Semper fidelis
What could ensure a more accurate portrayal of What Happened than having someone there? Someone who was there and felt what it was like to be there.
That’s what I read when I learned this morning that the United States Marine Corps has an artist in its ranks, a painter deployed to capture combat scenes. “We have somebody who was there who can tell the story,” according to Col. Robert Oltman, USMC, referring to Sgt. Kristopher J. Battles, the lone remaining Marine combat artist.
Why not photography? I’ll let the New York Times answer that one.
“If you and I are in the same firefight, what you see and what I see are two different things, based on our own background and experience,” said Lt. Gen. Ron Christmas, retired, the president and chief executive of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. “When a photograph is taken of a battle or any type of scene in combat, you see the image. But what the artist does is he takes that image and interprets it.”
And, of course, capturing a moment in a painting also serves one of art’s most ancient purposes. “It’s the pact we make with the warrior: You will live forever and we will remember you,” Ms. [Anita] Blair [, chief strategist at the National Security Professional Development Integration Office and a former acting assistant secretary of the Navy]. “And to me the best way to do that is through art. We can’t give him his life, but we can give him that immortality.”
In other words, there’s an artist, gemba, sketchpad in hand, genchi genbutsu. Faithful, always.
Here’s another angle on the value of genchi genbutsu: http://www.shmula.com/2909/genchi-genbutsu-go-and-see-part-4. The phrase that hit me was as follows:
Genchi Genbutsu helps us develop empathy: “Go and See” helps us link high-level thinking with on-the-ground implementation; it helps us “feel with” the people, which then helps us make better decisions and test hypothesis quicker.
1Hi – just wanted to say I like your take on things. Not enough people see life like this.
2I can’t agree with you as it depends on how you view this question. I’d like to discuss this question with you later. God bless u
3that is why we use our brains
4I have come to my conclusion that your post head “
5observed semper fidelis…” is cool and I can state that you are smart.
I hope you are planning a follow up to this great read!
6