Our Man In Arlington 5-14-2026

Following up on last week’s column about murals, I received good feedback (and photos) from readers with information about other murals in Arlington. Thank you for your responses. My favorite was a beautiful farm-like mural with a cow in it — and it turns out to be painted on a local residence! The award for a mural furthest from Arlington was one from Thailand. 

As promised last week, I would like to share an interview with the artist of the John Mercer Langston mural. Kaliq Crosby talked about the challenges of creating a mural of a politician who lived in the 19th century.  After a good deal of research, he decided to center John Langston’s striking image in the mural, and then added the scales of justice symbol, referencing Langston’s legal accomplishments. To capture Langston’s educational work (as dean of Howard Law School, and president of a Black college in Virginia), Crosby depicted children approaching a school building. This image has a double meaning for those who remember Langston Elementary School, which was located near the current mural, on what was then Lee Highway. It was one of the few schools for African Americans during the long period of school segregation.  

The history of public murals in Arlington starts with the lobby of the Central Post Office in Clarendon, which contains seven New Deal murals by artist Auriel Bessemer. The murals were installed in 1940, and it certainly is a relic of its era, with panels that depict indigenous peoples, slaves, and Robert E. Lee (in addition to polo players at Fort Myers). The murals are surprisingly small in size, located high on the walls of the post office. 

Within walking distance of the Post Office, two large public murals happen to be on the walls of American Legion posts. The General Billy Mitchell American Legion Post 85 at 919 North Kansas Street has a mural honoring General Mitchell, who served in the military from 1898 until the 1920 s, relentlessly pushing for an expanded air corps. He was perhaps not diplomatic enough, as Mitchell ended up being court-martialed on the charge of “conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline.”  He died in February 1936, but the events of World War II validated his efforts, and he was posthumously restored to the rank of Brigadier General in 1942. The mural was painted by Falls Church artist Mary Tjeng.  On Washington Boulevard, near Monroe Street, American Legion Post 139 has its own mural. In 2023, this mural was designed and executed by Retired USAF Master Sergeant Patrick Sargent and community volunteers. The mural highlights three American Legion members, with imagery of local military monuments.  

These murals led me to do some research on our other local veterans’ organizations. American Legion Dorie Miller Post 194, located at the Carver Community Center, was created in 1946, in a time of racial segregation. The post honors Doris “Dorie” Miller, the first African American to receive the Navy Cross for his bravery at Pearl Harbor. Another veterans organization is the John Lyon Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3150, established in 1934. John Lyon, the son of developer Frank Lyon, died in 1918 in France, while attempting to rescue a wounded officer in an open field. 

Writing about veterans’ organizations is my lead-in to a reminder that Memorial Day is approaching. Originally established as a day to pause and honor those who died in military service, the reason you might see red poppies that day is that they are traditionally worn as a sign of remembrance and respect. The holiday itself has also widened into a community day, and to that end, I will put in a plug for the City of Falls Church Memorial Day Parade, with the Quantico Marine Band stepping off the parade at 2:00 p.m. on May 25. Their parade feels nicely old-fashioned for me, as it brings back fond memories.  My hometown of Fair Lawn, New Jersey, had a similar parade during my formative years, with veterans’ organizations leading the way, along with local bands and civic organizations (including my Little League team) marching in the parade. Here’s hoping for good weather on the 25th!