by Cheryl Splain, KnoxPages.com reporter
MOUNT VERNON — Company L, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, was called Lucky Lima until 2005, when the unit sustained heavy casualties while fighting in Iraq. A pictorial exhibition, Eyes of Freedom, honors the 23 men of Lima Company who answered the call of their country and paid the price with their lives. Gambier resident Anita Miller is the artist behind the paintings, which will be on display Nov. 11 through Nov. 16 at the Schnormeier Gallery, 221 S. Main St.
The Central Ohio-based Lima Company lost 14 men in one day, Aug. 3, 2005, in a roadside bombing in Haditha, Iraq. On Aug. 4, newspapers printed the photos of the fallen Marines.
“Just like so many people in Ohio, my heart just tore for those families,” said Miller, formerly of Westerville. “I had no connection with the military but wanted to help. Then I forgot about it.
“Two months later I had a vision of this memorial during the night. It didn’t go away; in the morning, it was even stronger. I saw this circle of paintings; I saw it at the [Ohio Statehouse] Rotunda and people walking around it. Then I saw a crew of people coming in and taking it down, so I knew it was a traveling exhibition. It was an amazing feeling of being engulfed in love.”
Miller said she was unsure whether she had the ability, time, connections or money to undertake such a project. Every time she thought about it, however, she was overwhelmed with love, compassion and a sense of urgency. She began painting, working with the families of the fallen Marines. It took 2 ½ years to create the paintings. The exhibition was unveiled in May 2008 at the Ohio Statehouse.
“We’ve been on the road since 2009,” said Miller. “We’ve been in over 70 venues, from Washington, D.C, to the National Museum of the Marine Corps. We’ve been in world-class museums and county fairs, but what matters most is people are able to see it, and there’s a healing that takes place.”
Eyes of Freedom paintings by Gambier artist Anita Miller
Miller has become less involved with the daily activities of the memorial; retired Marine Sgt. Mike Strahle and Communications Director Sean Flaharty now handle the day-to-day operations. Strahle was a member of Lima Company and was injured shortly before the Aug. 3 explosion.
“Mike was injured in the first explosion, but survived it,” said Miller. “It is now his life’s mission is to bring his brothers and friends around the country and keep them in the forefront and the thoughts of people.
“But it’s much more universal than that,” she continued. “Lima Company happens to be the faces, but it’s for anyone in the military and their families.”
R&L Carriers transports the exhibit around the country. The transport is expected to arrive at the western Knox County line with a motorcycle escort on Sunday, Nov. 10, at 6:30 p.m. The Knox County Sheriff’s Office and the Mount Vernon Police Department will join the escort at the county line and city limits, respectively. Community members are encouraged to show their support by lining the route and displaying flags, candles or flashlights. The exhibit will open at 10 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 11.
