City Council honors veteran artist Les Fordahl's service and advocacy
The Bloomington City Council held a "Notable Neighbor" recognition event on November 6 to honor Les Fordahl, a Vietnam War combat artist whose work is preserved in the Library of Congress and who has dedicated years to helping fellow veterans through art therapy.
Fordahl served as a combat artist in the 221st Combat Art Division during the Vietnam War, where he documented the conflict through sketches and paintings. His extensive collection from that period is now housed in the Library of Congress archives, preserving an important historical record of the war.
Beyond his military service, Fordahl has become an advocate for veterans' issues in Bloomington. He pointed out that the city currently lacks a dedicated veterans' memorial—a gap he believes should be addressed to properly honor those who have served. His advocacy stems partly from his volunteer work at the VA Adult Daycare Center on Cedar Avenue, where he spent five years teaching arts and crafts to veterans living with brain injuries.
Fordahl emphasized the therapeutic value of art for veterans struggling with PTSD and other service-related challenges. Through his teaching, he has witnessed firsthand how creative expression can help veterans heal and reconnect with their communities. When not focused on veterans' issues, Fordahl remains committed to promoting arts education more broadly, encouraging students to explore the diverse fields within the arts and using his skills to help educate and inspire others.
The recognition reflects Bloomington's appreciation for residents who contribute meaningfully to their community. Fordahl's work—from documenting history during wartime to supporting veterans in their recovery—demonstrates a lifelong commitment to service and creative expression. His advocacy for a local veterans' memorial may prompt city officials to consider how Bloomington can better commemorate those who have served.
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Source document
[0:00] - This is Normandale Lake.
[0:02] Normandale Lake is my favorite lake.
[0:04] I've had a lifetime of art.
[0:06] This is my hallway of memories,
[0:08] yes, you might call it,
I go by Les Fordahl.
[0:11] I've been an artist in sketching
[0:13] since I was eight years old.
[0:14] The arts document real time
[0:16] as you're seeing, as it's happening.
[0:19] This was me when I was younger.
[0:21] They asked for a volunteer
to go to Vietnam.
[0:23] They went there as a draftsman,
I was sketching to relax.
[0:27] The colonel come up and he said,
[0:29] they need a fourth man
on the combat art team
[0:31] on the two 21st combat art division
[0:34] to document the history of the war.
[0:36] Would you like to be on that team?
[0:38] I said, sure, I'd love
to do what I love to do.
[0:39] There were 46 of us that were documented
[0:42] as a legitimate artists
documenting the history of the war.
[0:46] Part of my history is they
called me Last Minute Les.
[0:49] In Vietnam there's two weeks
[0:50] before the Bob Hope USO show
[0:53] was to come to Long Bend in 1970.
[0:56] They didn't have any advertising out.
[0:57] He said, we need an advertisement
for the Bob Hope Show.
[1:00] Can you do something?
[1:02] We need it today.
[1:03] These pictures here are all in the Library
[1:05] of Congress archives.
[1:07] I left five paintings and
sketches with the combat art team
[1:11] and apparently they got back
[1:12] 'cause the Library of Congress
has a record of all of them.
[1:15] 15 years later, Paul
Cameron wrote a letter
[1:20] and said, do you have any sketches?
[1:21] They aren't teaching
about the Vietnam War.
[1:23] So they asked if they could
have anything to teach with,
[1:27] both art and history.
[1:29] So I took the drawings out
[1:30] and I went to coffee shops,
sitting in my home studio
[1:34] and I just started finishing details.
[1:36] That's how I ended up in a textbook.
[1:38] A self-taught artist, who would know?
[1:41] (person laughing)
[1:42] We're working on the
Bloomington Remembers Veterans.
[1:44] Bloomington is one of the only cities
[1:46] that doesn't have a memorial for veterans.
[1:49] And having been through a
war, the sacrifices you make,
[1:52] you risk the fact that
you may not come home.
[1:55] I don't want it forgotten.
[1:56] Art therapy is being used
for all kinds of PTSD.
[2:01] I am one of the more
fortunate ones to come back
[2:04] physically in whole body.
[2:06] I volunteered at the
VA Adult Daycare Center
[2:09] at 66 in Cedar and for
five years I taught crafts
[2:14] and arts to veterans who had
brain injuries or whatever.
[2:19] I spent 38 years walking the
mail, enjoyed being outside
[2:22] 'cause everything was able
to distract me from any PTSD.
[2:28] My wife and I dug the
hole and built this house.
[2:30] We designed it and built it ourselves.
[2:32] As an artist, I wanna promote the arts
[2:34] and I want students to
know there's so many areas
[2:36] of the arts you can go into.
[2:38] I've had a purpose because of my art
[2:40] to help others, to instruct, to educate
[2:43] and just relate with people.
[2:45] (upbeat music)
[2:49] (pencil whirring)
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Other Topics from This Document
Advocacy for a Bloomington Veterans' Memorial and Art's Therapeutic Role
Promoting Arts Education and Community Engagement
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