More On Operation Calendar
Jun 5, 2008 6:06 pm US/Pacific
Painted Pin-Ups Pose For Calendar To Support Vets
LOS ANGELES (CBS) ―
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Operation Calendar produced their third calendar, Camouflage Pin-Up 2008, to support wounded veterans.
Operation Calendar
Twelve beautiful women, dressed only in paint brushed on by a world-renowned artist, posed for a 2008 pin-up calendar with the mission to raise awareness and money for wounded veterans and their families.
Model
Manuela Mezzadri launched Operation Calendar -- now in its third year -- after visiting with wounded veterans. Mezzadri, moved by what she saw, decided to act.
"Each year Manuela brings a bunch of beautiful women together and she has them body-painted and puts together a beautiful calendar to help support our wounded veterans," said former U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant and cover model
Michelle Manhart.
For this year's calendar, Camouflage Pin-Up 2008, Mezzadri called upon the services of body painter
Filippo ioco and Manhart to produce an artistic swimwear theme.
Honored by the invitation, ioco brought his brushes and paint to the front lines.
"I lend a lot of my artwork to charities, like breast cancer and children with AIDS, so I thought this was something that my artwork could do some good for," ioco said.
He put his skills to work, dressing the models with his unique style of artwork.
"We came up with different ideas for every month; we did bathing suits, corsets, there is a boxer, an evening gown and it is all body-painted with strings, fabric and rhinestones glued on," ioco explained.
Manhart, who appears in the calendar as a retro pin-up girl wearing a painted pink polka dot bikini (and yes, it is teenie weenie), believes the message behind the calendar is important.
"We have a lot of knowledge out there that, unfortunately, we're losing people in our current war," Manhart said. "But people aren't aware that we have so many troops that have returned wounded and that is the goal of the calendar -- to get information out there and to support their financial needs."
Manhart, who retired from the Air Force after a controversial appearance in Playboy magazine, continues to show support for troops.
"About once a month I go see the troops who are on their way to Iraq and just spend the day with them, hanging out, drinking, signing calendars and magazines. Manhart said. "I go to hospitals and visit the wounded veterans there."
Camouflage Pin-Up 2008 can be purchased at
operationcalendar.org for $12.99. A portion of the proceeds will go to various charities that support wounded veterans.
For a sneak peak at the calendar, check out the
slideshow adjoining this report.
You can also watch my unedited interviews with model Michelle Manhart and artist Filippo ioco on the video player to the right.
If you would like to sponsor the production of the next calendar, you can contact Operation Calendar at
info@operationcalendar.org.
Erik Oginski
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Look Inside Camouflage Pin-Up 2008
SLIDESHOW: Look Inside Camouflage Pin-Up 2008
Click to enlarge
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