2 Mile-Long Living Memorial Honors U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq

SAN DIEGO — Hundreds of people dressed in black showed up in Carlsbad, California the day after Thanksgiving to participate in a peaceful living art memorial to fallen U.S. soldiers. Each of the demonstrators represented one of the 2,108 American troops who have fallen in the war in Iraq, and formed a line more than 2 miles long.

A memorial page with the name, age and date of death of each fallen soldier was pinned onto participants' shirts. The line ran along Carlsbad Blvd. north and south of Tamarack Ave. with the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop.

The event was organized by local resident Jeeni Criscenzo as a peaceful, respectful way to honor the loss of over 2,000 American lives. Criscenzo is an advocate for the establishment of a Department of Peace. She is also running for U.S. Congress in 2006 to represent the 49th District.

Criscenzo's aim was to stage an event honoring fallen soldiers as more than mere statistics, and create a powerful visual image of all of the unique human beings who will never again join their families for the holidays. The memorial was also timed by event organizers to spark discussions among families celebrating the holidays about the human cost of war.

"Our troops signed up to defend us, and now we are going to defend them," said Criscenzo.

No speeches were scheduled at the silent memorial, which relied solely on the visual image created by participants. Many participants were as elderly as Connie Wolfe, a gray-haired grandmother of two teenagers. "I don't usually demonstrate, but this is a peaceful demonstration," she said. "My two sons fortunately are between wars. But as a mother I sympathize with parents whose children are serving."

Joe Eichstaedt, a disabled Korean veteran, also joined the living memorial.

"I'm here to support the troops coming home as soon as possible," he said.

Another elderly peace demonstrator, Douglas Hunter, who also started Progressive Democrats of San Diego, said, "We are losing our young people there. I hope they'll be coming home soon."