Bahahahaa, laughter is good medicine!
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Great to see what an outstanding result is possible to create. There must be a lot of experience to paint a figure like that. It motivates me to go on, hoping that one day I can look at a result like this. Really great work:+1:
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Sorry for the delay, Marco, and thanks for the kind words. You gotta remember that if I can paint like this, so can you. It’s only a matter of practice. I often say, “Nobody was ever born with a brush in their hand.”, so that means anybody can do it if they practice. I’ve got a long way to go myself, but I’m enjoying the process. So, let er rip, and have fun.
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I think so too, it will take some time and some practice, but the day will come
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And there is no reason to be sorry😃
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A suggestion, if I may, check out Planetfigure.com. Plenty of great SBS’ and incredible life like work, plus Putty&Paint. I’m an oiler, so I can’t advise when it comes to acrylics. It’s a matter of preference, so go with what works best for you. 
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Yeap, two great places to learn from and be inspired by.
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Yes, of course, I’m thankful for any suggestion. I will take a look to the page, thank you for that✌
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The painting is abslutely first rate. I love it.
Which parrt of town were you in? I was there as well. Our company stayed in a middle school in Algiers. I myself stayed with the gal who was running supplies out of Blaine Kerns Mardi Gras world. Interesting story about how she came to be involved with that.
Your first clue that you may be in the wrong neighborhood is when the fire hydrants are mounted high up. This whole area had been underwater.
So I may have missed a post or two. How did the guy acquire the name “Freddie?”
We have a Freddie as well. Virtual prize for anyone who figures it out,
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Small world. I can’t remember the area, but you might. The PD sally port had a huge banner that said, “Fort Apache, The Broncs”. They were battling the punks every night in the flooded streets without any assistance for days. They fed us, but were a little peeved uncle sam held us at the airport in Batton Rouge for 4 days. Funny, all the PD stations had BBQ’s running pretty much 24/7, and they had an endless supply of top-quality meat, outstanding.
Everybody and anybody had to get in on the gov nipple, even NYPD. We were quite surprised to see them, they were having a blast working in LA.
Freddie, you ask. Well, a very accomplished figure painter recently told me to name my figures, gives them a more personal attachment and connection to the scenario. Seems to hold true on this vignette.
Don’t know the patch, but I’m betting someone out there will recognize it.
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Algiers was across the river from the Canal Street Ferry Terminal near downtown Nawlins. That terminal was used months later in the movie Deja Vu. If I looked across from Algiers Point I could imagine seeing the rooftop of the house I used to live in on Chartres Street in the 9th Ward. I enlisted in '82 while living in NOLA.
I led four hour patrols every day. The patrol started at the same time the next day that your last patrol ended. So we ended up patrolling at all hours of the day or night.
We treated every patrol as a combat mission. Good training for Iraq two years later. Although I had already been to Afghanistan, the first time I ever pointed my Beretta an another human being was in Algiers. Our Battalion commander interpreted our mission statement, to Provide for the security of the citizens of New Orleans, to mean taking out crack houses and other fun activities.
One team happened upon Emeril’s house and got fed pretty well. Normally we had steak every Tuesday out of some huge trailer that opened up into a quasi outdoor restaurant. I think it was called Cattleman’s Steak Company, and was there for everyone helping the local populace.
We quickly established the SF watering hole:
I had to quit visiting this place because Mr. Rainey would never let me pay for anything.
I concentrated on the area near his restaurant as it was in what was known as the murder capital of New Orleans. No murders during our month there. Then two occurred hours after we left for Colorado.
Gettng back to your figures, the uniform color looks just right. A lot of folks misinterpret it.
All the clues for Freddie’s identity are on the patch.
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You’re gonna have to fess up with the patch intel, I’m clueless, lol. I can’t read the banner lettering; stitch work is too tight. Ya, I was AF 10/82 till finally pulling the plug when Slick Willy came to the fore front. I was not into working for a dope smokin draft dodgin POS from AR, but that’s just me. I recon we’re both in the same demographics, the timing of service is correct.
LA was a trip, couldn’t find “ANY” chew anywhere, ticked me off. In LA, no chew at gas stations, something wrong with that picture, lol. I was FED LEO, so we did see yall floatin about here and there, but we kept to the assigned areas. I wish I could remember exactly where we were, but oh well, got the deputized State Police card as a memento. I can PM you with a bit more detail, pics etc, if you like.
I thought I had a better close-up pic of the skeletal remains of local justice in action, not in the file, hmmmmm. The locals had reached the breaking point and “anyone” trying to do harm to others were handled accordingly, as you might be able to see here. This pic was taken right over the edge of the levy from the station.
Thanks on the uniform tones, they were a tussle to get correct, but once the batch was made, Ruck Over Bby!
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Inconceivable in Germany that the Army goes to a Town with their weapons. I remember the great flood in Dresden 2002, the Bundeswehr came to help, their heaviest weapons were shovels to fill sandbags and of course their fieldkitchen
Totally different mission parameters and objectives… The UK is the same for us being armed. We are only allowed 5m outside our camp perimeters with a loaded weapon… and even that’s iffy.
Only time it’s different if we are acting as a direct response and the government has authorised us under a MACA to bear weapons in support of CivPol.
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Ya gotta remember, the US is an armed CAMP, and “ALWAYS” will be, it is our Blood Right! Safety against the stupid, period, end of story!
Ok, back to “sniffin paint and gluin our fingers together”, cause we’ve drifted, and the thread is in control.
Thank you, all!
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This was not meant to be a criticism of anything, to a german it’s strange to see that. We are just on the way to change our view to our Army, a long time military was declined. After WWII we fall from one extreme to another…
Of course it’s a different thing I meant it, I can’t find the right words to explain, just forget my stupid comment
Not a stupid comment, Marco, and I do understand your meaning. No worries It’s that language barrier thang. We experience it between our British cousins all the time; two peoples separated by a common language, HA! 
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Thank you for your words
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Marco, I agree. Here it is definitely rare to see US military out and about stateside with their weapons. Usually when the Guard is out to help with disasters they’re unarmed.
So I find it jarring as well. We have the Posse Comitatus Act and all that. I’m not sure the legalities of how it ended up happening here, but I do remember that all red-blooded Americans kept a close eye on it. They’re probably Guard.
So basically, your gut is correct.
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There were 82nd AB on station as well as NG, but 82nd had ammo in their packs, no mag in the rifle. Yes, it was disturbing to see the creep towards the edge of legality, imho.
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