Lucas County Courthouse, Toledo, Ohio, 3,700 wooden tombstones

[auntAgonist]

Dear Friends of Peace,

Arlington Midwest: The Human Cost of War will be staged on the grounds of the Lucas County Courthouse, Toledo, Ohio, on the 4th Anniversary of the war in Iraq. Created by the Northwest Ohio Peace Coalition, this display of almost 3,700 wooden tombstones will be set up on Sunday, March 18 and remain in place until Saturday, March 24.

You can be an important part of this powerful exhibit. In fact, we need your help and the help of all who want peace.


The details of where, when and how are below.
We ask for your help in circulating this message to your contacts.
Read more and see photographs of previous displays at www.nwopc.org
Please plan on attending the exhibit.
Please consider helping us by volunteering to staff the exhibit.


Similar Arlington-type projects have been created around the country, beginning with Arlington West in Santa Barbara, California. These exhibits become a place to acknowledge, mourn, reflect, contemplate and honor those who have lost their lives in the tragedy of war.

As you can imagine, it is a tremendous task to set up, staff and remove to storage a display of 3,700 tombstones (US Troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan and those lost to suicide). We also have an adjacent exhibit where visitors can view the names of hundreds of Iraqis who have died, although it is impossible to remember all, with studies showing that number approaching 3/4 of a million people. Many of you will remember the Boots exhibit in November, 2004, at the same location, when 1/3 of the military deaths were recorded in Iraq as compared to today.

Much work has already occurred. Every tombstone has recently received a fresh coat of paint. Sadly, hundreds of new tombstones have been cut since Arlington Midwest was last staged in the fall. So, yes, your help is definitely important to this exhibit.

We realize that we are not affording much notice in this appeal for volunteers. We apologize for that. Truly, we had planned well-ahead of this important Anniversary Week. Unfortunately, the City of Toledo chose not accommodate our request for the visible, appropriate and honorable location we had applied for. Valuable time was lost. We then decided to seek a permit at the Lucas County Courthouse and we are very grateful to the county, including commissioners and staff, for their help and cooperation.

We are pleased that on the 4th Anniversary of the Iraq War, Arlington Midwest: The Human Cost of War will now be viewed in a visible, respectful and accessible site in the heart of Toledo. We hope you will join us and work with us on this important project.


Northwest Ohio Peace Coalition, Arlington Midwest Committee


Here are the details:




ARLINGTON MIDWEST: THE HUMAN COST OF WAR
On the 4th Anniversary of the war in Iraq
Volunteers' Flyer


WHEN: March 18 (set-up) through March 24 (take-down)

WHERE: Lucas County Courthouse Grounds, Erie at Adams, downtown Toledo Ohio

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
We would be grateful if you would consider more than one day or shift for volunteering.

CONTACT: Arlington Midwest at this email address: [e-mail]
IF SOMEONE DOES NOT HAVE EMAIL: Call 419-340-8171 to volunteer
We need to know your name, phone number, email address and shift availability.

Set-up: Sunday, March 18, from 9:00 a.m. till finished (late afternoon)

Take down: Saturday, March 24 at a time to be determined

Staffing: Monday, March 19 through Friday, March 23 – At least 3 people per shift in the daytime from 8:00 to 5:00, in three-hour shifts as follows –

8:00 a.m . to 11:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Staffing: Sunday, March 18 through Friday, March 23 – Evenings from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., we need at least 2 people for each evening since visitors may still come after the "official" close of 5:00 p.m. (If absolutely necessary, we can split this shift.)

Staffing : Sunday, March 18 through Friday, March 23 – Overnight from 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m., at least 1 person each night for security. We will do our best to make that person(s) comfortable while on site. It is adjacent to the Toledo Safety Building and we will be notifying the police about the display and overnight staffing.

Ceremony: Opening ceremony will occur on Monday, March 18, at 8:00 a.m. All are invited.

Other: There are other things needed: Donations of bottled water, food and coffee for volunteers; donations of hand and foot warmers for the staffers (one brand is Grabber MyCoal, available at Andersons and other stores with supplies for hunters and campers).

Promote: We also need help by publicizing and promoting this display and enlisting volunteers. Post any questions to [e-mail]

[LiberalHeart]

1. Here are photos of the display...

http://newsgrinder.blogspot.com/2007/03/milestone-marked-by-tombstones.html