Arlington West facts for kids
Arlington West is a special project in California. It helps people remember and talk about the soldiers and civilians who died during the war in Iraq. These projects use symbolic grave markers, like crosses, set up on beaches. You can find them in places like Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, and San Diego. There's also a similar memorial called the Lafayette hillside memorial in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Remembering Those Lost
Arlington West is the name for these "temporary cemeteries." It's also the name of the project by a group called Veterans for Peace. The name "Arlington West" was chosen by a World War II veteran, Ted Berlin. It reminds people of Arlington National Cemetery, which is a famous burial place for American soldiers. Arlington National Cemetery is where the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is, and also where John F. Kennedy is buried.
Just like real cemeteries, Arlington West is a place for people to mourn, think, and honor those who have died. It helps everyone remember the serious costs of war.
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The first Arlington West memorial was set up in Santa Barbara on November 2, 2003. A local activist named Stephen Sherrill started it. Soon, the local chapter of Veterans for Peace took over the project. Volunteers set up the memorial every Sunday on the beach, near Stearns Wharf.
Visitors walking to the wharf can easily see the white crosses from the boardwalk. There's also a flag-draped coffin. More than 3,000 wooden crosses are used. They look like traditional military grave markers. A sign lists all the American soldiers who died in the Iraq War. This list is updated every week. It became hard to add new crosses, so the number stopped at just over 3,000. However, the actual number of deaths went past 4,400.
Another sign at the memorial explains something important. It says that a memorial for the Iraqi people who died would be much, much longer.
The second Arlington West memorial started in Santa Monica, California on February 15, 2004. It was built on the sand north of the Santa Monica Pier. This memorial also helps people understand the effects of war. Like the Santa Barbara memorial, it is set up every Sunday and on the Fourth of July.
It can be hard to know the religious beliefs of everyone who died. So, the cross, a common Christian symbol, was chosen as the main marker. But both memorials also have markers with the Star of David and crescents for other faiths.
About twenty similar memorials have been set up across the United States. The San Diego Veterans For Peace group sets up their memorial several times a year on beaches and in parks in San Diego County.
On December 14, 2003, the Arlington West in Santa Barbara was lit up with 455 candles in red cups. The red light made the white crosses glow. People said the glowing memorial was more impressive than the city's annual Parade of Lights. Thousands of people came to see it.
Veterans For Peace is a group started in 1985. It includes men and women who served in wars like World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Gulf War. They also include veterans who served during peacetime. The group has even shared a guide on how to set up an Arlington West memorial. Other groups and Veterans for Peace chapters have created their own memorials.
In 2005, a similar Arlington West display traveled across the U.S. It was set up at Kent State University in Ohio. This was 35 years after the Kent State shootings. It was also displayed at "Camp Casey," where anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan held a protest near President George W. Bush's home in Crawford, Texas.
In August 2010, the Santa Barbara Veterans for Peace decided to change their memorial. They removed the crosses for the Iraq War. Instead, they put up over 1,200 plastic tombstones to represent those who died in the War in Afghanistan. This marked a shift in the memorial's focus.
A Related Film
There was a film made about this project called Arlington West: The Film.
Other Similar Memorials
In September 2003, an artist named Scott Hemeon created a similar display. It had ninety white crosses arranged like a military formation. This art piece, called CrossCurrents, was part of an exhibition on Easton's Beach in Newport, Rhode Island. This was a few months before Arlington West began.
The Lafayette hillside memorial was also created in 2003. It is near Lafayette, California, overlooking a busy highway. This memorial has caused a lot of discussion since 2006, when it was made larger and a big sign was added.
