Rolling memorial carries 'Comfort'

Marine Corps News ^ | Cpl. Tom Sloan

[SandRat]

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (March 2, 2006) -- Karla Comfort received a lot of looks and even some salutes from people when she drove from Benton, Ark., to Camp Pendleton, Calif., in her newly-painted, custom Hummer H3 March 2.

The vehicle is adorned with the likeness of her son, 20-year-old Lance Cpl. John M. Holmason, and nine other Marines with F Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division who where all killed by the same improvised explosive device blast in Fallujah, Iraq, in December.

For Comfort, having the vehicle air brushed with the image of the 10 Marines was a way to pay homage to her hero and his fellow comrades who fell on Iraq’s urban battlefield.

“I wanted to let people know (Marines) are doing their jobs honorably, and some of them die,” said the 39-year-old from Portland, Ore. “I don’t want people to forget the sacrifices that my son and the other Marines made.”

Leading up to her son’s death, Comfort had received several letters from him prior to his return. He had been deployed for five months, and Comfort “worried everyday he was gone until she got the letters and found out the date he was coming home,” she said.

Marines knocked on the front door of her home in Farmington, Mich., at 3 a.m. with the dreadful news.

“I let my guard down when I found out he was coming home,” she said. “There are times that I still cannot believe it happened. It’s very hard to deal with.”

Comfort came up with the idea for the rolling memorial when she and her two other sons attended John’s funeral in Portland, Ore.

“I saw a Vietnam (War) memorial on a car, and I said to my son Josh, ‘we should do something like that for John,’” she recalled. “He loved Hummers.”

She purchased the vehicle in January and immediately took it to AirbrushGuy & Co. in Benton, Ark., where artist Robert Powell went to work on changing the plain, black vehicle into a decorative, mobile, art piece.“I only had the vehicle for two days before we took it in,” she joked.

After 250 man-hours, Powell had completed the vehicle.

“I love it,” she said. “I’m really impressed with it, and I think John would be happy with the vehicle. He would have a big smile on his face because he loved Hummers.”

Comfort game Powell basic instructions on what to include in the paint job. But in addition to the image of her son in Dress Blues and the faces of the nine other Marines, there were several surprises.

“He put a lot more on than I expected,” she said. “I think my favorite part is the heaven scene.”

On the left side of the vehicle, a detail of Marines are depicted carrying their fallen comrades through the clouds to their final resting place. The American flag drapes across the hood, the words, “Semper Fi” crown the front windshield and the spare tire cover carries the same Eagle Globe and Anchor design that her son had tattooed on his back.

Comfort received the paintjob free.

“All the support I have been getting is wonderful,” she said.

Comfort decided to move back to her hometown of Portland, and making the cross-country trip from Arkansas was a way for her to share her son’s story. It’s also her way of coping with the loss.

“Along the way I got nothing but positive feedback from people,” she said. “What got to me was when people would salute the guys (Marines). It’s hard to look at his picture. I still cry and try to get used to the idea, but it’s hard to grasp the idea that he’s really gone.”

[SandRat]

Marines with 1st Marine Division admire a Hummer H3 that was on display at Camp Pendleton, Calif., March 2. Karla Comfort purchased the 2006 model and had the likeness of her son, 20-year-old Lance Cpl. John M. Holmason, who died supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, and various images depicting the Global War on Terrorism airbrushed on its body. The custom paintjob, which was done by artist Robert Powell with AirbrushGuy & Co. in Benton, Ark., took 250 man-hours to complete and depicts Holmanson and nine other Marines with F Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division who were all killed by the same improvised explosive devise blast in Fallujah, Iraq, in December. The rolling memorial was a way for Comfort to pay tribute to her son and keep his memory alive. Comfort drove the vehicle from Benton, Ark., to her hometown of Portland, Ore., stopping along the way to display it. Photo by: Cpl. Tom Sloan

[SandRat]

Caution may cause blurry screen.

[ExcursionGuy84]

Truly, those men Were US Marines...

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[theclintonssux]

I think the U.S. Marines should make Robert Powell, the Airbursh Guy, an honorary Marine! What a job, 250 hours donated to the memory of those 10 brave men. Semper Fi!

If I lived close to Benton, AR, I would go by and contribute something to that shop!

[Defiant]

Another thread on this--NC Times story

[Kathy in Alaska]

Wow! Blurry screen is right.

[SandRat]

Sorry about that

[SandRat]

hmmmm,... wonder what a bunch of emails to Mail Call and Gunny R. Lee on this would do?????? hmmmmmmmmm.......

[trooprally]

Ping fo pics

[trooprally]

SANDRAT - Thanks for the thread. I was emailed pictures outside of FR and knew someone must have posted something on FR. It took a little searching, but found it thanks to some suggestions from armymarinemom.

To ALL you others, Freema was gracious enough to provide me her ping list for just this article.

Below are larger size pictures than those found in the Marine Corps News's article. To read the article, click on the narrative at the bottom of the thread.

[Mr] T

[armymarinemom]

Rats.

[trooprally]

Sounds like the pics didn't take for everyone/anyone? They showed on the Preview and show on our site.

Will try something else. Sounds like Armymarinemom has an idea.

[Mr] T

[Marine_Uncle]

It's the thought that counts. Your effort is saluted.
SandRat should always include four or five boxes of tissues on these kinds of posts.
It never gets any easier to read this stuff.

[trooprally]

ALL

Lets try this again. [Mrs] Trooprally was able to get the pics onto her photobucket account. This works with the AARs, so I assume it will work with these.

If not, then please excuse the ping.

[Mr] Trooprally

Larger size pictures of those at the bottom of the Marine Corps Article.

Pic 1

Pic 2

Pic 3

Pic 4

Pic 5

Pic 6

[Marine_Uncle]

Thanks. The picture of the five of them. How very sobering. They lived in honor. We shall remember their honor and sacrifice. Now they are the Lord's to craddle.

[trooprally]

How very sobering.

Yea - the smaller pics don't do justice to this rolling memorial.

I'm glad that the pics came up this time. I should have known about transferring pics directly from an email.

Semper Fi

[Mr] T

[Mr. Jazzy]

Beautiful work and thanks for the photos.


Thank you to the heroes, those gone on to "gate duty" afar, the "devil docs" who tried to save them and those who serve still with us on earth.

Semper Fi.

[trooprally]

You are welcome for the enlargements, but the Thanks really goes to sandrat who posted the original story. The enlarged pics were sent to us by a USMC Korean War vet.

Best wishes to your son and Semper Fi.

[Mr] T

[freema]

www.link4u.com/kissedmyson.htm

[trooprally]

Now that is a GREAT song - Thank you.

[Mr] T

[Coop]

Thanks for posting a sad, yet beautiful story.

[freema]

You are most welcome. Thank you for these pics.

[USMCPOP]

There are much better pictures at the painter's home site...

These are the men we lost, and who are represented on the vehicle:

Lance Corporal Craig N. Watson

Sergeant Andy A. Stevens

Lance Corporal Andrew G. Patten

Lance Corporal Scott T. Modeen

Corporal Anthony T. McElveen

Lance Corporal Robert Alexander Martinez

Lance Corporal Adam Wade Kaiser

Lance Corporal David A Huhn

Lance Corporal John M. Holmason

Staff Sergeant Daniel J. Clay

I do have contact information for 5 of these families in case you'd like me to pass on any condolences. Thankfully, we Gold Star families do have our ways of connecting.

[Mr. Lucky]

God bless you, man.

[Airbrushguy]

I located this listing just surfing to see where all the story was located. I was touched by your taking the time to list the other men that died in this event. I am also sorry for your loss, but grateful for the men and women willing to serve. Thank you for sharing this story. It has been meaningful to far more people than just Karla's family. Victoria Powell

[USMCPOP]

Just doing what I can to remember our boys and help their families... We're all in this together.

I appreciate what you folks did with this memorial.

Semper Fidelis,