Military memorial returning to Barnesville Pumpkin Festival
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BARNESVILLE -- The Eyes of Freedom traveling service memorial will be returning to the Barnesville Middle School gymnasium for the Pumpkin Festival.
This is the nonprofit's third year setting up in Barnesville during the festival.
The organization will display 23 life-sized paintings that depict the fallen Marines and Navy Corpsmen of Columbus-based Lima Company of 2005, one of the most heavily engaged units of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The memorial motorcycle escort will take place on Sept. 17. Event organizer and Barnesville resident Scott Baker said motorcyclists will meet up with the truck transporting the paintings at exit 186 on Interstate 70. He said local fire and police departments would also be part of the escort. The truck is scheduled to arrive at the middle school at 3 p.m., and the organization will install the exhibit on Sept. 17-18.
The opening ceremony for the exhibit takes place at 6 p.m. Sept. 18 in the school's gymnasium. Baker said the opening ceremony will be free and open to the public and will recognize several local veterans who served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Quilts of Valor will be presenting quilts to the local veterans.
The exhibit will be open to the middle school students on Sept. 18-19 during the school day, and the exhibit will be free and open to the public from noon to 8 p.m. Sept. 20-23 and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sept. 24.
In addition to the 23 paintings, the memorial also includes a life-sized, bronzed sculpture of a serviceman seated with his head down titled "The Silent Battle." The sculpture was added to the memorial in 2018.
According to the organization's website, "his face depicts emotions of the internal Silent Battle, as the touchable work is aptly named. He represents our nation's veterans who struggle with suicide and post-traumatic stress, as they navigate life after combat."
The organization also has blank dog tags available, and visitors can write the name of a loved one struggling with PTSD on a tag. The tags are left with the sculpture and travel with Silent Battle.
According to the Eyes of Freedom website, "the bronze is now sitting in a sea of tags."
Anita Miller, an artist from Columbus, painted the 23 life-sized portraits of the young, fallen soldiers. The Lima Company Memorial was originally unveiled in the Ohio Statehouse and displayed there for six months before the organization began touring the country.
"It's pretty powerful. Bring your friends, some enemies and a tissue because you're going to need it. It will bring you to tears. It's pretty amazing," Baker said.
Barnesville Middle School is located at 970 Shamrock Drive.
The Eyes of Freedom Traveling Memorial is based out of Columbus and travels nationwide in memory of all who have served and sacrificed for our country, with an additional focus on veterans suffering from PTSD and other mental health issues. According to the organization's website, it has traveled to 32 states for over 330 events.
For more information, call Baker at 740-359-8159 or visit eyesoffreedom.org or The Eyes of Freedom: Lima Company Memorial Facebook page. Baker said that posters with more information are being hung up throughout the Ohio Valley in Wheeling, Barnesville, Martins Ferry, Woodsfield and the surrounding areas. The organization also accepts donations on its website.
The 59th annual Barnesville Pumpkin Festival is set for Sept. 21-24.