‘Eyes of Freedom’ Memorial on Display at Casper College [VIDEO]
A moving tribute to a group of fallen warriors is on display at the Casper College campus through this Saturday.
The Eyes of Freedom: Lima Company Memorial honors 23 men -- 22 Marines and a Navy corpsman -- of Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines who were killed in action during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005.
The unit was one of the hardest-hit during the war.
Artist Anita Miller was one of many in Ohio who heard of the casualties in 2005. She spent two and a half years to complete life-sized mural paintings, unveiling the Lima Company Memorial in the Ohio Statehouse in May 2008.
Now, the memorial travels the United States as a means of honoring those who serve and their families.
Governor Matt Mead spoke Tuesday evening at the opening of the display.
"It brings home the cost of freedom," Mead said. "It brings home the loss of life in wartime."
The memorial also features a life-sized bronze sculpture called "Silent Battle." It features dog tags on which visitors can write the names of their loved ones.
The sculpture, also created by Miller, is intended to raise awareness and to combat the veteran suicide epidemic that continues to burden servicemembers.
On display in the third-floor lobby of the Walter H. Nolte Gateway Center at Casper College from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. through Saturday, April 28, the memorial is free and open to the public.