CINCINNATI — Two former students returned to the halls where they once walked, learned and laughed.
The Eyes of Freedom traveling memorial is located inside St. Xavier High School this week. The memorial honors the brave 22 Marines and one Navy Corpsman from the Lima Company who were killed while serving in Iraq back in 2005.
Among the service members killed in action are two former St. Xavier High School students, David Kreuter and Michael Cifuentes. Kreuter graduated in 1997 and Cifuentes graduated in 1998. The company was deployed to Fallujah, Iraq when they were killed on Aug. 3, 2005.
"I'm extremely proud of my son," said David Kreuter's father, Ken.
Ken, along with other families, remembers their loved ones nearly 20 years since their deaths.
“Sometimes it seems like a day, sometimes it seems like 200 years," Kreuter said.
Each painting captures their heart, soul and spirit.
“Many folks have commented that their eyes seem to be following them around the room, or seem to be particularly striking," Kreuter said.
Take a look at the memorial showcased in the hallways of St. Xavier High School here:
Eyes of Freedom includes each Marine and Navy Corpsman's boots and a candle in their honor. Some of the service members have special tokens attached to their boots. The two St. X alums have a special pin marking their alma mater.
“To be here where these young men walked these same halls that I did and went off to the same war that I did, it’s extremely special," said former Congressman and Retired Army Colonel Brad Wenstrup.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine joined the families and St. X community to honor these fallen heroes. DeWine spoke about his commitment to remembering those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
"I never knew their sons, but I felt like I knew them from their parents, from some their comrades, their buddies who told me about them. So I felt like I really knew them," DeWine said.
St. Xavier hosted a special event to honor the legacy of the 81 alumni killed in action since the Civil War, and the display featuring two Marines from St. X.
The event featured speeches from DeWine and Wenstrup and opening remarks from St. Xavier president Tim Reilly.
“As Michael Cifuentes’ parents said, they were trying to bring a better life to people who have suffered too long, and that they did," Wenstrup said during his speech.
The event also featured musical performances from the St. Xavier choir and a poem read by David Kreuter's nephew.
Eyes of Freedom will be available for the public to see from Wednesday, Feb. 26 to Friday, Feb. 28 outside the St. Xavier auditorium. The public can visit the memorial from 4:30-7:30 p.m.
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