The idea for the Portrait of a Warrior Gallery in downtown Bakersfield was first born in Texas several years ago when artist Ken Pridgeon was asked to paint a portrait of a fallen soldier from the post-9/11 era. Then another family asked. And another, until he had painted dozens of portraits.
Bakersfield became the home of the second gallery with the primary mission of honoring those from Kern County who served in and gave their lives in Iraq, Afghanistan and other areas of conflict in the post-9/11 era.
That mission will continue beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday in Lady Liberty parking lot across the street from the gallery at 20th and Eye streets. The annual event marks the fifth anniversary of the post-9/11 Fallen Warrior Remembrance featuring the ringing of the Freedom Bell and the traditional roll call ceremony.
“Because our focus is post-9/11 heroes, Saturday’s event also marks the anniversary of Sept. 11,” said gallery co-founder Lili Marsh.
It also will celebrate the fifth anniversary of the opening of the gallery.
The morning’s featured speaker will be Guy Anderson, who served in the U.S. Army from 2012 to 2022. In addition, members of about 15 Gold Star families, those families who lost a loved one in the wars, are expected to be present and honored Saturday.
The ceremony is expected to last about 45 minutes.
“It’s so wonderful that we have been able to expand the gallery and keep the doors open and admission free, thanks to generous contributions from the community,” Marsh said.
Jason Geis, a retired U.S. Army sergeant major and co-founder of the gallery, said there are 27 portraits on display at the gallery of servicemen who were killed in action in Iraq or Afghanistan during wartime.
“We have more than 20 additional we’ve identified who died non-battlefield,” Geis said. Causes of death in those cases include suicide, homicide, vehicle accidents, training accidents, traumatic brain injuries and other medical reasons.
Three local artists have contributed to the creation of the portraits, Geis said, including Nellie Scarborough, David Vanderpool and Thomas Zachary.
And Ken Pridgeon, the Texan who started it all.