prayer.

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Further geometries within the diamond have been highlighted in yellow; they bring the figure of the uncle into

the arrangement. Notice the diagonal line of the uncle's cap, passing through the standing nephew's eye in one

direction, and passing through his own eye in the other. Additional vertical alignments have been highlighted

in yellow as indicated above; notice the yellow, vertical line right of centre, passing through the packing-box,

the father's left shoulder, the father's head, the brother's left shoulder, and the uniform hanging upon the wall.


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Further geometries have been highlighted in bright green; they bring the figure of the seated nephew into the

arrangement. Notice the standing mechanic, still excluded from the central composition; he is not a member of

the family. The face and clasped hands of the brother are become a fulcrum, about which these are resolved.


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Further geometries have been highlighted in blue; they present an interesting balance of figures. Notice the

sloped, blue line touching upon the shoulder of the seated nephew, which extends upwards to the Marine's

enlistment portrait; notice also the vertical alignment created by the figure of the seated nephew. This

alignment begins at his small shoe, extending vertically through his right leg, the tilt of his neck, the standing

mechanic's elbow, and the American flag on the shelf. This vertical alignment on the left is balanced by a

similar arrangement on the right: it encompasses the enlistment portrait, the head of the standing nephew, the

letter ‘R’ on his sweater, and the father's right shoulder.

It is a curious feature of the vertical geometries that the face of the young Marine and his counterpart, the driver

in the black cap, are excluded from same; they stand alone among the other faces and other elements of the

room, via this perspective. They are also the only men in the painting wearing brimmed caps: the Marine wears

his officer’s cap, of course, and the driver wears his black cap.33

33 Military Items Author(s). WWII US Marine Corps Summer Dress Hat. Military Items.

http://quanonline.com/military/military_reference/american/wwii_headgear/usmc1.php. Date Unknown. Web. Accessed 10

November 2015.

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CONCLUSION

The War Hero is a reminder that, to all of us, the sacrifices of war, while imagined, conceived, and realised on a

grand scale, are nonetheless composed of individuals: fighting men who served their country in a time and a

place where they were needed. Many did not return; many remain buried at sea, on vast, windy beaches, or

beneath blood-soaked fields; their souls, and their spirits, are remembered only by a few.

They did not question their duty; they fought, and won a war which history now tells us was most likely created

at the stroke of a pen.34 They did not question such doings; they defended their country.

There are those who returned home without limbs or organs; there are those who appeared whole, but were

destroyed on the inside.35 The tragedy of America in the post-war years is the neglect of these men; they did

not deserve such treatment. They did not complain; they put away their swords, took up their ploughshares.36

The young Marine, in the garage where he has worked all his life, has returned home; he is safe, he is alive. His

eyes tell a different story; they have seen wonders, and horrors, which we cannot imagine. He is tired, and

spent; his body and his mind have suffered devastations of which we know nothing, and yet, we celebrate his

achievement and his homecoming. Perhaps there will be a parade; perhaps not. It does not matter; the Marine

is home, and we are there to greet him, at last, and to hear his story.

34 It is commonly believed that the hardships caused in Germany by the Treaty of Versailles were instrumental in setting the stage for

the rise of Nazi Germany and the start of World War Two in Europe. Kennedy Hickman. World War Two Europe: The Road to War.

Military History.About.com. http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/worldwarii/a/wwiieurcauses.htm. 2015. Web. Accessed 10

November 2015. 35 William Wyler. The Best Years of Our Lives. New York: RKO Radio Pictures; 1946. 36 “And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their

spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” The Book of Isaiah;

Chapter 2, Verse 4 (KJV).

norman rockwell’s ‘the war hero’ a new interpretation and graphic analysis · 2015-11-11 ·...

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