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RENOVO -- Memorial Day Weekend will mark a memorable milestone for the Renovo Area Heritage Park.
Members of the nonprofit will dedicate and unveil a 100 square foot mural honoring Renovo area veterans that served on bomber crews during WWII.
The ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 28, and is free and open to the public.
"WWII Fly Boys" a mural that was created by local artist Robert "Haney" Calhoun will be unveiled for the first time. Calhoun had become close friends with WWII Veteran John Curcio and was told countless stories from the former bomber, whose memory was impeccable, right up to his passing in March of 2022. Curcio also introduced Calhoun to his England living counterpart, Derri Edge.
Edge contacted Curcio decades ago after his research revealed to the WWII enthusiast that Curcio had flown missions near his home.
Along with those firsthand accounts and years of studying all things Fly Boys, Heritage Park had an easy time deciding who to tap as an artist for their mural to be painted on the east side of Tony's Hardware along Huron Avenue in the center of Renovo.
The Fly Boys Mural will be the latest in a group of heritage murals that are located in Renovo, joining: Lingle's (Heritage Park project), Sportsman's Hotel (also painted by Calhoun), the Renovo Area Public Library (Clinton County Arts Council), Renovo Post Office (New Deal Mural), Heritage Park (YMCA Restaurant railroad murals -- not on display yet), and Renovo Elementary (teacher Corps local history mural).
"The mural is a gateway to a unique story about Renovo area veterans who served during a history-making era that influenced the outcome of the war," explained longtime Heritage Park member Rich Wykoff. "Some served during the early days of the formation of the Army Air corps."
Many members of Heritage Park have taken part in making the mural a reality.
Trish Wilson has been researching and collecting Renovo's contributions to WWII and amassed over three dozen such stories that will all eventually be available to the public. The always progressive HP committee is considering a myriad of ways of bringing these accounts to life to all that wish to hear them.
Wilson has recruited Bucktail Area High School students to help with some of the highlights during the unveiling ceremony. The veterans that were found during Trish's research will be honored on a plaque that will be mounted near the mural.
Wykoff further relayed that there are sub-chapters in the mural that help to tell the overall story.
There are sub-chapters that have been researched that tell the story behind the mural. They relate, for example, to John Curcio's type of bomber and his crew, the story of "Ascend Charlie," and the story of "The Railroader." There are others.
Noteworthy is the "nose art" that crews painted on the fronts of their planes.
The non-profit Greater Renovo Area Heritage Park is asking the community to help, through fundraising, to cover the cost of the mural.
There are numerous ways to make monetary donations including online, by mail or dropped off at their Erie Avenue headquarters. Donors will be honored as their names will be placed on a plaque on the mural soon. Updates on the fundraising efforts can be found on the Heritage Park website, Facebook page or by contacting Mary George Rhone.
Tony's Hardware donated the space for the mural and the supporting framework is being built by Brownie's signs.