The Price of Freedom

Title: The Price of Freedom
Year: 2000
Artist: Eliseo Art Silva, Corona, CA
Location: 125 South H St.

Description: This giant work salutes and pays tribute to all the men and women who served, fought and died in the fifteen wars and conflicts of the Twentieth Century. It is estimated that 293,131 men and women were killed and another 1,300,000 were wounded. The artist explains that the mural does not dignify war, but instead seeks to portray the high price of freedom and liberty. The center piece is the wing of an eagle. Each feather depicts one of the wars or conflicts labeled at the bottom of the mural. The figure extending the olive branch at the top center is the “Lady of Liberty & World Peace.” Bottom right is the Arlington Cemetary with a military funeral in progress. Adjacent to that is the “Great Seal of the United States” with flower fields and a missile in the background to symbolize the Lompoc Valley and its neighbor since 1957 – Vandenberg Air Force Base.