Explosion

Explosion with figures being blasted; dead in foreground. Inscription on verso: "March 1945, on our way back from Iwo Jima aboard U.S.S. Pickering. We all know and we all felt the terrific explosions and concussions of rocket bomb or high explosive mortar. When I was caught in a barrage of 11 such explosions one noon I witnessed two close ones and this is my interpretation of it. (Men blew up and far away about 20 feet up in many cases). Painted this picture on my way to Maui from Iwo from several notes." Explosion with figures being blasted; dead in foreground. Inscription on verso: "March 1945, on our way back from Iwo Jima aboard U.S.S. Pickering. We all know and we all felt the terrific explosions and concussions of rocket bomb or high explosive mortar. When I was caught in a barrage of 11 such explosions one noon I witnessed two close ones and this is my interpretation of it. (Men blew up and far away about 20 feet up in many cases). Painted this picture on my way to Maui from Iwo from several notes." Hios joined the USMC in 1942 and trained as a combat photographer. He saw action on the Marshall Islands, Saipan, Tinian and Iwo Jima. Promoted to sergeant, he received the Bronze Star for 'heroic and meritorious action in obtaining valuable combat photographs under hazardous conditions'. Gift of the artist, 1994.