Lima Company Memorial returns to the Ohio Statehouse

“The Eyes of Freedom: Lima Company Memorial” has returned to Capitol Square, according to a news release. The memorial will be on display in the Rotunda of the Ohio Statehouse for a special 10th anniversary exhibition from May 21 to May 27.

The exhibit was first unveiled at the statehouse in May 2008, and after more than 270 events all over the country, the memorial returns to the Rotunda.

The display was created in memory of 22 fallen Marines and a Navy Corpsman from Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, who lost their lives while serving in Iraq in 2005. The exhibition is free and open to the public.

Some new elements have been added to the memorial. Steel frames have been replaced with aluminum. A video accompanying the exhibit highlights the trip the memorial has made over the past decade. Another addition is a life-size bronze sculpture called “Silent Battle,” sculpted by Anita Miller. It travels the nation bringing awareness to the veteran suicide epidemic and other issues relating to post traumatic stress.

Attendants will be on hand daily to interact with visitors. Guests may also interact with the memorial. Cards with QR codes lead to videos that tell the story of the men depicted in the paintings and comments by the artist.

Guests may add to the memorial by writing a personal message on the back of a dog tag, available for purchase in the Statehouse Museum Shop. The dog tags will travel with the exhibit and become a part of the memorial.

For more information on the memorial, visit www.limacompanymemorial.org. For more information on the Ohio Statehouse, visit www.ohiostatehouse.org.