The Ray Simon painting portrays veterans in action
AUSTINTOWN
A 30-by-6-foot mural, an emotional tribute to military veterans past, present and future, was unveiled Monday on the wall of the enclosed patio at Quaker Steak & Lube.
Raymond Simon, a Youngstown artist known for his his military-themed paintings, painted the mural, He said depicting scenes reminiscent of World War II, the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and the Iraq/Afghanistan War was inspired by his father, Patrick Simon, who served in WWII in the 101st Airborne’s C Company.
About 100 veterans and their friends attended the mural’s unveiling, said Ken Jackubak, manager of Quaker Steak at 5800 Interstate Blvd.
Highly decorated with seven bronze stars and a Purple Heart, the elder Simon’s unit fought through Europe from France to Germany in numerous battles and participated in the liberation of Auschwitz, a German Nazi concentration and extermination camp in Poland.
The idea for the mural was hatched by friends Joseph Lane, owner of Lane Funeral Homes, who commissioned the painting, and Jackubak, about 18 months ago.
Their fathers, also great friends, fought in WWII: Joseph O. Lane, who served in the Army’s 102nd Infantry, and Paul Jackubak, who served in the Army Air Corps.
“They talked and bowled and smoked cigars together,” Ken Jackubak said.
He said Quaker Steak co-founders, Gary Meszaros and George Warren, served in the Vietnam War, and the company has a history of honoring veterans.
“We get a lot of veterans here,” said Jackubak, who served in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War era.
“This mural is more relevant today than yesterday, considering the challenges we continue to face as a nation,” said Simon, who acknowledged he shed tears during its creation.
“My dad and Joe’s dad participated in the fight for freedom. We can’t forget these things. The mural is a way to remember them and everyone who served,” Simon said.
The title of the mural is “Honoring Our Hometown Heroes.”
Its theme, Simon said, is embodied in a famous speech by President John F. Kennedy, who said:
“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”
When asked if he was proud to have the mural in his Quaker Steak & Lube, Jackubak said: “Proud. You have no idea. I want to thank all the vets who served and are serving, and those who never came back.”