Midmorning With Aundrea - November 18, 2020 (Part 3)

(Part 3 of 4) A local artist in Nettleton is painting a massive mural celebrating the history of the town.

A mural that pays tribute to the history of a monroe county town is nearing completion.

Wcbi's allie martin checked in on the artist who is painting the massive mural and has an update.

On most days, when the weather is nice, tony bullard is working on the nettleton mural.

"fortunately we'v had some good weather, so i've been able to get a lot done in a short period of time."

The mural, which covers the entire exterior north wall of the dorothy j lowe public library, features a downtown scene from the 1950s, four notable people with ties to nettleton, along with the school mascot, a portrait of president roosevelt, who visited the region launching tva, and other scenes.

There are still a few details to paint.

"in the brown area there will be lettering, some towns, like lee, monroe, surrounding towns, it will look like a map, the car scene, more detail, names of businesses."

St standup bridge there are some surprises in the mural, there are some optical illusions.

For instance, the train, no matter where you stand, the train appears to be following you.

"the way i did th shadowing and the shading and all, it gives the illusion."

Bullard has spent countless hours working on the mural but says it has been a privilege and a learning experience.

"it's like a bi playground for me, i get to come out here and meet a lot of people in the process, i'm learning as i go, because the portraits, on here, i'm learning about each one as i paint it."

Bullard hopes to be finished with the mural by the end of the year.

In nettleton, allie martin, wcbi news visitors are getting their first look at the national museum of the u.s. army at fort belvoir in virginia.

It opened on veterans day-- highlighting the stories of soldiers willing to sacrifice for their country.

Chip reid takes us inside.

The us army has 245 years of heroes ... and history.

15:43:25 call: // this is the actual bradley fighting vehicle that led the army's charge into iraq áá museum director tammy call has overseen it's creation for six years.

15:23:45 cr: does it still get you right here when you go through it?

Tc: it does.

Fourteen-hundred artifacts that go back to the revolutionary war battle scenes are meticulously portrayed -- here climbing into a landing craft on d- day 1944 and here in afghanistan 15:41:34 chip: so you used real soldiers to pose for these figures.

// call: absolutely.

// they can show their families // they can show them what it was like.

áá sgt.

James akinola the 20 army soldier of the year was overwhelmed 15:43:59 áá i'm looking at everything from the past to the present and i'm like, dang, this is really what i'm serving ináá one of the most prized items is a sword carried at fort mchenry in 1814... that same year congress directed the army to preserve its history.

Now more than two hundred years later the us army finally has a national museum to call its own.

Chip reid cbs news fort belvoir virginia a little later, a look at how designers find the