WWII-era mural from Camp Crowder saved by Neosho Arts Council
The Neosho Arts Council says they have completed the first stage of what they call their mission to save a mural that is a piece of American history.
WWII-era mural from Camp Crowder saved by Neosho Arts Council
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The mural, created by an unknown soldier stationed at Camp Crowder during World War II, has been carefully removed from the structure where it had stood for over eight decades.
'When we learned about this piece of art, we knew it had to be protected and preserved. After consultation with art preservation experts, it was determined that the wall board the mural is on needed to be removed from the structure,' said Sarah Serio, President of the Neosho Arts Council.
The first extra step of care the council says it took to ensure the safety of the mural was to choose a local contractor with prior experience in historic restoration.
For the job, the council decided on John Clear, owner of Clear Construction. The council says Clear Construction completed on-site assessments of the structural integrity of each panel, also checking the building's structural integrity. Clear's team then carefully removed each panel of the mural's wall.
'I approached this project the same as I've approached other sheetrock or wall board removal, slow and steady,' said Clear.
Clear says some elements of the project, like the removal of over 250 individual nails mounting the panels to the stud walls, proved difficult at times, but certainly not impossible.
'Getting the panels off of the wall without breaking proved to be more difficult than anticipated. There were several panels that were cracked, some from age and some from water damage,' Clear added.
The Neosho Arts Council tells us another extra precaution team members took was to wear gloves to prevent their skin oils from tarnishing the arts surface while they worked to stabilize and lower each panel.
The individual panels were walked to a staging area where a second team carefully wrapped each panel and prepared them for packing into a custom-built wood crate. The council says panels will now be stored until funds can be secured to begin the next phase of preservation.
'We will never find a piece of World War II mural art like this again,' said Serio. 'Before this work is lost, we want to save it, and we need support from the community to accomplish this goal.'
Camp Crowder was a Signal Corps training facility during World War II. The Neosho Arts Council tell us at one time it covered over 42,000 acres and housed up to 47,000 soldiers, a number approaching the population of present-day Joplin, for perspective.
'The mural we are working to save is unique in the fact that the artist was unable to complete it,' added Serio. Portions of the mural remain only in their early stages of a detailed sketch, as duty called the artist was forced to answer before he was able to complete the painting.
'The carefully crafted grid is still visible which the artist used to transfer his design from paper to wall,' said Serio. 'Against all odds the detailed pencil sketches that show the artist's true vision for the work are still on the wall.'
The artist had just started the process of painting, and the paint pigment he used still holds fast to this mural of American history.
The council says it has set a goal of raising $25,000 to remove, restore, and preserve the mural.
Donations can be made online at neoshoarts.net or by mailing a check to Neosho Arts Council, PO Box 605, Neosho, MO 64850. Additional information about the mural and Camp Crowder can be found on the group's website.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Contact Kayla Jimenez at kjimenez@ Follow her on X at @kaylajjimenez.
