For almost ten years now, veterans and peace activists wake up very early Sunday morning and assemble Arlington West by Santa Monica Pier. It remembers service members who have died in Iraq, Afghanistan, and our other recent wars. The memorial got so huge that Santa Monica asked them to make it smaller. The red crosses represent ten killed, white crosses are one. Families of the deceased sometimes leave mementos, which are carefully attached to a white cross with the service member’s name on it.
It’s very low key and respectfully done. I’ve never seen even a hint of a political argument there.
Each Sunday from sunrise to sunset, a temporary memorial appears next to the world-famous pier at Santa Monica, California. This memorial, known as Arlington West, a project of Veterans For Peace, offers visitors a graceful, visually and emotionally powerful, place for reflection.
In accordance with the Veterans For Peace Statement of Purpose, the Arlington West Mission Statement is to remember the fallen and wounded to acknowledge the human cost of war to provide information about the domestic costs of a permanent war economy to encourage dialogue among people with varied points of view to educate the public about the needs of those returning from war and to provide a place to grieve.
