Veterans Promote Mental Health Awareness With 'Silent Battle' Artwork Featuring Gulf War Soldier

Published Jul 16, 2026, 5:01 AM EDT

The sculpture was created by the artist Anita Miller.

Follow

Published Jul 16, 2026, 5:01 AM EDT

Veterans have unveiled an artwork to raise awareness about the mental health issues veterans face. The artwork, a sculpture called "Silent Battle" created by the artist Anita Miller in 2018, will be housed in Casper, Wy., to destigmatize mental health issues and encourage veterans to talk about their experiences. The bronze sculpture depicts Brian Zimmerman—a U.S. Army Gulf War veteran who lost friends to suicide—sitting on the floor with his head tipped down. In his hand, he holds a dog tag of a friend. Dean Welch, a committee member for Silent Battle Casper who served four years in the Navy and 22 years in the Army National Guard, told Your Wyoming Link: "We're losing too many veterans. They're coming home, and the scars of battle are still there. They may not be visible, but they're there. We want to try and stop the suicides from happening.