Somber tribute: life-size paintings of the fallen of Lima Company take center stage at the Ohio State House Rotunda.

• Author: Johnson, Alan
• Position: Lima Company Memorial: A Remembrance of Spirit & Choice

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An artist's vision initially financed with a home-equity loan is expected to draw thousands of people to the Ohio State House this summer to view a tribute to one of the most hard-hit military units in the Iraq War.

The Lima Company Memorial: A Remembrance of Spirit & Choice was unveiled May 23 for more than 1,000 family members, servicemen and women, veterans, and city, state and federal officials, including U.S Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England.

Artist Anita Miller's life-size paintings of 22 fallen Marines and a Navy Corpsman from the Ohio-based Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, will be on prominent display in the historic State House Rotunda. The eight panels form an octagon, with the center at the exact spot where President Abraham Lincoln lay in state in 1865.

The names and information about each fallen man, plus a memorial candle, boots and space where visitors can leave mementos are part of the exhibit.

The memorial shares space in the Rotunda with monuments to the War of 1812 and the Civil War.

Twenty-three men from Lima Company, a Marine reserve unit, lost their lives in 2005, nine of them near the Syrian border on a single day--Aug. 3. Carole Hoffman, the mother of Sgt. Justin F. Hoffman, one of those killed that fateful day, asked people at the opening ceremony to "Honor them always, not just today. When you leave this Earth, hope that your life mattered as much as those of all of these men."

A PERSONAL VISION

The exhibit, while now attracting national attention, started small and personal. The artist says she envisioned a series of paintings in the Ohio State House honoring the fallen servicemen. Lacking the money or contacts in government to make her project a reality, however, Miller took out a home-equity loan to finance the project and ended up paying about $100,000 out of her own pocket.

Eventually her idea caught the attention of veterans groups and state officials, including the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board, the legislatively controlled agency that oversees operation and maintenance of the 147-year-old State House and grounds.

In the end, contributions from individuals, foundations and military groups fueled the exhibit, which will be on display in Columbus through Veterans Day. Miller received no state money for the project, which took months to complete, but some of her expenses were reimbursed by contributions.

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