of the Carolinas). At the PIAG 2008 Awards in Georgia, Strain was awarded the 'Top Gold Award' for his painting New Year's Wish, and the 'Best of Category Giclée' for Fire In the Sky. Strain was awarded the Henry Timrod Southern Culture Award (2010) by the Military Order of the Stars and Bars for his contributions toward the understanding, appreciation and explanations of Southern Arts and Letters, as a member of the Order. Strain has completed commissioned works for the United States Army, which are on permanent display at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Fort McNair in Washington D.C., and the battlefield visitor's center at Normandy, France. Strain's painting, D-Day, a 50th Anniversary portrayal of the first Infantry Division's landing on Omaha Beach in Normandy, France on June 6, 1994, was commissioned by the Class Gift Committee of the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas in April 1994. The painting is now on display in the Eisenhower Hall of the CGSC, and was reproduced in an edition of 1290 prints for the 1994 graduates. In April 2009, Strain was commissioned by the University of Alabama to paint a historical work for the Confederate Corp of Cadets assembling to fight the Union invaders in April 1865. The finished work was unveiled at the annual Gen. John C. Calhoun Sanders Lecture Series on the University campus. On November 22, 1998, Strain appeared in an interview on C-SPAN's Washington Journal Feature, where he discussed his inspiration and techniques as a historical artist. On episode 18, season 5 of Extreme Home Makeover, Strain worked and painted on the set and donated a large original painting, 'Chatham House'. "Along with renowned artist John Paul Strain, Ty looks at a photo of the original Chatham house to make sure they've gotten the details right. 'I want it to look kind of mysterious,' Ty says. Ty and Strain, who completed his work in less than a week, secure the framed canvas—the molding was painted silver—with French cleats." Strain's paintings have helped to raise funds for many historical restoration projects and battlefield preservation organizations. The National Park Service uses Strain's paintings in their publications and at battlefield sites. Books Books by Strain Strain, John Paul. Witness to the Civil War: The Art of John Paul Strain. Courage Books, 2002. Print. Strain, John Paul. The Historical Art of John Paul Strain. John Paul Strain Historical Art, 2010. Print.