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MORE THAN 3400 PAIRS OF BOOTS, LINED IN MILITARY FORMATION, ON DISPLAY IN CHICAGO’S GRANT PARK
Memorial Exhibition recognizes U.S. Military and Iraq Civilians Killed in Iraq War
CHICAGO(May 24)- Over the Memorial Day holiday, the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker humanitarian organization, will display over 3,400 pairs of combat boots — one pair for every U.S. soldier and Marine killed in the Iraq war as part of Eyes Wide Open: An Exhibition on the Human Cost of the Iraq War.
The combat boots will be lined up in military formation at Grant Park in Chicago, May 24-28, in a space the size of nearly two football fields.
Each pair of combat boots is tagged with the name, age, rank and home state of the person lost. Loved ones have attached personal memorabilia to many of the boots, including photos, news clips, flowers, flags, teddy bears, giving visitors a glimpse into lives of the soldiers who have died.
This event will be the final time that the exhibition will display the entire military death toll at one location. After this date, the exhibition will travel to cities and towns divided into smaller displays that represent state casualties.
Close to a million people have come to view Eyes Wide Open, which has traveled to over 100 cities across the country growing as the death toll rises. Developed by the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), an international social justice organization, Eyes Wide Open first opened in Chicago's Federal Plaza with 504 pairs of boots in January 2004.
WHAT: Eyes Wide Open: The Human Cost of War,
A traveling exhibition that recognizes the lives lost in the Iraq war
WHERE: Grant Park in Chicago
WHEN: May 24-28
More information about the event>
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The American Friends Service Committee is a Quaker organization that includes people of various faiths who are committed to social justice, peace and humanitarian service. Its work is based on the belief in the worth of every person and faith in the power of love to overcome violence and injustice.
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