More than 200 names to be removed from Iraq memorial in Lafayette

[LiberalFighter]

San Francisco Chronicle -- Posted 17:46 PDT

The names of more than 200 dead U.S. soldiers will be removed from an Iraq War memorial in Lafayette this weekend, organizers said today.

But one angry Tracy man who found his step-son's name on a white wooden cross last week said he and others still plan to protest at the site.

The names of all but about a dozen soldiers will be removed on Sunday, unless a soldier's family gives permission for it to remain. About 300 names of troops from California now grace the 3,188 white wooden crosses that make up the hillside memorial. The decision comes as anti-war activists prepare for a candlelight vigil on Monday to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the war.

"We didn't intend to cause any grief to the families of soldiers that died," said organizer Jeff Heaton. "So when we saw how agitated they were, we (decided) we don't want to turn the memorial into a battleground."

A SOLUTION -- They could either replace the names those that they don't have permission with the numerical death order. Or use the numerical death order and maybe even death date.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. I don't get it.

These families want their child's sacrifice to be revered but not remembered? Is it like they control the intellectual property of their deaths? They contol how their child's sacrifice is to be remembered?

Like, if the war is ended, then others might never feel the pain they feel. Others might not lose their children.

Wingers is silly.

[VegasWolf]

8. Well, they believe that their kids died for a just cause - i.e. filling up American SUVs with

gasoline - and the whole antiwar protest is all about showing the entire world what a failure the entire war is, like the maniac who started it, thus rendering their children's death worthless.

[pokercat999]

30. Their loved one's death was worse than worthless it was

CRIMINAL!

[uppityperson]

11. They feel we anti-war people are using their child's death for political purposes

Not honoring their death. I don't understand this reasoning.

[hack89]

13. Are you saying it is not political? nt

[uppityperson]

27. Of course the whole thing is political. Just passing on what I've been told.

I disagree with them.

[anotherdrew]

16. of course, their child's death was ALREADY used for political purposes

by bush

these bush lickers who want names removed, they should be told no, the names stay.

[Name removed]

25. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[beltanefauve]

2. Anyone know

what time the vigil starts? I'd like to go. How could memorializing those killed be disrespectful?

[INDIA]

17. Maybe because SOME of the anti war movement doesn't give a flying...

crap about the lives and well being of military members. They just want the war to end, it has nothing to do with saving service members lives. Maybe the families don't want their sons/daughters to be a part of it?

I'm not saying it's the majority of the movement who thinks like that, most against this war legitimately care about the well being and safety of those in Iraq. But many in the anti-war movement view the military as evil and could care less if soldiers and Marines live or die. They just feign outrage and sadness over the casualty counts to help further the movement.

I've personally witnessed posters here on DU call those in Iraq, "mercenaries" and "war criminals", and then jump on another thread and say "bring them home now! Not one more casualty." Total bullshit hypocrisy. And those are just the posters who slipped up and posted how they really feel, I can almost hear the tongues being bitten on other threads.

[EFerrari]

19. That's right. Anti war protesters are the problem here.

If not for us, this "war" would be won already. :sarcasm:

[INDIA]

20. I'm speculating as to why the family wanted their deceased family...

members names removed. I'm saying that maybe they are focusing on the disingenuous minority of the movement while ignoring the majority who are good, passionate people who care about the well being and safety of their loved ones in the military.

Surely you know what I'm talking about right? You don't think that the anti war movement is perfect and devoid of anti-military elements do you?

[EFerrari]

21. What do you mean by "anti-military"?

Squishy term.

Do you mean the minority kids that are entrapped into enlisting or do you mean Halliburton, GE et all?

Do you mean people who just try to survive every day or do you mean the felons who thought gang raping a 14 year old was a good idea?

The "military" is like any other big group of people, it is a composite and a portion of "the military" are indeed thugs. I myself have no problem being anti-thug.

[INDIA]

22. See? There you go. You just proved my point.

I doubt that the parents/loved ones of the deceased would want their names used in a protest where some of the protestors (like you) would label their children, or at least the military branch they were dedicated to as "thugs."

Did you mean to prove my point or was it just an accident?

[EFerrari]

24. You apparently haven't read my post. n/t

[Richard Steele]

28. No, actually she didn't.

And it's more than a "stretch" to imagine that she did.

[alfredo]

3. No need for the names. Add just the age.

I wonder what the average age of the casualties among US soldiers?

[Nickster]

6. Last time I checked, it was 26. n/t

[alfredo]

9. I believe it was younger during the Vietnam war. Most were

draftees.

[Nickster]

10. The average age was 19 during Vietnam. n/t

[alfredo]

12. That's what I figured. Remember the poster from that era that said

"Old soldiers never die, young ones do."

[guruoo]

4. Similar memoral gains 'overwhelming support' from Ft. Campbell community

Funny thing, this one is located in Clarksville, Tennessee,
less than two miles from Fort Campbell...

http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=117E5A072D12F4A8&p_docnum=5&p_theme=gannett&s_site=theleafchronicle&p_product=CLCB

Soldier photo tribute will stay until Easter
CHRIS SMITH
Staff

By CHRIS SMITH
The Leaf-Chronicle

Jim Pierce expected to hear from people when he asked for input last week on whether to leave up a display of 200 soldier photos on his chain-link fence.

When his wife called him, in tears, to tell him about the delivery of a folded flag, that was more than he expected.
The flag had been flown in Iraq, and it was brought over by an officer who came to thank Pierce for the display of photos of Fort Campbell soldiers who've died in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001.

<snip>

"It's really brought the community together," Pierce said. "It's changed a lot of things in our community and in ourselves."

Last week, Pierce said he'd let the community decide whether he should take down the tribute or leave it up until Easter. Overwhelmingly, he's been urged to leave it up.

<snip>

Keith Dabbs, who worked with Pierce to organize the tribute, said they haven't received a single complaint about the fence since The Leaf-Chronicle story last week asking for public input. But they've received a lot of requests to keep it up.

"The response has been overwhelming, just tremendous," Dabbs said.

<snip>

[gravity]

14. Was that one organized by antiwar activists?

[guruoo]

23. The owners haven't expressed an opinion one way

or the other -at least not publically.
But the memorial itself became an issue after the dwindling local pro-war crowd
complained, and called for it's removal.

[youngdem]

5. The families do not own the memories of their loved ones

The soldiers fought and died for their COUNTRY, and the COUNTRYMEN can mourn their deaths without permission from their families.

The families are angry because they feel the memorials are a de facto war protest, so they oppose their families from being memorialized in that context. Too bad. Their loved ones died for their country, and their country has a right to state its opinion on their deaths in the employ of our government, lest more die needlessly.

I do sympathize with them. I understand that many of the men and women that died believed in the war, and families feel betrayed that their loved ones' memorials are 'tools' of those that believe the war was in vein. This however, is the freedom they supposedly fought to defend. For better and for worse.

I mourn all of the dead American men and women who served in Iraq, whether they thought they were fighting the good fight or not. And I'm not wrong for doing so.

[Robbien]

7. It wasn't a father but an organized attack of Move America Forward

Move America Forward

was founded by former Republican state assemblyman Howard Kaloogian, who helped lead the 2003 recall effort against then-Gov. Gray Davis. In 2005, its members organized a "You Don't Speak for Me, Cindy" caravan to Texas to counter war protester Cindy Sheehan, whose son died in Iraq.

These are the guys who will be in DC this weekend.

A very small organization but having big pockets stuffed with GOP money.

[drm604]

15. Howard Kaloogian

Howard Kaloogian, that name is familiar. :eyes:
This is the guy with the fake "photo of Iraq", among other things.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Kaloogian

[beltanefauve]

26. Made the Top Ten

Conservative Idiots, too!

[Bo]

18. AMEN TO THEM

LONG LIVE THERE NAMES!!!

[Hekate]

29. Arlington West has handled this before by doing the following

If a family member sincerely wants their loved one's name removed, the card will be taken off and stored. However if a friend from the military comes by and asks to be shown where that person's cross is, the card will be replaced for them while they are there.

The intent of this memorial is to honor the fallen and to make the general public aware of the true cost of war -- it is NOT to cause pain to their survivors. Arlington West is a place where people can come and grieve their losses -- it is quite common to see young men in uniform kneel in the sand by crosses with the names of personal friends on them.

Family or fellow troops have visited about 20% to 25% of the crosses. Those name cards are kept toward the front of the storage box and placed in the front ranks of the crosses when they are set up.

Before there got to be quite so many deaths, all crosses had name cards placed on them every Sunday. Since the number of acknowledged deaths has exceeded 3,000 the difficulty of setting up the memorial and then putting it all away that evening has become too great for the volunteers, at least one of whom has injured her back and is out of work. The carpenter stopped making crosses at 3,000. However, a name card is still handwritten for every one of the fallen.

Saturday night there was an overnight candlelight vigil at Arlington West, as there has been several times in the past.

Hekate
Santa Barbara, CA