Lafayette hillside memorial facts for kids
The Lafayette Hillside Memorial is a special collection of religious symbols and a large sign located in Lafayette, California. This memorial honors soldiers who died in the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan. The sign shows the total number of deaths, as reported by the U.S. Department of Defense. This memorial started to cause discussions and disagreements in November 2006.
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What is the Lafayette Hillside Memorial?
The memorial is placed on a hillside that looks over State Route 24 and the Lafayette BART station. The land used to belong to Louise Clark, who was 81 years old. Her husband, Johnson Clark, was a local builder and a veteran from World War II.
How the Memorial Started
The memorial was created in late 2006 by Jeffrey Heaton and Louise Clark. Jeffrey Heaton was known for protesting against war for a long time. They first put up 19 crosses, but these were quickly removed by people who damaged them.
In November 2006, Heaton and Clark put the crosses back on Clark's property. This time, they added 300 crosses and a big sign. The sign read: "In Memory of 2839 U.S. Troops Killed In Iraq."
Growing the Memorial
By February 26, 2007, the number of symbols had grown to over 2,500. Besides crosses, there were also Stars of David, Islamic crescents, and other religious symbols. Volunteers helped add these symbols. Some were paid for by groups like the Lamorinda Peace Group and Grandmothers for Peace.
Public Discussions and Protests
The memorial has led to some public discussions. The Lafayette Flag Brigade has led protests against the memorial. This group organizes its own flag display every year on September 11 to remember events.
Rules for the Sign
The city had a rule about the size of signs on private property. It allowed a sign up to 32-square-foot (3.0 m2) in size. The organizers first had a sign that was about 64-square-foot (5.9 m2). They then made it smaller to follow the city's rule. The sign is updated every week to show the latest official number of soldiers who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Future of the Memorial
As of 2014, there has been a suggestion to make the memorial a permanent structure on the site. However, the original idea was for the display to be taken down once U.S. troops returned home from Iraq and Afghanistan.
