3,000 Dead Vigil
From Bwtm
Around the contry, vigils were held on New Years day to remember the 3,000 US Soldiers who have given their lives for Operation Iraqi Liberation: Bush's War.
Below are the stories of several of these vigils, large and small, attended by a thousand Americans.
More reports can be found here.
Banner Drop & Candlelight Vigil to Commemorate 3000 US Military Deaths, Austin, TX
January 01, 2007 CodePink Austin, Austin, TX
A banner was dropped in the afternoon and a candlelight vigil was held in the evening to memorialize the 3000 US soldiers that have lost their lives in Iraq. The candlelight vigil was coordinated with other local peace and social justice groups, with approximately 100 people attending.
http://codepinkalert.org/userdata_display.php?modin=54&uid=1395
War protesters hold silent vigil for fallen troops, Balboa Park, San Diego, California
January 02, 2007 SAN DIEGO -- Holding candles and signs, including one that stated "Not one more death. Not one more dollar," along the street outside the Balboa Naval Hospital, an estimated 175 people gathered to remember the 3,000 U.S. troops who have died fighting the war in Iraq.
Many North County residents joined the protest organized by the San Diego Coalition for Peace & Justice.
"We hit this 3,000 milestone, and we have to make a big deal of it because there's a big cost to this war," said Dave Patterson of Ramona, outgoing president for the San Diego Veterans for Peace.
No counter-protesters were seen. Many motorists honked and waved in apparent support of the anti-war protesters.
- Nancy Baughman, right, of San Diego, joins a candlelight vigil on Park Boulevard by Balboa Park for slain servicemen in Iraq Monday. She said she is a Navy veteran from the 1960s and a member of Veterans for Peace.
Protesters erected 30 white crosses to represent the dead and read the names of the U.S. men and women killed since the war started in March 2003.
The protesters also wanted to recognize the 650,000 Iraqis who have also died since the war began, said one organizer.
The Associated Press reported that the U.S. met the grim milestone of 3,000 on Dec. 31, capping off one of the most deadly months of 2006 with the death of 111 servicemen and women.
The Associated Press also reported that it has counted 13,738 dead Iraqi civilians, soldiers and police in 2006. Iraqi government officials put that figure at 16,273.
- Darcy Abrahams, of San Diego, and Gil Fields, of Carmel Valley, read names of deceased servicemen during a candlelight vigil at Balboa Park for slain servicemen in Iraq Monday. Behind them are crosses representing the graves of those that died.
"I'm ... here to weep with those that are weeping," said Janet Gilbert, another Ramona resident. "I think it is a way to remember and honor the sacrifice that our American military is making (and) to recognize that we want our troops to come home."
Gilbert brought a German exchange student who is living with her family and shares their views of the war.
Maria Hennig, 16, said, "I totally agree with the protest against the war."
She added that the majority of Europeans are against the Iraq war, do not think it is justified and believe that "lives are just wasted."
Another woman, Margie Farrelly of San Marcos, who is a member of the coalition, said, "We just want to support the troops. We understand the hardships that their families are enduring. We believe this war is an illegal invasion and occupation of a sovereign nation, and we should bring the troops home before any more have to die."
- Miriam Clark, right, of Encinitas joins a candlelight vigil on Park Boulevard by Balboa Park for slain servicemen in Iraq Monday. Next to her are women dressed in mourning.
Jim Brown of Encinitas, a member of Veterans for Peace, said he knows firsthand what it is like when the government refuses to accept a losing battle, because he was a Marine who fought in the Vietnam War.
"I think it's absurd sending more troops over there," Brown said. "It's a sinking ship, send them home. The country is in total chaos. We're sacrificing our troops for nothing over there."
One coalition organizer, Lace Watkins of Lemon Grove, said they chose to protest across the street from the Naval hospital because of the wounded military there, and that there are no official counts of the wounded.
"There are war-wounded in there that may or may not be able to live a full life because of physical or mental problems," Watkins said.
Additionally, Watkins said it is her belief that the U.S. death count put out by the government is kept artificially low to keep the American people from knowing the full magnitude of loss.
Watkins said it is not the military members the protesters are against, it is the people pulling the strings of the military who are sending more troops to war.
http://nctimes.com/articles/2007/01/02/news/top_stories/1_00_111_1_07.txt
Detroit rally protests Iraq war toll
3,000 U.S. troops have died in fighting
January 01, 2007 Demonstrators gathered in downtown Detroit on Sunday to call attention to the grim milestone of the last day of 2006 -- the death toll of U.S. troops in Iraq reached 3,000.
More than a dozen war protesters braved strong winds and chilly rain to hold signs that read "3,000 dead" and "Impeach Bush" at the corner of Woodward and Jefferson.
"How many of these dead soldiers would have been scientists or doctors?" asked Westland resident Jeanne Coopman, the demonstration's organizer. "How many children are left without a parent? We need to get our troops out of Iraq."
The protesters spoke of war crimes, impeachment and oil profits. They also read some of the names of Michigan soldiers who were killed fighting the war. The idea was to take advantage of New Year's Eve traffic to expose what they consider a hopeless war.
Coopman organized similar demonstrations in Livonia when the U.S. death toll reached 1,000 and 2,000.
The 3,000th death came at the end of the deadliest month for U.S. military personnel in Iraq in the past year. At least 820 troops died in that country in 2006, according to the Associated Press. President George W. Bush said he plans to devise a new strategy for the war.
Demonstrator Victor Kittila of Eastpointe said he sees no end to the conflict until Bush is impeached.
Damon Watson, 28, of Detroit said young people need to become more active to pressure the government to bring home the troops.
"To me, it seems that until the youth and the underprivileged understand this is a war against the underprivileged, it won't end," he said.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070101/NEWS01/701010383/1003/NEWS
Demonstrators note Iraq milestone in downtown Seattle.
- An unidentified woman holds a candle at a vigil Monday in Seattle that drew about 300 people. Organizers had hoped for 3,000, to match the number of U.S. military deaths in Iraq.
- Related
- U.S. troops killed in Iraq | A memorial to those who have died, including information on troops with local ties
- A toll of 3,000 (PDF)
January 02, 2007 Upon hearing Sunday that the 3,000th member of the U.S. military had been killed in Iraq, a Renton man who's spent nearly 30 years as an anti-war activist went to work.
Tom Brookhart spread the word to fellow members of Veterans For Peace and other anti-war groups that they would hold another protest in downtown Seattle.
Monday's protest was one of more than 290 events planned in 46 U.S. cities, according to the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker-led social-justice group.
The event was a silent candlelight vigil and "die-in," Brookhart said. Protesters collapsed on the sidewalk, staging their deaths in honor of the people killed in the war.
"President Bush is intent on increasing the war and not decreasing it," Brookhart said as he stood in the rain near the line of silent protesters.
Brookhart and other activists had hoped for a large turnout.
But Brookhart said he wasn't disappointed when only 300 people — rather than the 3,000 he'd wished for — appeared outside Westlake Center. Brookhart believed that the foul weather, the New Year's holiday and the short notice kept people from coming.
Felix Kang, of Seattle, was among a small group of protesters dressed in orange jumpsuits and black face masks.
While Kang and other members of The World Can't Wait were protesting the deaths of U.S. military personnel, the anti-war group's costumes were meant to resemble the garb worn by Iraqi prisoners.
"I'm dressed as a torture victim," Kang said, referring to Iraqi prisoners who allegedly have been mistreated while incarcerated.
"Violence plus torture equals complicity."
Several members of The World Can't Wait dropped to the sidewalk at Fourth Avenue and Pine Street to commemorate the deaths of Iraqis and U.S. soldiers.
- Anti-war demonstrators lie on the ground Monday in downtown Seattle to commemorate the 3,000th U.S. military death in Iraq.
Jane Cutter, coordinator of the Seattle chapter of Act Now to Stop War & End Racism (ANSWER), said it can be frustrating because activists believe the U.S. government isn't listening to their messages.
"At this point, it's very clear the U.S. can't win this war," Cutter said. "Our message is that not another Iraqi or American should be killed."
Heather Toth and her partner, Jeff Ladd, have participated in several protests since the U.S. invaded Iraq in the spring of 2003. Speaking from their positions along Fourth Avenue, both said they don't see the U.S. withdrawing anytime soon.
"I feel like the war has gone on too long," said Toth, who lives in Seattle.
"Our administration isn't being held accountable for leading us into Iraq under false pretenses."
As of last week, 69 military men and women with family roots in Washington state had died in the war. Almost all lost their lives in combat or accidents while fighting the insurgency in Iraq.
More than half of those killed were men in their 20s.
Protesters held a candlelight vigil Monday night at the corner of East Greenlake Way North and North 64th Street.
Protesters said they also would gather from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at the Henry M. Jackson Federal Building, 1015 Second Ave., to read the names of the U.S. military members and some of the Iraqis killed during the war.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003505617_vigil02m.html
Vigil in Gardner marks 3,000th Iraq war death
January 02, 2007 GARDNER— As part of a network of peace activists across the country, about 15 people gathered in front of the National Guard Armory yesterday to commemorate the 3,000th U.S. military death in Iraq.
“We just felt like something should be done to honor our fallen troops,” said Robert Flanagan of the Ron Kovic Chapter of Veterans for Peace. The organization co-sponsored the event.
The candlelight vigil, accompanied by drumming and prayers by a couple of participants, was one of about a dozen vigils organized in Massachusetts and more than 300 organized nationwide in connection with the American Friends Service Committee.
- "It’s not just a number; it is a family suffering." Karen Leger, MONTACHUSETT COALITION FOR PEACE & JUSTICE
“I was overcome with emotion,” said Karen A. Leger, head of the Montachusett Coalition for Peace & Justice, of the solemn ceremony. The group also co-sponsored the event. “I have never experienced that at a peace vigil.”
Ms. Leger said she feels a moral obligation to participate in peace vigils.
“It’s not just a number; it is a family suffering,” Ms. Leger said. “There is still the sadness.”
She added that the number of U.S. military casualties was officially 3,002 yesterday, New Year’s Day.
“I’m not shocked by the number, just deeply saddened. It’s overwhelming,” Ms. Leger said. “I think those of us who stand feel a moral obligation to do so. We just hope that bystanders or people who drive by see us and know that we deeply care.”
Marcia Gagliardi, a North Quabbin Women in Black member, and demonstrator Hattie Nestel beat the drums during the vigil and repeated “Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,” a Buddhist chant in Japanese, during the hour-long event, which began at 6 p.m.
Ms. Gagliardi said she takes the chant to mean: “This is what the Buddha said.”
“But it also means ‘We are one’ or ‘All life is sacred,’ ” Ms. Gagliardi said.
The repetition of the chant is meant to resonate for listeners who stand for the end of war, Ms. Gagliardi said.
“I was a little bit stymied by a sign on the armory that said, ‘a home of the free because of the brave,’ ” Ms. Gagliardi said. “I respect the concept, but I don’t agree with it. Nothing binds us to war.”
She added that she was grateful to the organizers of the vigil.
“It helps us to be mindful of our humanity and our individual ability to be true.”
http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070102/NEWS/701020553/1116
Grannies Read NY, NJ, CT War Dead Names in Manhattan's Rockefeller Center
January 01, 2007 NEW YORK (AP) -- A group of anti-war grandmothers gathered Monday to call attention to the growing loss of lives in Iraq by reading the names of the dead - a day after the American death toll in Iraq reached 3,000. About 60 people from the group Grandmothers Against the War and their supporters read the names of the war dead from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut in Manhattan's Rockefeller Center as curious tourists took their photos.
The vigil was one of more than 290 events planned in 46 U.S. cities, according to the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker-led social justice group.
"We need a new course in Iraq," the group said in a statement. "A new Congress offers a new opportunity to bring the troops home, engage in diplomacy within Iraq and with Iraq's neighbors, and fund an Iraqi-led reconstruction effort."
In New York, a group of counter-protesters said the grandmothers were insulting U.S. troops, who need support during the Iraq war.
The granny group later walked to the military recruiting center in Times Square.
Meanwhile, President Bush said the nation is mindful of the troops' dedication and sacrifice.
"In the New Year, we will remain on the offensive against the enemies of freedom, advance the security of our country and work toward a free and unified Iraq," he said in a statement released from his ranch in Crawford, Texas.
By Monday, the American death toll in Iraq had climbed to 3,002, according to a tally of U.S. military deaths compiled by The Associated Press since the war began in March 2003.
http://www.theday.com/re_ap.aspx?re=/3/3
Iraq Vigils, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
January 01, 2007 Eastern Iowans are marking a grim milestone, and the anti-war sentiment is growing stronger. More than 3,000 U.S. troops have now died since the war in Iraq began almost four years ago. Most people attending these observances are opposed to the war in Iraq. According to the U.S. military, more than 113 soldiers died in December alone...making it the bloodiest month of 2006. Thousands of miles away from the fighting in Iraq...Eastern Iowans gather to pray and remember. More than 3,000 U.S. soldiers have died in iraq since 2003.
"It's worse than our worst fears. I don't think anybody realized it would turn out to be this much of a dabacle, this much of an evil," says Kathy Hall.
Several peace and justice organizations participated at this event in Cedar Rapids. Their message... "not one more death or one more dollar: bring the troops home now."
"When I make a decision and it goes badly, I need to do something differrently. I hope that Congress will make that decision and our president will go along with it as well," says Judith Pedersen-Benn a member of Women For Peace Iowa.
Certainly, 3,000 dead does resonate at a time when President Bush is looking at his options to try to break the cycle of violence in Iraq. U.S. troops are repeated targets of insurgents, and they're getting caught in ongoing violence between religious groups.
"I wouldn't say anyone's life was wasted, but they should not have been taken in this way. It's not the fault of the soldiers who went over there," says Pedersen-Benn.
A similar vigil was held tonight in Iowa City, and in Des Moines, participants read the names of the 37 Iowa soldiers killed in Iraq. At least 820 U.S. military personnel died in Iraq in 2006. The conflict in Iraq is costing an estimated $8 billion a month.
http://www.kwwl.com/Global/story.asp?S=5878856&nav=2Ifu
Local vigil calls for end of Iraq War, Punta Gorda, Florida
January 02, 2007 PUNTA GORDA -- A gray overcast sky and a light sprinkling rain didn't stop more than 25 people from gathering in Gilchrist Park Monday for a vigil marking the more than 3,000 deaths of U.S. soldiers in the Iraq War.
"Not 1 more life, Not 1 more dollar" and "Support 'em, Bring them home" were two of the slogans on posterboards participants held as they formed a circle around an empty pair of rain-splattered, black combat boots.
"This is the day after (New Year's Eve), but it is not a happy time for us," said Herb Levin, who organized the event at Gilchrist Park. It was only one of the vigils on New Year's Day being encouraged nationwide by the Quakers Friends Service Committee.
"I hope we never have to do this again, but it's not over yet," Levin said. "Every life counts -- whether it's one or 3,000 U.S. military deaths -- or the more than 5,000-plus Iraqi deaths estimated by the Johns Hopkins-MIT study."
Levin urged those attending the vigil to think about "the human cost when we reach a grime milestone." Seventeen months ago, Levin said he attended a vigil when the U.S. military death toll reached 2,000.
"Unfortunately, we are here again," he said.
Drake Bailey, who wore a leather vest with a Vietnam Brotherhood patch and other patches marking his military service, served in Vietnam in 1967 and 1966. Bailey said he lost 43 friends in Vietnam and filled more than his share of body bags.
"We have body bags coming back again, and, to me, that's a little more than what's called for," Bailey said. "I don't agree with the (Iraq) war and don't believe it is necessary."
Bailey added, "This is a veterans' issue, in my opinion. We have enough walking wounded and body bags from previous fun-and-games of previous political ideas."
Ray Stoner spoke angrily about President George W. Bush and his administration involving the U.S. in the war. But for young people now serving in the military, his voiced filled with worry -- and he did not see the vigil or similar public protest as undermining the soldiers.
"The troops are our children, our grandchildren," Stoner said. "We supported them all of their lives until this point -- why would anybody accuse us of not supporting them now?
"How dare those people -- the ones who have lied to us and misrepresented themselves," he said.
Referring to the Christmas holiday, Ray Martin said, "Exactly one week ago, the Christian world was praying for peace on earth. Now, it's time to work for it."
The vigil, Martin said, was a means for the average person to take action, as well as make others aware and call out for the end of the Iraq War.
"I am not a pacifist; I wasn't against the war in Afghanistan," he said. "Those people did something that caused problems here and deserved to have something bad happen to them."
However, Martin suggested the U.S. should have concentrated on Afghanistan -- and the chase after Osama bin Ladin.
http://www.sun-herald.com/NewsArchive4/010207/tp5de5.htm?date=010207&story=tp5de5.htm
Group remembers Iowans, others killed in Iraq
January 01, 2007 Biting cold temperatures tonight failed to deter the nearly 100 people who gathered in front of the Des Moines Federal Building to mourn the loss of 3,000 Americans who have lost their lives since the start of the Iraq war.
Many in the group held lit candles.
Groups represented at the vigil included Veterans for Peace and Iowans for Peace.
Demonstrators, who ranged from elderly veterans to high schoolers, were invited to come up to the microphone to sound off about their feelings regarding the war and the lives lost.
Retired Rev. Chet Guinn oversaw the vigil. His grandson, Tony Johnson, a junior at Des Moines Roosevelt High School, read the names of the Iowa soldiers who have died as a result of war-related casualties.
Fr. Frank Cordaro, a well-known Des Moines-area anti-war activist, reminded the crowd though several of the people expressed anger against the war and the government, the demonstration was to remember the fallen.
Guinn thanked the small crowd profusely for showing up for the vigil.
“It’s been wonderful to hear your voices,” Guinn said. “I really do think we’re making progress.”
http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070101/NEWS/70101007/1001
Iraq deaths spur activists in Nashville and Clarksville, Tennessee
3,000 Americans slain in war, vigil downtown reminds public
January 02, 2007 A grim milestone, 3,000 U.S. military deaths in Iraq, drew peace activists to downtown Nashville Monday, a day after their counterparts gathered at Patriots Park in Clarksville to draw attention to the nearly 4-year-old war.
Bearing signs that read, "Not one more death," "Enough, bring the troops home now" and "3,000," about two dozen peace activists stood outside the Estes Kefauver Federal Building, beckoning drivers on Broadway to see the signs and know the number.
Cathy Danielson of Nashville was among them. She said many Americans' opinion of the war has shifted since the U.S. invaded Iraq in March 2003.
"I remember when we did these protests two years ago and three years ago, and the whole public mood has changed — a lot."
The event was one of several held in cities nationwide. Many of the same groups plan to march on Washington later this month to call on the president to end the war in Iraq.
In Clarksville, vigil co-organizer Christine Piesyk said despite the human loss, there is no real plan for a better Iraq.
"The (casualty) numbers keep growing," she said. "We're ending the year with a really tragic number and starting the new year with a really tragic number."
She added that while the deaths are devastating to the families and the nation, the ranks of soldiers who return wounded, physically and mentally, take their toll, too.
Licensed Marriage and Family therapist Mary Coe attended the Clarksville vigil and said she's seeing a big increase in the number of soldiers returning with mental disorders. She said the number of such troops is between 25 and 40 percent, maybe higher, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
"There are a lot of families struggling to stay together," she said.
For Jane Steinfels Hussain, the Nashville demonstration was to call attention to the war, but it was also more personal. Three of her nephews are in the Marines, and one has been to Iraq; the other two are waiting to go.
"I certainly hope that they don't have to go over," Hussain said.
President Bush, in a New Year's Day statement, didn't comment on the 3,000 milestone but said he was mindful of the sacrifice of U.S. troops. "In the new year, we will remain on the offensive against the enemies of freedom, advance the security of our country, and work toward a free and unified Iraq," the statement said.
The number of wounded U.S. troops is about 22,000. The estimates of Iraqi dead have been wildly disparate, with as few as 50,000 dead to as many as 655,000 Iraqis killed since the beginning of the war.
http://www.fairviewobserver.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070102/NEWS01/701020340/1321/MTCN06
Kelso vigil marks milestone in Iraq war, Washington State
January 01, 2007 Local residents gathered near the west end of the Allen Street Bridge on Monday evening to mark the death of the 3,000th U.S. soldier in Iraq and to continue a call for an end to the war.
Sara Whisnant of Castle Rock and Elizabeth Sheppard of Longview organized a candlelight peace vigil and prepared cards with names of each of the 57 fallen servicemen and women from Washington as well as the 47 from Oregon.
A soldier killed by a roadside bomb in Baghdad on Sunday became the 3,000th American to die in Iraq since the war began in March 2003.
More than 20 people braved the biting wind in Kelso to listen to Laurie Hulse-Moyer read the names of the Northwest servicemen and women killed in Iraq. As each name was read, bells were rung and a member of the group stepped forward to pin the name card on a rope that strung between signs on Allen Street. For each American name that was read, Whisnant read a corresponding name of an Iraqi civilian who has died in the conflict.
The vigil was one of about 250 scheduled for Monday across the country. The American Friends Service Committee, a peace organization founded by Quakers in 1917, put out a call for activists to rally across the country on New Year's Day to mourn American and Iraqi casualties. Sheppard said the AFSC's slogan is "Not one more death, not one more dollar." That also was the theme for Monday night's vigil.
"We're here to remember the individuals who have lost their lives in Iraq," Whisnant said, "and to ask Congress to bring the troops home and stop funding the occupation of Iraq."
Passing drivers honked as participants in the vigil struggled to keep their candles lit. Some in the group said they were there because they have relatives in the military. Others said they were hoping that people don't forget the cost of the war, measured in lives lost. "I just hope this is the last time we have to do this," said Whisnant, who organized a similar event in October 2005, when the death toll of U.S. soldiers in Iraq reached 2,000.
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2007/01/02/top_story/news01.txt
Anti-war protesters gather in Nyack
January 02, 2007 NYACK - Downtown streets were nearly deserted late yesterday afternoon except for 75 or so people who stood on the corners of Main Street and Cedar Avenue holding candles and wearing black arm bands with the number 3,000 on them.
The protesters were part of a nationwide movement to commemorate the 3,000th U.S. military fatality in Iraq, which was announced by military officials over the weekend.
"We never thought we would be doing this on New Year's Day," said Steven White, a member of the Rockland Coalition for Peace and Justice, which coordinated its vigil with other groups throughout the nation. "New Year's Day is supposed to be a day of optimism about the future, not a day to mourn."
Many of the residents taking part in the vigil held signs calling for an end to the war in Iraq.
"3,000 too many," read one sign. "Support Our Troops. Bring them home now," read another.
Few cars were on the streets, but several that drove by the protesters honked their horns, apparently in support. Some drivers flashed peace signs.
The Rockland Coalition for Peace and Justice has held many vigils protesting the war since it started. Its members also gathered to mark the first thousand and the second thousand American deaths in Iraq.
Members several months ago started planning a commemoration of the 3,000th service member killed in Iraq. They expected that death to occur sometime later this winter or early spring. But a surge in the violence in Iraq and an increase in the number of deaths there caused the number of casualties to reach the 3,000 mark just as 2006 was ending.
"We're celebrating New Year's in this tragic way - mourning the loss of so many precious lives for this unnecessary war," sid Len Tsou, a New City resident.
Other protesters said they never expected to mark the start of 2007 protesting the war.
"It was either come out here and protest or stay at home and cry," said Spring Valley resident Emilia White, one of many who stood silently, in a light rain, holding a candle to protest the war.
South Nyack resident Jim Murphy, who served in the Air Force during the war in Vietnam, said the U.S. should end its involvement in Iraq now before any more soldiers are killed.
"If they had done that in 1968, think how much smaller the (Vietnam Memorial) wall would be," he said.
Sister Kathleen Phelan of Nyack said she would be watching the actions of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives closely.
"I have great expectation for Congress," she said as she stood on the street corner holding a peace sign. "The American people gave them a mandate. Now we have to hold their feet to the fire."
http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070102/NEWS03/701020345/1019/SPECIAL02
San Francisco Honors Fallen American Soldiers
January 02, 2007 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Hundreds of ties were hung from trees on the lawn of San Francisco’s City Hall Monday to mark the deaths of 3,000 American service members in Iraq.
The donated ties were “used to mark a very grim milestone in American history. This is a day none of us ever wanted to see happen,” said John Caldera, conceptual artist of the “Ties to Remember” project.
The project was a collaborative effort of the San Francisco Bay Area Veterans for Peace, The Alexander Hamilton Post 448 of the American Legion and the San Francisco Chapter of the Veterans Community Action Network.
The U.S. military announced Sunday the deaths of two more soldiers, raising the number of Americans killed to 3,000, according to an Associated Press count.
“People took the time to come together and remember this,” Caldera said. “This is something that if we don’t learn from the past, we will never evolve in the future. War has a very grim price.”
Scarves representing servicewomen were also solicited for the project.
When the exhibit is over, organizers plan to sew the ties into a memorial quilt.
http://www.sacunion.com/pages/california/articles/8701/
Opponents of Iraq war hold vigil, Dayton, Ohio
Protesters gather at the Federal Building in Dayton after a report shows that the U.S. death toll has passed 3,000.
January 02, 2007 DAYTON — Protesters against the war in Iraq took to the streets downtown on New Year's Day, holding a candlelight vigil at the Federal Building.
In an event coordinated by the Dayton chapters of the American Friends Service Committee, Military Families Speak Out and Veterans for Peace, about 20 people gathered at the building on West Second Street, largely in response to reports of the 3,000th U.S. military death in Iraq. As of Monday night, the toll had reached 3,002.
Prior to the gathering, the groups held services at the Peace Museum, 208 W. Monument Ave., to honor the dead, including Iraqi civilian casualties, as part of a 30-hour peace vigil that ends this morning.
Each hour, one hundred names are read aloud, a candle lit, and a pair of boots placed next to the candle. The group appeared at the Federal Building at 6:15 p.m.
Steve Howard, 42, a guitar teacher, traveled to Dayton from Cincinnati to attend.
"We have to bear witness," Howard said. "It's our money and in our name."
Joyce Schwab, 58, of Dayton is concerned the war could widen.
"Too many people have died in an illegal war," she said. "With Bush considering sending more troops, that would mean that more people die needlessly."
The vigil concludes at 10 a.m. today at the Peace Museum.
http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/01/02/ddn010207protest.html
Fresno vigil calls for peace
- The Leinau family of Oakhurst -- Peter, Arlene and 5-year-old Linnea -- were among those who joined the vigil Monday marking the deaths of 3,000 U.S. troops in Iraq.
More than 100 gather to demonstrate as U.S. military death toll in Iraq hits 3,000.
January 02, 2007 Bill Warner hopes his days of adding crosses to a 60-foot banner will soon end.
Three thousand small black crosses adorn the banner now, each representing a U.S. service member killed in Iraq. Warner, who lives in Porterville, said the banner has been a powerful symbol of the anti-war movement.
"Just hearing the words 2,000 or 3,000 doesn't make it sink in," Warner said. "But when you see these 3,000 crosses, you realize they represent not only those who have died, but all of their family and friends, and everyone they knew."
More than 100 supporters of local peace groups gathered with Warner in Fresno on Monday to mark the milestone of 3,000 deaths of U.S. service members in Iraq.
The vigil, organized by members of Peace Fresno, also drew members of the South Valley Peace Conference. The two groups gathered on the southeast corner of the intersection of Shaw and Blackstone avenues, holding signs that called for an end to the war in Iraq and urging people to teach their children to live peacefully with others.
As nightfall approached, they held candles and lit luminarias. Bill Simon, president of Peace Fresno, said he wanted a low-key demonstration that would serve as a somber reminder of the lost lives.
"It really is a sad thing," Simon said. "Death is always sad, but death in war is even sadder because war is always wrong. It's also sad that we are the country that attacked and caused all this death, for no reason."
There were no counterprotests. Some passing motorists yelled out their windows at the group, but many honked or waved in support. Camille Russell, former president of Peace Fresno, said that as time passes, more people support the peace effort.
"We used to see a lot of anger and people would yell at us and call us traitors," Russell said. "Now, there are more supporters and the angry people are really the exception."
Russell said she hoped those who showed support as they drove past the demonstration would choose to get involved in the peace effort.
"We can make a difference," Russell said. "We live in a democracy, and each of us has a responsibility to stand up against injustices done by our government."
Monday's vigil also drew several first-time supporters of the group, including Karan Johnson of Fresno, who said she felt compelled to join the vigil.
"This was one I had to support," Johnson said. "People have to start paying attention. I teach elementary school, and I don't want any of my students to have to fight this war when they finish school."
http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/21927.html
Grim milestone in Iraq prompts anti-war vigils
Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Minnesota. January 1, 2007
For nearly four years, war protesters have gathered on the Lake St./Marshall Ave. bridge.
"We should bring our troops home now," says Liisa Roeder.
They usually gather on Wednesdays, but on this Monday they were marking a milestone: the 3000th U.S. servicemember killed in Iraq.
"With 2,000 dead, we came out here for a candlelight vigil," Roeder says. "And now with 3,000, we're here again. And we hope it's the last time."
Another anti-war group gathered for a candlelight vigil in Plymouth Monday night. They were also motivated by the 3000th death.
"We thought it would be an appropriate night to come out and pray silently," says Eileen Moran of Northwest Neighbors for Peace.
The group tolled a bell once for every Minnesota military member killed in Iraq.
They hope President Bush will announce steps to bring the troops home.
But Joe Repya, a retired lieutenant colonel, is opposed to pulling out troops.
"We need to understand that there is no going back," Repya says. "We have to fight this. We have to fight to win."
Repya voluntarily went to Iraq in 2005 and says he would do it again. He feels this war is different from Vietnam, which he also fought in.
"In 1971 there was never a thought that the enemy would follow me home and attack me here," he says. "But the fact of the matter is our enemy has attacked us here and continues to say that he will again attack us."
The president is expected to announce his future course in Iraq before his State of the Union address.
http://www.kare11.com/news/national/national_article.aspx?storyid=145623
Reno peace activists mark war dead with vigil
January 2, 2007 RENO, Nev. -- Reno peace activists gathered near downtown for a candlelight vigil to mark the rising death toll of the war in Iraq.
About 50 people attended the vigil outside the Bruce R. Thompson Federal Building on Monday night, a day after the 3,000th American was killed in the ongoing war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"It makes me wonder how high the number is going to go," said Reno resident Robbin Palmer. Palmer tries to attend all of the weekly vigils outside the courthouse but said the New Year's Day event had special significance with the death toll now past the 3,000 mark.
"I think we need to bring the boys home," Palmer said.
More than 22,000 soldiers, Marines and other service personnel have been wounded during the conflict.
"This war keeps going on without end," said Lisa Stiller, who helped organize Monday's vigil for the Reno Antiwar Coalition.
Doug Saum played songs during the vigil to protest policy he called "deeply flawed." Saum has a second cousin serving with the Marines in Iraq and said he's worried about him.
"He's the best kid in the world," Saum said. "He's patriotic, and he's strong, but he's being misled."
Roger Best, an Air Force veteran, said he's proud of the men and women serving in Iraq.
"They're doing their job, and they're obeying their orders, and they're wonderful," Best said. "It's their leaders, unfortunately, that aren't doing their job."
Helping to change that situation, Best said, is something he feels compelled to do.
"I'm just trying to do a little bit, on my own personal level, to change things," he said.
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/01/03/military/13_50_381_2_07.txt
