Our Fighting Forces by Wayne Hecho
~The 5 Candles & Ribbons symbolize the 5 fighting branches of our 
military. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines & Navy
~The ribbons on one base symbolize the unity of the 5 fighting
branches together as a whole
~The glow of the candles symbolize the glow that emits from our
hearts, in honor of those who are gone but not forgotten.
~The cracks in the paint symbolize age, which in itself symbolizes wisdom.
~The pedestal symbolizes where we should place our military and their
families, in honor of their deeds and sacrifices they have made and
continue to make everyday.
~The red, white & blue symbolize the colors of our country, which
even when cracked or faded are still recognized as a symbol of
strength, unity & democracy.
~The wood symbolizes the humbleness of our troops, who do their
jobs diligently day in and day out, even though they are under paid
and over worked, they are the fiber of our country & the
defenders of our freedom.
~The sharp edge of the ribbon symbolizes the sharpness of the
swords of battle & also the crease of the uniform, proudly
worn by our distinguished military.
Growing up my dad was a carpenter.
I used to watch as he repaired and rebuilt just about anything with his own hands and a few hand tools, although in those days it wasn't 'to go green' or 'to save the environment', in
those days there just wasn't enough money to buy new.
Dad was also known for building or making beautiful gifts for mom and grandma.
While I did not know it at the time, those summers he made me work with
him or 'invited me' to build gifts, I was learning a skill, a skill that I still use today.
For sometime now I have been making items as gifts for my friends and family. With
prompting from those friends and family, I decided to make these works available to
others in hopes that they would be enjoyed as much as I enjoy creating them.