Early Saturday afternoon, as Scott LaBaido toiled away at putting some fresh paint on the exterior of the Veterans of Foreign Wars post 2673, a local house painter pulled his truck into the parking lot and offered his approval and encouragement.
LaBaido’s tools were nothing special—a ladder and a standard paint roller. But his deft, measured strokes drew a steady stream of new admirers who wanted to chat, snap photos and learn more about the project.
Painting with a speed and ease that made his work look deceptively easy, LaBaido was creating a giant American flag mural that covered a huge section of the VFW’s front wall facing 12th street.
The mural is the 17th American flag LaBaido has painted on a VFW post, as he makes his way across the country on a six-month trip to create a new mural on a veterans’ post in each of the 50 states.