Jacob Dimond / jake@yelmonline.com
Wyatt Mendel, a local realtor, Yelm High School class of 2011 graduate and former recipient of the Sgt. Justin Norton Memorial Scholarship, has previously honored a local service member through the form of art.
Now, he intends to once again memorialize a hometown hero in a mural.
Mendel and artist Jeff Jacobson, also known as “Weirdo Cult,” previously restored the mural alongside state Route 507 of Sgt. Justin Norton who graduated with honors from Rainier High School in 2003. He joined the Army that same year and was soon promoted to the rank of sergeant. He deployed to Iraq in November 2025, and less than a year later, on June 24, 2006, Norton was killed in action by an improvised explosive device while on patrol in Baghdad. He was 21 years old.
The mural of Norton has been presented underneath the railroad trestle in Rainier for quite some time, but the duo sought the time, energy and resources at the end of May to restore the painting.
Due to the success of the Sgt. Justin Norton mural restoration, Mendel, once again with the help of Jacobson, intends to honor another hometown hero — Sgt. Sean Collins, a member of YHS’s graduating class of 2004.
Dreaming of serving in the United States Army since kindergarten, Collins chased those dreams by enlisting. He served two initial deployments to Iraq.
In his third mission, this time to Afghanistan, Collins, who was a team leader with the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry, and 101st Airborne Division, and five other servicemen died in a suicide attack at a military base on Dec. 12, 2010 in Kandahar.
“It was a completely tragic story where this suicide bomber loaded up 1,000 pounds of explosives in a rental van and drove up to the soldiers and detonated it,” Mendel said. “Sean wasn’t the only person who passed away. Five other soldiers passed away, and 11 others were wounded.”
He’s survived by his mother and stepfather, Linda and Scott Racy, his father, Patrick Collins, of Florida, his brother, Travis Collins, and his sisters, Caitlin Rogers and Deedee Burns.
“Sean was a very caring person, not just about his family but about his country as well,” Mendel said. “It was very unfortunate to lose him. We want to help the community get to know him, and the sacrifice that was made.”
Sean’s mother, Linda, wrote that soldiers were mandated to have 12 months in between deployments, but noted Sean was permanently trasferred to Campbell (101st Airborne) — where his new unit was set to deploy in the sixth month of his dwell time.
“Because he was an Infantry Team Leader, he didn’t want his Team deploying without him. He asked his Company Commander for a waiver (to allow him to break the Dwell Time rules) and was denied. He appealed to his Battalion Commander, and was denied again. He appealed again to his Brigade Commander, and was approved,” she wrote. “He ended up being KIA right around the time his Dwell Time would have ended.”
Nearly 15 years after Collins’ tragic passing, Mendel is seeking help from the community to honor the fallen local serviceman and bring more awareness to his story.
Mendel has been working with Longshot, a local gun business in Yelm at 16910 state Route 507, and said both the business and building owner were on board with the mural being painted there.
“They were happy and impressed by the first mural (in Rainier), and were more than happy to oblige as long as we raise the funds and everything is done safely and appropriately,” Mendel said. “We’re doing the fundraiser on SignUpGenius, and as of this morning we’re at a little over $1,100. The most we’ll need is $6,900. It’s on a 10-foot high by 46-foot wide wall. It will be extremely visible.”
Mendel noted that mural efforts could begin as early as the first week of September, and that he’s hopeful to see the community participate in the fundraiser. Once completed, the mural would be coated with an anti-graffiti coating, which allows for potential graffiti to be power washed off.
“If we could get all the funds raised before the end of August, we would be on the best timeline to get it finished as soon as possible,” Mendel said.
Based on the artist Jacobson’s previous work in Rainier and throughout his 25 years of experience painting murals, Mendel knows “Weirdo Cult” is the man for the job.
“His talent backs up whatever name he wants. He has the artwork to back it up. He really is the best,” Mendel said. “He has over 25 years of experience in Seattle. He formally trained in art school, and informally trained on the streets doing murals.”
Learn more and donate at https://tinyurl.com/527kvucv.
