>From http://www.moveon.org - In the past four days, clashes with Iraqi insurgents have claimed the lives of 17 American soldiers. With these deaths, we mark a grim milestone: over 1,000 military men and women have now died in this misconceived war.
Their caskets have been hidden from view, and the President won't visit their graves. And this morning, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld diminished their deaths by calling the toll "relatively small." But it is now time for us to publicly recognize the sacrifice these soldiers have made, and to demand that our leaders serve those in harm's way better in the future. [Tonight] at 8pm, we're joining with the Win Without War coalition to hold hundreds of candlelight vigils. Gathered together silently in towns across the country, we'll reflect on this terrible moment and honor the fallen. And by focusing attention on the dead, we'll help pressure our national leaders to get us out of this mess. Can you host a vigil? It's a small commitment of time -- you just need to identify a good location and pull together some candles and printed materials for attendees. To sign up to host a vigil, go to: http://action.moveon.org/vigil/newmeeting.html If you can't host, we welcome everyone to attend a candlelight vigil tomorrow night. You can search for one near you at: http://action.moveon.org/vigil/ 865 soldiers have died since President Bush declared, "Mission Accomplished." And yesterday, top Pentagon officials told the New York Times that "insurgents controlled important parts of central Iraq and that it was unclear when American and Iraqi forces would be able to secure those areas." The attacks are increasing, the death toll is rising, and there's no exit strategy to get us out. In the moments before the war in Iraq began, Win Without War and MoveOn members gathered in thousands of vigils around the country and the world to make a plea for peace. As of this morning, 1,003 U.S. soldiers have died in Iraq -- along with tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians, and hundreds of soldiers from other countries. It is time to come together again. We'll gather with candles, representing our mourning for those who have died and our hope for those who still live. We all support our troops. We hope that they all return safely to the waiting arms of their families and loved ones. But hiding the caskets of the dead does not honor the men and women who are in harm's way. It is time to recognize them, and tomorrow night, we will. Can you join us? To get involved, go to: http://action.moveon.org/vigil/ --Carrie, Joan, Lee, Marika, Noah, Peter, and Wes The MoveOn.org Team September 8th, 2004 P.S. We've posted an excerpt, below, from one of the many articles which capture the stories of some of the men and women who have died. You can see the pictures, names, and stories of all of the men and women who died in Iraq at: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/iraq/forces/casualties/ Iraq war claims 1,000th U.S.casualty Seattle Post-Intelligencer http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/189908_iraq08.html [Excerpts:] Every name in the roster deserves a story: Caleb Powers, 21, a Marine Corps lance corporal from Mansfield who donated his time to the children's society that had cared for him as a boy. Army Spc. Jeremiah Schmunk, 20, a fun-loving man who wore a wig and dress to school to invite a girl to a Sadie Hawkins dance in his hometown of Warden. Army Spc. Jake Herring, a 20-year-old 180-pounder from Kirkland who was the undersized but tenacious center and co-captain of his high school football team. John "Sully" Sullivan, a 28-year-old heavy metal "shredder" who traded guitar for weapons as a member of the Army's 101st Airborne Division. The youngest soldiers from Washington to die in Iraq were only 19. They were: Marine Pfc. Cody Calavan of Lake Stevens; Army Pfc. Duane Longstreth from Tacoma; and Army Spc. Nathan Nakis from Sedro-Woolley. ... A thousand dead is a terrible toll. But even the number one is a harsh statistic for families who pick up the telephone and get the news no one wants to hear. "It's just not the same here anymore," said David Scott, a father still grieving a year after his son's death. "There's an empty spot -- and it's felt all through our house." To learn more about: the fallen American soldiers, visit http://www.antiwar.com/casualties/list.php Iraqi casualties, visit http://www.iraqbodycount.net/ Win Without War's efforts to end this war, visit http://www.WinWithoutWarUS.org
