Small Wars Journal

About the Image We Use...

Fri, 09/04/2009 - 7:11pm
From time to time we get asked about the image SWJ and SWC uses in the upper left hand corner of all the main pages... The image is called Tracking Bin Laden and was painted by U.S. Army Center of Military History, Museum Division's staff artist Sergeant First Class Elzie Ray Golden, US Army.

SFC Golden produced fourteen works of art as a member of the Soldier-Artist Team 25 in 1990 that documented ROTC training at Fort Lewis, Washington. He designed the May 1992 cover of Soldiers magazine featuring women in the Army during World War II, the 1991-1994 Army Aviation Association Commander's Conference posters, and the Armed Forces Day posters for 2001 and 2002. His works of art are featured in the Center of Military History books, Portrait of an Army and Soldiers Serving the Nation. The Army Historical Foundation also featured his work in the book The Army, published in 2001. SFC Golden has been the subject of articles and interviews for ArtForum and Der Spiegel magazines, German public television and public radio, and the Hartford Courant newspaper.

He won first place in 2000 in the fine art category of the first Military Graphic Artist of the Year (MILGRAPH) competition, and again in 2002.

SFC. Golden studied fine art at the School of Visual Arts in New York and the University of Arizona. He entered active military duty in October 1984. His assignments include the 13th Support Command, Fort Hood Texas; 2d Infantry Division, Camp Casey, South Korea; Training Support Activity, Eighth Army, East Korea, Yongsan, South Korea; and the 10th Aviation Brigade, Fort Rucker, Alabama.

Tracking Bin Laden won First Place - DINFOS MILGRAPH 2002, Military Graphic Competition, Fine Art category.

Here are several examples of SFC Golden's work:

TRACKING BIN LADEN

SATAN'S SANDBOX

STREET FIGHT

THE HIZARA PROVINCE

Comments

SWJED (not verified)

Sat, 09/05/2009 - 10:29pm

Thanks Peter - Dave

SWJED (not verified)

Sat, 09/05/2009 - 2:51am

Thanks for the update - that's the first time I've heard that the painting was of a photograph of a 22nd MEU vehicle.

I always wondered why that looked familiar... I think you are right that it is the 22nd MEU in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan in 2004.

pjmunson

Sat, 09/05/2009 - 12:36am

I can't find the photo right now, but I think that the painting may be based on a photo of a 22nd MEU HMMWV fording a river in Afghanistan in 2004?