WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- Celebrating 100 years of Reserve Airpower, Senior Master Sgt. Darby Perrin, an Air Force artist from the 465th Air Refueling Squadron, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, unveiled a painting at the 2016 World War I Dawn Patrol Rendezvous event October 1, at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.
The painting depicts 1st Lt. Charles d’ Olive’s victory over three German Fokker DVII fight planes on Sept. 13, 1917. Commissioned in the U.S. Signal Enlisted Reserve Corps, d ’Olive was the last officially recognized U.S. “Ace” of WWI. He was also awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.
Perrin unveiled his painting to the d’Olive’s daughter, Susan d’Olive, and her family alongside Brig. Gen. Vito Addabbo, Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command, and Lt. Col. James Morris, vice commander of the 307th Bomb Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana.
“He did a wonderful job,” said Ms. d’Olive. “Paintings are individual creations that come out of historical fact. He (Perrin) has done his homework on what everything should look like, but also it’s his own creation.”
Perrin was assigned the role of capturing the essence of the WWI event by the Air Force Reserve Command Historian Office. He completed the painting in 18 days.
Perrin did not base his work solely on the historical stories told. “I did a lot of research on the details and the mechanics of the planes.”
There is a long tradition in the military of recording for the experiences of soldiers and sailors in peace and at war.
“In this day and age where digital media is such a big thing, and it’s so much easier to grab an image off the internet, it’s nice to see people have an appreciation for art and an actual original painting,” said Perrin. “It really means a lot and I am glad to be part of it.”
Not only does the painting depict an event in history, it showcases the fact that Reserve Airpower is something to be appreciated.
Citizen Airmen have been serving our country for more than 68 years and make up 20 percent of the Air Forces workforce.
(left to right) Susan d’Olive, daughter of 1st Lt. Charles d’Olive, the last officially recognized U.S. “Ace” of World War I, and her family pose with Senior Master Sgt. Darby Perrin, an Air Force artist from the 465th Air Refueling Squadron, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, Lt. Col James Morriss, vice commander of the 307th Bomb Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, and Brig. Gen. Vito Addabbo, Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Ohio, Oct. 1, 2016. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Joel McCullough)