The Healing Field

[Elphaba]

Posted: 9/9/06 at 2:47pm

Today, driving back from Costco, I experienced something that made me pull over and stop, and cry.

In Cathedral City, next to Palm Springs, they started something called the Healing Field yesterday. The story is below.

Basically for the (then) 2,999 American and coalition forces who have died, they planted a flag.

I am totally against the current war and American dictatorship (as that is what it is), but as ex-military I ALWAYS support our troops, ALWAYS.

Seeing almost 3,000 flags fluttering truly made me realize the loss of life, the dreams dashed, the children who will never be born, and it affected me deeply.

It reminded me of the first time I saw the AIDS Quilt.....and the (then) hundreds of panels.

We can hear about deaths, but until it is (in some way shape or form) in front of us, it is hard to fathom.

Please, PLEASE those of voting age...in November, vote OUT any war mongers. This has got to stop.


Healing Field

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 9/9/06 at 2:57pm

Elphaba, you have just reminded me of my visit to Omaha Beach in Normandy.

Driving in to the cemetery of all those American graves way off in France. Looking down the precipice to the beach. Wondering how on earth our soldiers made it up that cliff against German gunfire raining down on them. No back-up from the air-dropped troups who were dropped behind the lines but in the wrong location. A massacre, and yet we took the beach as the Brits took their nearby one, Arromanches.

With eerie whistling whispers of wind by the monument overlooking the sea, as if to say, "Don't forget us; remember our sacrifice."


Updated On: 9/9/06 at 02:57 PM

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 9/9/06 at 3:03pm

What a great, sad thread. Yes, everyone who is of age to vote . . . please vote in the next election.

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 9/10/06 at 3:01pm

Da.

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 9/10/06 at 5:27pm

My church put out a cross on the lawn for every ten soldiers who died during the Vietnam War. Conservative churches and members of the community had a fit at the time, but the priest at the time would not give in and kept the crosses up. I'd love to do something similar today, but I would want to have a memorial that recognized not only the soldiers who have lost their lives, but the innocent Iraqi people who have lost their lives. I think it would put into perspective the sheer hypocrisy of this war.