Discovery of portrait begins quest

[thedrifter]

Discovery of portrait begins quest


By Greg Barnes
Staff writer



The back of the frame gave way when Brandy Terry took down the velvet painting of Jesus, revealing the portrait of a general hidden for years.

Now Terry is on a quest to learn the general's identity, and return the portrait to him or his family.

But that is proving difficult. Little is known about the painting and - so far, at least - even less about the Marine Corps general.

Terry said her aunt, Lisa Moling, bought the velvet Jesus painting about 20 years ago at a flea market, either in Fayetteville or in Okinawa, Japan.

Moling can't remember which.

Moling gave the painting as a gift to Terry's great-grandfather, Frank Sessoms, a lay preacher from Cumberland County who hung it in his bedroom until his death in 1994 at age 86.

After the funeral, Terry asked for the picture because she said it brought back memories of a man she had been extremely close to.

When she discovered the general's portrait a few weeks ago, Terry said, she didn't know where to turn. She only knew that she wanted to give it back to its rightful owner.

''I'm thinking it's somebody's grandfather who would like to have it,'' said Terry, who lives near Hope Mills. ''I know if it was my grandfather, I would like to have it.''

The portrait reveals some clues about the general. It appears to have been painted around the 1970s. The general looks to be in his 50s. He is wearing black, horn-rimmed glasses and has gray hair. On his right breast are the initials USMC. Under that is the name Lawson.


A medal of honor

The general appears to be wearing either three or four stars and a Medal of Honor ribbon.

Terry thought Lawson might be the general's name, but Marine Corps officials don't think so.

They believe Lawson was the artist.

The Marine Corps has begun looking into the general's identity, but so far isn't having much luck, said Capt. Sean Turner with the Marine Corps Division of Public Affairs in Washington, D.C.

Maj. Jason Johnson said an initial investigation found no four-star Marine Corps generals who had received the Medal of Honor.

Johnson also wondered why the general in the portrait didn't have more ribbons for the number of campaigns his uniform depicts him in.

Turner said he has turned the mystery of the unknown general over to the Marine Corps' Historical Division. He hopes someone can match the portrait to a picture of Medal of Honor recipients stored in the Marine Corps archives.


Not needle in haystack

''It's not really a needle in a haystack, but we are going to have to do a lot of research,'' Turner said.

Terry hopes someone in Fayetteville might be able to help solve the mystery so she can return the portrait and buy a new frame for her sentimental velvet Jesus painting.

Staff writer Greg Barnes can be reached at barnesg@fayettevillenc.com or 486-3525.



Staff photo by Cindy Burnham
Under a painting of Jesus on velvet, left, Brandy Terry found this oil painting of a Marine lieutenant general.

http://www.fayettevillenc.com/story....&Story=6201449


Sempers,

Roger