Brian
Administrator
Posts: 3,801
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Post by Brian on May 25, 2010 23:00:30 GMT -8
Spc. Jonathan SantosWith less than week until Montrose Peace Vigil's special Memorial Day vigil, I just got started learning about some of the 5585 soldiers who lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan on the iraqwarheroes.com website. I don't know why I clicked first on the picture of a 22-year-old psychological operations specialist who spoke Arabic and "died in Karabilah, Iraq, when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated near (his) vehicle" right before the presidential election in 2004. But I will be honored to tell his story next Monday. This is his page on the War Heroes site: iraqwarheroes.com/santos.htmYou can see home movie footage of Jonathan before he was deployed -- and his mother expressing hope that he will continue to be remembered -- in this seven-minute documentary made in 2005 about an exhibition sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee:
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Roberta
Member
Vigil founding member
Posts: 1,030
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Post by Roberta on May 26, 2010 9:28:27 GMT -8
I hope this doesn't come off egotistically. On my first foray on iraqwarheroes.comI checked out Medford (not represented, at least a couple of days ago), then Queen (ditto), but found 2 Quinn's, which was my husband's family name til it was de-Irished several generations back. Then just because it was near the top, I ran into "Mark Adams", my nephew's name, but by the luck of the draw, not him. I was too emotional to continue, so I will revisit later. My perennial question, how to get this site to the attention of everyone in the U.S. with a computer. Especially to the young lady who stopped and chatted with Jeanne and I at the peace banner yesterday afternoon. When I said we were there to end the current wars, she questioned the plural, asking what war other than Iraq. Shall we have a little handout with the url to share on Memorial Day? We can talk more on Friday.
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Post by Lindypoo on May 26, 2010 9:47:11 GMT -8
Glad to see this Idea has taken off. I would love to come and join in. Or if I could help in anyway. I am thinking maybe I could come up for the day.
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Post by Jeanne on May 26, 2010 17:32:28 GMT -8
I'll see if I can put the war heroes address on Facebook.
I chose Darren D Howe, thinking he might be a distant relative of Julia Ward Howe.
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Post by Lindypoo on May 26, 2010 20:17:24 GMT -8
THought this interesting Attachments:
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Post by Sharon W on May 26, 2010 20:44:21 GMT -8
There will be a ceremony on 'your' corner Monday morning too: Monday, May 31, 2010,
8:00 AM -9:00 AM - Montrose
The Montrose-Verdugo City Chamber of Commerce and Montrose Shopping Park Association would like to invite you to remember our Brave Veterans, Past and Present, at a Memorial Day Tribute at the Vietnam War Memorial in the Montrose Shopping Park on Monday, May 31, 2010, 8:00 AM -9:00 AM. It is a time for us to get together to honor our Veterans with a brief ceremony of remembrance.
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Brian
Administrator
Posts: 3,801
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Post by Brian on May 27, 2010 23:02:59 GMT -8
Thanks to Sharon for posting the details of the official and traditional Memorial Day ceremony at 8 a.m. Both Roberta and Bruce have gotten up early to attend it each of the four years I've known them. Montrose Peace Vigil will gather several yards from there on Monday, May 31, from 4 to 6 p.m. on the corner of Ocean View and Honolulu for a solemn tribute to soldiers who gave their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. We'll have none of the usual signage or light-hearted atmosphere of our regular Friday vigils. I plan to print a photo of Spc. Jonathan Santos and bring a copy of his biography from the War Heroes website to discuss with any passersby who are interested. I won't be waving and smiling at the motorists. iraqwarheroes.comMy perennial question, how to get this site to the attention of everyone in the U.S. with a computer. Especially to the young lady who stopped and chatted with Jeanne and I at the peace banner yesterday afternoon. When I said we were there to end the current wars, she questioned the plural, asking what war other than Iraq.
Shall we have a little handout with the url to share on Memorial Day? We can talk more on Friday. That's a great idea, Roberta. Then we can just write the soldiers' names, which simply add onto the url, for anyone wants to learn more about them. Hope to talk more with everybody at the vigil tonight!
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Brian
Administrator
Posts: 3,801
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Post by Brian on May 28, 2010 23:17:40 GMT -8
The average attendance at the Montrose Peace Vigil is easy to calculate for the month -- it's an even dozen -- with only familiar faces again participating this Friday: - May 7 - 13
- May 14 - 11
- May 21 - 13
- May 28 - 11
Many of us will be back on the corner from 4 to 6 p.m. on Monday, May 31, for our first observance of Memorial Day. Watch this thread for more information -- and keep posting!
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Brian
Administrator
Posts: 3,801
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Post by Brian on May 31, 2010 23:04:31 GMT -8
In April, Lindypoo suggested that we "put a face" on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and posted a link to the iraqwarheroes.com website and its 5593 American names (eight more than on May 26, I just noticed), most of which are accompanied by photos and brief biographies of those who lost their lives. On Memorial Day, we sat in a circle on the grass. Jeanne led Roberta, Anni and me in speaking about the soldiers and one civilian we found online while Jim, Linda and her friend Meredith, who was joining us for the first time, discussed veterans and some currently serving who they knew personally -- why they enlisted in the military, what sacrifices they have made and how they feel they have benefited. Then Jeanne prompted us and Nancy to express our hopes for the future and what we want to accomplish. For once, we didn't come to protest, demonstrate, stand, wave or hold signs, flags or candles. On this national holiday to commemorate the deaths in our wars, the Montrose Peace Vigil gathered to learn about the souls who have gone and rededicate ours in public to our community and a more peaceful world.
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