I was stationed at the Pentagon from January 1971 to July 1978. While there, I was assigned to the U.S. Army Telecommunications Center, working 12-hour shifts as a shift supervisor at the Army Overseas Switchboard. In 1971, I enrolled in Columbia Technical Institute (CTI) to study Commercial Art and Architectural Drafting. After graduating from the institute, I attended Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) to study Graphics Design and Layout. Finally, after finishing at NVCC, I enrolled in and, completed the Air Force's Visual Information Specialist Course. Afterwards, I submitted my request to change my primary job MOS 72C (Tactical Switchboard Operator/Installer) to my secondary job, and my secondary job MOS 81E (Artist Illustrator) to my primary job. The process was very difficult for me.
The Graphics Department's supervisor told me to put together a portfolio of my work, including complete facial drawings and paintings of people (both male and female), and military tanks with front, side, and top views. For whatever reason she would not accept the artwork I presented to her that I did at Columbia Tech, and NVCC (Personally, I felt that she did not believe the works were mine). She wanted all new stuff. It took me approximately one month to put it together. When I presented it to her, she hardly looked at it, and appeared to be angry at times. She said that she would get back with me at a later date--she never did. Her input to DA would have made things much easier for me in getting my MOS changed. My paperwork continued to get "lost," and personnel continued to give me the runaround, they said that since I was getting Pro-Pay, (proficiency pay for scoring high on my MOS test) I could not chance my MOS. (MOS - Military Occupation Specialty).
I entered an art contest and won "Best of Show," commemorated by a silver tray. I was the first military person at the time ever to win such a prestigious award, and I am certain that I was the first of my race to do so. The people who participated in judging the contest were art professors from local colleges and universities in the area. To this day, I never did get back my winning drawing--no one knew what happen to it. Furthermore, I was not congratulated by anyone in the Graphics Department, no one from that section even placed in the contest to include the graphics supervisor. The only people who had congratulated me were my Sergeant Major, and several people who had read about my success in the Pentagon's PASTIMES magazine. I was also one of the winners of the Fitness Award.
With the help of my Sergeant Major, and other people from the DCSPER, I finally got my MOS changed. I never did get the chance to work in the Graphics Department in the Army Operations Center (AOC), (I personally felt that I would not have been welcome), but my Sergeant Major got me my own room just to do special art projects for the office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for personnel. I painted portraits of high ranking military personnel, designed certificates, logos, photo retouch, drafting, and created cartoons. Matter of fact, I had my on spot in the Pentagram newspaper, just to do cartoons; it was call "Legg". I created other artwork that got the attention of some very important people at the Pentagon. I was glad when my replacement came in, because I always wanted to be stationed in Europe, just to see the artwork created by the old masters that I read about in my art history class.
Sometimes things might seem much harder for you than for other people, or you may think it's unfair how you are treated because you are different. Big deal! You must continue working hard because your day will come, trust me on this one, be positive! Thanks to lots of great people I met at the Pentagon who believed in me and my abilities as an artist, and to those who did not, thanks to you too, for you were my greatest inspiration.
