PHOENIX — On Thursday, Marsha and Carl Mueller, the parents of Kayla Mueller, were in attendance for the unveiling of the painting “Into The Breach,” at the Arizona National Guard Barry Goldwater hangar. The painting symbolizes the 2019 raid, named in honor of Kayla, that killed ISIS terrorist leader al-Baghdadi.
Today, we honor Kayla Mueller’s extraordinary life spent serving others as a humanitarian in the darkest of places. AZ will always remember her bright light, and owe a debt of gratitude to our U.S. Special Forces who brought justice to the Mueller family last year. pic.twitter.com/dK1dFcE816
— Martha McSally (@SenMcSallyAZ) October 8, 2020
The Muellers were joined by Governor Doug Ducey, National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien, Senator Martha McSally, and Arizona National Guard members.
Kayla Mueller was a humanitarian from Prescott, Arizona who was killed by ISIS in 2015. She was a devout Christian who was committed to helping others and providing humanitarian aid. In October of 2019, U.S. Special Operations Forces killed ISIS leader al-Baghdadi in the raid named in honor of Kayla Mueller.
The painting will eventually be put on display at the Arizona State Capitol.
“A daughter of Prescott, Arizona, Kayla was special, and that was evident from an early age,” said Ducey. “With compassion as her shield and love as her weapon, Kayla Mueller was a warrior in every sense, comforting the anguished and serving as a light in the darkness. Hers is a story every Arizonan, every American, every generation, needs to know. My thanks to Marsha and Carl Mueller for giving our state the opportunity to honor her legacy by putting this painting on display at the Capitol.”
Welcome back to Arizona, @VP, and thank you for all this Administration has done to honor the memory of Kayla Mueller. pic.twitter.com/MXwJVT9H7U
— Doug Ducey (@dougducey) October 8, 2020
Into The Breach” was painted by Stuart Brown, who donated the painting to the Mueller family. The painting depicts Delta Force Operators surrounding a compound and breaching its wall with explosives. Prints of Brown’s works are collected worldwide, and commissioned original versions of his artwork are possessed by numerous military units, including the U.S. Army Special Operations Command.