A resin statue of a Marine that has become a landmark outside The Annapolis Bookstore on Maryland Avenue has been getting a facelift — and an advancement in rank — as a show of respect from two Naval Academy graduates.

The statue, which has stood in front of the store during daytime hours over the past year, was acquired by the store’s owner, Mary Adams, last October after the death of Robert “Bob” Timberg, a Naval Academy graduate and Marine who was seriously injured in the Vietnam War and later became a journalist with The Baltimore Sun and author of “The Nightingale’s Song” about five Naval Academy graduates who served in the Vietnam War.

Timberg was a friend of the store, Adams said. He died on Sept. 6, 2016, and Adams was invited to his house to look at some books he left behind. Then she saw the Marine, and family members told her she could have it for the bookstore. Now she puts the statue outside every morning and brings it inside each evening.

It quickly became a community focal point, said Adams. People tell one another, “I’ll meet you at the Marine,” and visitors take photos with the 6-foot-plus military man, she said.

“It gives me a reason to talk about Bob pretty much every day,” Adams said. “He was just such a great man.”

But the statue has been showing signs of wear. The dark blue paint on the Marine’s dress uniform has faded in some spots, as has the red trim at the bottom of his jacket and the hem of his dress pants.

Retired Navy pilot Jim Minderlein couldn’t stand to see it anymore. Minderlein lives in Carriage Hills and gives tours at the academy, his alma mater, a few blocks from the store.

“Every time I looked at him I felt bad,” he said.

And so he took the matter into his own hands. In November, Minderlein started repainting and updating the statue, and by the time he’s done the Marine will have a promotion as well.

The lack of bars, stars or leaves on his shoulders means the statue is an enlisted man, according to Minderlein. There was also no rating indicated on his arms, so he is a presumed private first class. But the statue does have red “blood stripes” on its pants, something a noncommissioned officer would have.

When the Marine is completely repainted, he will have three stripes on his arm, making him a sergeant. That will make him a non-commissioned officer — so he can keep the red stripes.

Minderlein also fixed some errors on the statue, removing white paint on the chinstrap of the Marine’s hat and red trimming that was misplaced on the sleeves. The Marine’s belt buckle was bare, but now it has the Marine Corps emblem: an eagle, an anchor and a globe.

Working next door to the bookstore last week, Minderlein carefully applied a coat of dark blue paint over the Marine’s pockets. He wasn’t painting alone — the Naval Academy Class of 1965 president enlisted the help of Class of 1966 President Carl Fulford, a retired Marine four-star general who lives in Edgewater.

“I’ve never had a general work for me before,” Minderlein said.

For the project Minderlein also sought advice from Master Sgt. Erwin Jumawan, the senior enlisted leader for the academy’s 30th Company. Jumawan provided a pair of pants and a photo to use as a guide.

“For us, it’s an honor,” Jumawan said.

Adams appreciates the work — and the attention to detail. She said she wants the statue to be as accurate as possible.

The Marine already had two marksmanship medals, one for rifle and one for pistol. Those will receive a fresh coat of paint. The men also planned to give the Marine two rows of ribbons, Fulford said, including one for national defense, one for good conduct, and possibly a Vietnam Service Medal.

Like Timberg, Fulford and Minderlein are Vietnam War veterans.

Timberg’s daughter Amanda said her father enjoyed the time he spent at The Annapolis Bookstore. The family wanted to donate books to the store, and was happy that someone wanted the statue as well. They didn’t think it would lead to keeping Timberg’s memory alive, but it has, she said.

“It’s really special to hear that Mary still talks about my dad,” she said.

That the Marine might get a Vietnam Service Medal is especially meaningful. “The Nightingale’s Song” includes an account of Arizona Sen. John McCain’s experiences in Vietnam, and when Timberg died McCain called the author a “genuine American hero.”

rpacella@capgaznews.com