Every Tattoo has its Story
Sunday, November 16th, 2008 | Tattoo Blog
Every tattoo has a story
Waving flags, soaring eagles and Jesus with arms spread were just a handful of the highlights Saturday night at the Most Patriotic Tattoo contest held by the VFW Auxiliary.
About 20 contestants bared their arms, legs and chests to show off patriotism that runs so deep for them that they emblazoned their bodies permanently with it, and judges said they had a difficult time choosing who should win by contest’s end.
“I liked to see if I could tell the story myself without asking,” said judge Linda Schultz. An art director at Wincraft, Schultz is also a bit of a tattoo expert with some body art of her own. “We looked for smooth lines, color and meaning,” she said. “We had to take age into consideration because lines will feather with age, but it doesn’t change the meaning.”
For Mike Fox, winner of the evening’s contest, the meaning behind his large back, arm and side tattoo was close to his heart. “It’s just to represent the men and women of the military,” he said. “These are the men and women who stand for us, it’s the least I could do.”
Fox, an Army infantry scout between 1975 and 1981, was just one of three military men who took top honors in the competition.
After 21 years in the Army, second place winner Dave Tropple had seen two wars and a lot of friends lost. On his arm, dog tags, an insignia for POWs and a bold eagle against barbed wire tell the story of days and people he will not forget.
For third place winner Nathan Gribbons, his fighting Uncle Sam tattoo is a tribute to friends shot down in Iraq just six months after he received his own release to return home. “I have pictures of them, but it’s not enough, it didn’t do them justice,” he said.
For judges, such emotional stories moved them.
“I think the tattoos really represent something to the people who have them,” said local artist and judge John Durfey. “If you want to express something and you put it on your body, it’s a pretty strong commitment. With vets, it’s something more poignant, it’s their life.”
Judge Pete Beer, a frequent contestant in other tattoo contests, said he saw a lot of beautiful work throughout the evening and knows the crowd that gathered was just as interested in the stories told by the entrants as the artwork on their bodies.
The fundraiser was the first of its kind for the VFW, which hosted about 100 people for the evening’s festivities.
Article from Winona Post
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