Ohio Statehouse Site of Lima Company Memorial Honoring Fallen Marines
COLUMBUS, OHIO (April 9, 2008) - The Lima Company Memorial: A Remembrance of Spirit & Choice will be on view at the Ohio Statehouse from Memorial Day weekend through Veterans Day weekend, 2008. This exhibition was created in memory of 22 fallen Marines and a Navy Corpsman from the Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division who lost their lives while serving in Iraq in 2005. The exhibition will be unveiled in the Ohio Statehouse Rotunda on May 23, 2008 at a private ceremony for the families and comrades of the fallen heroes. Governor Ted Strickland, Senate President Bill Harris and Speaker Jon Husted are scheduled to attend the unveiling ceremony. The exhibition will be on public view from May 24 through November 11, 2008. The exhibition will be free.
The Ohio-based Marine Reserve unit, once known as "Lucky Lima," was one of the hardest hit single units in Operation Iraqi Freedom, suffering deaths of 22 Marines and their Navy Corpsman. Created by Columbus artist Anita Miller, the memorial will contain life-sized paintings of each of the 23 fallen heroes. Names and statistics of each of the fallen men, an ever-living candle, boots and space for visitors to leave mementos will be part of this moving memorial installation.
Miller has worked during the last two years to create and paint the memorial. She has created eight painted panels set in an octagon that depict portraits of each of the 23 men who lost their lives in the war. "It is my honor and privilege to work on the Lima Company Memorial. As an artist, there is no greater challenge than to paint my nation's heroes," said Anita Miller. "It is my hope that through the Lima Company Memorial, all people will be able to experience the love and devotion of the Marines whose faithfulness never wavered."
The Ohio Statehouse grand Rotunda will serve as a solemn place to honor these American service members from May 24, 2008 through July 7, 2008. The exhibition will then be featured in the South Hallway beneath Representatives Hall from July 8 through November 11, 2008.
"This important and emotional exhibition that honors our country's heroes will recognize the contributions that our service men and women make to our country," said Senator Richard H. Finan, Chairman of the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board. "The exhibition will provide military families and the public a way to experience these Marines' love for their country and their unfailing commitment to peace."
The exhibition at the Ohio Statehouse will offer thousands of individuals the opportunity to learn about the sacrifices that these fallen servicemen have given our state and nation.
The Fallen heroes include:
Private First Class Christopher R. Dixon
Lance Corporal Christopher P. Lyons
Staff Sergeant Anthony L. Goodwin
Petty Officer 3rd Class Travis Youngblood (Navy Corpsman)
Sergeant Justin F. Hoffman
Staff Sergeant Kendall H. Ivy II
Lance Corporal Nicholas William B. Bloem
Corporal Andre L. Williams
Lance Corporal Grant B. Fraser
Lance Corporal Aaron H. Reed
Lance Corporal Edward A. Schroeder II
Lance Corporal William B. Wightman
Lance Corporal Timothy M. Bell, Jr.
Lance Corporal Eric J. Bernholtz
Corporal Dustin A. Derga
Lance Corporal Nicholas B. Erdy
Lance Corporal Wesley G. Davids
Sergeant David N. Wimberg
Lance Corporal Michael J. Cifuentes
Lance Corporal Christopher J. Dyer
Lance Corporal Jonathan W. Grant
Sergeant David Kenneth J. Kreuter
Lance Corporal Jourdan L. Grez
For more images and more information about the Lima Company Memorial exhibit, visit www.limacompanymemorial.org.
About the Artist:
Anita Miller is a liturgical and portrait artist. Miller paints still life and landscape paintings as well. She enjoys painting 'en plein air' meaning that she works outdoors, painting quickly to capture the light, atmospheric and weather effects in her paintings. She has travelled in the US and Canada, Italy, France, England, Greece and the Netherlands to paint the landscape. She taught on the Greek Island of Paros. Anita enjoys teaching painting to people who pick up the brush later in life as she did. Miller teaches two classes per week in her Westerville studio. For information about Anita Miller and her work, visit www.theartistsroost.com.
To view this press release and others, visit www.ohiostatehouse.org.
The Ohio Statehouse is more than a monument to our past – it's where history happens! The Ohio Statehouse is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free guided tours are offered Monday through Friday on the hour from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., and on Saturday and Sunday from noon until 3 p.m. Tours depart from the 3rd Street Information Desk. Groups of 10 or more are requested to call in advance to ensure a guide is available. Contact 888/OHIO-123 for more information or to schedule a group tour. For more information about the Ohio Statehouse visit www.ohiostatehouse.org.
The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) is responsible for maintaining the historic character of the Statehouse and Capitol Square while providing for the health, safety and convenience of those who work in or visit the complex. The Statehouse Education & Visitors Center, a cooperative effort of CSRAB and the Ohio Historical Society, coordinates tours of Capitol Square and provides information about the buildings, their history and Ohio's government.
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Calendar Listing:
Lima Company Memorial: Remembrance of Spirit and Choice
A Tribute to Our Fallen Marines
May 24 – November 11, 2008; M-F 7 a.m. until 6 p.m., Weekends 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Ohio Statehouse, Broad & High Streets; downtown Columbus
Free!
The Lima Company Memorial is a series of eight large painted panels honoring the 22 fallen Marines of the Lima Company and their Navy Corpsman based in Columbus. The exhibition will be on display in the Ohio Statehouse before traveling throughout the country.
