Eyes Wide Open Across Pennsylvania
Spring 2006 Tour
The Spring 2006 tour of this exhibit included 14 sites across the state of Pennsylvania. To see pictures and comments from a specific site click on its name: Meadville, Edinboro/Erie, Greensburg, Indiana, La Roche, Pittsburgh, State College, Johnstown, Villanova, West Chester, Harrisburg, Scranton, Lewisburg.
Allegheny College, Meadville - February 24-25
Co-sponsors: Allegheny College Peace Coalition and Women in Black.
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| Photo: Paul Wahrhaftig |
The boots were laid out in even rows in the main meeting room of the Tippie Alumni Center. It was remarkable how, as we unpacked the boots and started to lay them out on the carpet, the atmosphere changed from being merely a sumptuous meeting room to a quiet sanctuary. That was the tone throughout the two and a half days the display was open and visited by 200 people.
There were many families of fallen soldiers who found the boots of their loved ones, prayed, left mementos, and often photographed them. A young soldier, wearing fatigues, must have found 10 pairs of boots representing people he knew. He photographed them all.
At the very beginning of the Saturday exhibit, a father of a fallen soldier was quite angry. He waived a pamphlet urging the US to withdraw from Iraq. "I'm really upset by this, you aren't running a memorial it is just a peace gathering which is wrong! We need to be strong and carry this war through to conclusion."
Neil Santoriello, a Gold Star father, took the fellow aside, listened to him and engaged in conversation. Together they visited each of their sons' boots. The result: not only did the fellow not walk out, he stayed and participated in the discussion session. While he disagrees with the peace agenda he felt comfortable enough to stay with the group and to work cooperatively in building a statewide network of gold star parents.
Excerpts from a report by Paul Wahrhaftig.
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Edinboro University and Erie - February 27-28
Co-sponsors: EUP Sociology Club, EUP Student Greens and the Erie Peace and Justice Center
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| Photo: Paul Wahrhaftig |
A father from Oil City places a handwritten note to “My dear son John, in his boots. A mother from Erie comes with a bouquet of roses and picture of her son as does his aunt. A grandfather expresses his righteous anger over the loss of his grandson and subsequent government neglect. Students quietly and reverently walk by the boots; some were heard to say, “They’re only my age”. A father lifts up and warmly embraces his young daughter who began to cry when noticing the little shoes of Iraqi children killed in the war.
These were among the many moving reactions of people who witnessed the Eyes Wide Open across PA exhibit at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania on Monday, February 27, and at the Erie Intermodal Transportation Center on Tuesday, February 28, the eve of Ash Wednesday. This exhibit poignantly brought the war and its consequences directly into the places of study and work for many in NW Pennsylvania, something that effectively shook many an unsuspecting student or employee out of their lethargy and raised their consciousness almost instantly about this war.
Unfortunately, that was not uniformly the case, especially in Erie. The staff of Congressman Phil English whose offices adjoined the rotunda which housed the exhibit went about their business as usual. So did the executives attending a meeting in the offices of the Erie Chamber of Commerce or Port Authority who had to walk through the exhibit area twice that morning. Most acted oblivious to the display of boots and posters; none stopped to view the boots; some even conducted their business-related conversations with the boots of the fallen soldiers at their feet, taking no apparent note of them or the hallowed ground upon which they temporarily stood. Theirs was a revealing body language which is expressive of the split in our body politic regarding this unjust war based upon lies. Silence, it is rightly said, is the voice of complicity in this war. Not even the voices of the dead soldiers symbolically facing them was sufficient to break their silence, routine and oblivion.
Not so with the people who had their eyes wide open. “Why did they have to die, daddy?”, the little girl asked. It is a question which no amount of war propaganda will be able to suppress or manipulate indefinitely. For the truth will not forever be a casualty in this war as we move closer to a permanent peace. And a little child shall lead us.
Reflections by Rev. Werner Lange
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Seton Hill University, Greensburg - March 22-23
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| Photo: Paul Wahrhaftig |
Peace and reconciliation, one of the recurring themes of Eyes Wide Open Across Pennsylvania, was most evident at Seton Hill University’s community forum. Fifty people sat in the Reeves Memorial Library surrounded by silent black boots, boots clustered solemnly at the foot of each shelf or resting together next to the statues that adorned shorter shelves. Each boot bore a name tag, each one a name that I, as an exhibit organizer, am beginning to recognize. These are the names of friends that I never met, but hold dear just the same.
As Susan Cooley, director of the master’s program in Marriage and Family Therapy at Seton Hill, lit a candle and prayed, I knew, as she said, that these friends were with us still. Their presence could be felt by all who cared to listen. Susan closed her invitation to those who have passed on and those yet to come and I opened my eyes to focus on those physically present at the front of the room.
Major Collage, gray hair, buzz cut, was wearing camouflage. He sat straight, tight, perhaps a little tense, ready to represent his men to the best of his ability. Two days later I would see him again, in dress uniform, on the front page of the paper. Then he would stand to represent one of his dearly beloved soldiers who would not be coming back from Iraq.
Diane and Neil Santoriello also sat at the front of the room. Both were dressed in formal attire with buttons on the lapels of their jackets. There were the buttons of flags and gold stars and the face of their son 1st Lt Neil Santoriello, who died in Iraq when his tank hit an improvised explosive device. Diane leaned forward in her chair, her whole body ready to tell us what she had been through since the loss of her son. She has been telling this story for over a year and been outspoken in her opposition to the war in Iraq. Tonight however, she had promised to let her husband have his say as well.
Neil seemed comfortable, leaning back with his leg outstretched, his soft, kind face waiting for the first question. Had I not talked to him moments before I would not have guessed that he was nervous. It took him a year before he could talk about the loss of his son, an event that he says sent him to a living hell which he has yet to leave.
Susan facilitated a conversation, deftly allowing each member of the panel to say his/her piece and making sure that the topic remained on the human cost of war, rather than the political. Major Collage talked about growing up with a sense of calling to the military, a calling he answered when he joined the National Guard at age 26. Neil and Diane recognized a similar calling in their son.
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Panelists at Seton Hill University:
Diane and Neil Santoriello, Major Collage.
Photo: Paul Wahrhaftig
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“Neil was army,” his dad said. “Ever since he was a little kid that’s all he wanted, and we would have supported him in whatever he chose to do.”
The panelists discussed the difficulty and importance of staying connected to soldiers who are deployed abroad. While access to email makes keeping in touch easier than it once was, it is still hard. Diane told her son to save his phone calls for his wife and emailed him every day, even though he could not check his messages that often. She and her husband watched and read the news, keeping track of the activity in the area of Iraq where Neil was posted.
Major Collage had not been to Iraq himself but he concurred that even his own deployment in the States, separating him from his wife and kids, was hard. Many of the National Guard face this added challenge of leaving families and children behind and few ever expected to be deployed abroad to an active war zone.
As the conversation continued the participants relaxed and shared more openly. Neil told of a near-death-experience in which he suffered from a hear attack nine months after his son’s death. He had wanted to die ever since losing his son and so welcomed the pain and the coming end. However, to his surprise, his son stood before him saying, “Dad, you can come for a visit but you can’t stay.”
“He saved my life,” Neil said. Because of that experience he decided to get the medical attention he need to go on living.
Susan, who has worked with grieving families and veterans associations, said it is not uncommon for parents who have lost children to receive these types of visits.
Having listened to these stories, the time came for questions from the audience. Many expressed their sympathy and gratitude for the openness and honesty of the speakers. A few questions seemed almost antagonistic, challenging the political views of those presenting. However, honest answers were given and destructive conflict avoided. As we have seen over and over again, it is hard to make trouble in the presence of the fallen and those who have come to honor them.
Report by Emilie Smith
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Indiana University, Indiana - March 25-26
Co-sponsors: Indiana Voices for Peace
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| Photo: Paul Wahrhaftig |
This is such a beautiful occurrence, bitter sweet.
Very powerful and
touching – an eye
opener and a great
step towards promoting PEACE
Jamie
This war is a disaster.
Hopefully no-one else will
perish to this man-made monster
Thank you for bringing a physical reminder of this situation
- Jacob
Wonderfully heartbreaking display.
It’s great to get people to share ideas of peace.
Keep displaying peace and getting other people to come together.
Shelley
Excerpts from the Comment Book.
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La Roche College, Pittsburgh - March 28
Co-sponsors: Sisters of Divine Providence, Pittsburgh North People for Peace, La Roche Peace and Social Justice Committee.
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| Photo: Paul Wahrhaftig |
Eyes Wide Open was welcomed to La Roche College in March of 2006 with great enthusiasm by the faculty, the students, the Sisters of Divine Providence and by the North Hills peace community. The volunteers used candles to enhance the display of boots and shoes that were laid out in a large common room leading to the cafeteria. Around 425 people came from the College and the community to see the exhibit. Many of the Sisters of Divine Providence attended even if they were on crutches or using walkers.
Just as we were finishing laying the exhibit out a student came by. He stood for a few moments in silence before saluting the boots and quietly going on his way. Throughout the day the names of those killed, both PA soldiers and Iraqis, were solemnly read to the sound of a gong. At noon and at 7:30pm prayer services was held by students and faculty, with a poem that one student had composed especially for the occasion.
As at all the sites, trained listeners were available to help people struggling with their feelings at seeing the exhibit. It is the personal stories of pain that touch our volunteers and leave them with new understanding. A member of the National Guard told one listener that he is against this war but is locked into a long term contract and has been assigned the job of recruiting. He spoke of his agony and feelings of guilt, and maybe for the first time was given a sympathetic and non-judgmental hearing.
Report by Scilla Wahrhaftig
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Friends Meeting House and East Liberty Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh - March 31-April 2
Co-sponsors: Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Code Pink, East Liberty Presbyterian Church Justice and Global Concerns Committee.
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| Photo: Elise Yoder |
The following article is my attempt to sum up the whole weekend of Eyes Wide Open events in Pittsburgh into a single scene, a scene that did, by the way, occur.
I sit on a bench on a balcony overlooking the social hall at East Liberty Presbyterian Church. Below me a swirling labyrinth of combat boots winds its solemn way across the floor culminating in an open circle of civilian shoes and a single pair of black boots. I have often found myself sitting here during the day, a quiet place above the exhibit itself where I can be in the holy presence of the dead and watch the visitors’ reactions.
At the far side of the labyrinth a pretty young woman sits crying inconsolably, her long red hair hanging down to hide her face. Diane Santoriello, a member of the Eyes Wide Open committee, leans in on the woman’s left, engaging in quiet conversation. I see Diane point across the room to where the boots of her son Neil sit covered in pictures and lovingly adorned with flowers. On Diane’s other side the young woman’s mother sits, face stern and lips pressed together as if she were holding something in with all her might. I am too far away to hear their conversation but know that this is one of the golden moments of the weekend. One of the greatest gifts Eyes Wide Open can offer is a time and a place to grieve in a country where we are too often told to ignore the dead and continue the mission.
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Boots of 1st Lt Neil Santoriello
Photo: Elise Yoder
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Diane was not the only one to talk to this young woman that day. On the last evening of Eyes Wide Open, as we sat in a semi-circle, engaged in interactive theatre dialogue with the Pittsburgh Playback Theater, Philomena O’Dea told of her conversation. The young woman was in the army and had been to Iraq. She had found the boots of two of her friends in the labyrinth, the death of one of which she witnessed in the tank in front of her. Philomena said the woman was completely broken by the experience but wants to go back to Iraq. Her mother is set against it. To the understanding ears of the theater director, Philomena poured out her frustration at having nothing to say to this young woman, her grief at having no way to dissuade her from going, and her anger at a country that instills in their young people the ideal of war. Again, I thought, Eyes Wide Open had done its work, bringing together the two sides of a politically divided country and giving both sides something to struggle with.
Scilla, sitting beside me on the church balcony, is too distracted to appreciate the emotional scene below. Her mind is on Eman Kahmas, a member of the Iraqi Women’s Delegation who spoke at an Eyes Wide Open vigil the night before. Eman came to the U.S. with a simple yet demanding message: far from being helpful, what the US has done in Iraq is atrocious, she said, and you, the American people, must hold your government accountable for what it has done. But the message was too much, too soon, for the members of the vigil audience who had come to honor their fallen loved ones at the exhibit. As Diane said at the Playback Theater, tears catching the words in her throat, “It’s really, really hard to think that your son died for nothing.”
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Shoes representing an Iraqi baby.
Photo: Elise Yoder
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“Really, really hard” sounded a lot like the work Eyes Wide Open brought to AFSC Pittsburgh this weekend, but perhaps the work of peace and reconciliation is never easy. Scilla, along with many members of the AFSC programming board, spent a long day of listening and talking and soul searching. When they asked Eman to soften her message for the Saturday night forum, she justly said that she could not and graciously stepped aside. For AFSC the biggest struggle was an internal one. It was the realization that when we create a meeting place for those whose opinions of the Iraq war do not coincide, all sides must give something up. Those who find the names of friends and family among the tagged boots do not easily consider the shoes of Iraqis that sit silently beside them. Those who would loudly declare that the war is insufferable and the US government in the wrong, do not easily quiet their voices so as not to offend. The miracle of Eyes Wide Open is that all may kneel for a moment beside an empty pair of boots, and openly share a few tears.
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| Photo: Scilla Wahrhaftig |
Having talked with Scilla about her frustration, confusion, and concern, I stand to go taking one more look at the scene below. I notice Gold Star Father Neil Santoriello standing at the far end of the room where a board leaning against the wall displays pictures of Iraqi civilians. Among them are the bowed head of a mourning father, the smiling face of a boy running to get water, and the frightened eyes of a little girl leaving her burning city behind. Standing with Neil are three or four visitors to the exhibit and I watch as Neil points to one of the pictures. Again I cannot hear from this distance but I imagine what he must be saying, “this is my son with the children in Iraq. Neil [the son] loved children as much as he loved the army. Ever since he was little Neil wanted to be in the army and I would have supported him in whatever he wanted to do.”
Neil continued his story at the evening of Playback Theater, as the 6 actors waited and listened, ready to make his story into a living breathing fable in front of our eyes. “He used to call me up,” Neil said, “and say, ‘How about lunch?’ and I would drive the four hours to his school just to eat lunch with him and drive the four hours back. Eight hours of driving in one day, just to be with my son.”
“Now we drive four and half hours to be with him in Arlington” his wife Diane breaks in.
After an hour of theater reflections based on stories and reactions from the audience I doubt if there was a dry eye in the room. The actors who said they came empty so that we could fill them with our stories and emotions around the human cost of war had so deftly done their job that not a single soul was unmoved.
In a final tableau, summing up the evening of reactions, the improvisational actors wove together many opinions and emotions.
They stood with their backs toward us, each turning to speak her piece, each deftly playing off his neighbor. As the music slowed, and the last actor turned into the spotlight, her words hung softly in the stillness. It seemed almost perfect that the last line of a weekend of Eyes Wide Open experiences should be, “We are all one community. God bless us.”
Report by Emilie Smith
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Penn State University, State College - April 9-12
Co-sponsors: PSU United Campus Ministries, PSU Muslim Student Association, State College Friends Meeting, The State College Peace Center, Gold Star Families for Peace, Veterans For Peace - Chapter 17
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Wreath of forsythia left on boots in State College, PA
Photo: Paul Wahrhaftig |
There were many stories and my heart is so full, I can only tell you the last story. There was a [young Iraqi] gentleman who came to the exhibit at 5:55pm. The exhibit only went to 6, but he came with a bundle of flowers (chrysanthemums for hope, he said) and started to lay a flower on each Iraqi shoe. He then continued through each boot as well. We all stood round in silence. It was so touching. I asked if I could help or if he preferred to do it by himself and he said, "we all have responsibility." We will gather the flowers and put them on the shoes tomorrow.
Story from Ellen Johnson and Cathy Klein
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Central Park, Johnstown - April 15
Co-sponsor: Citizens for Social Responsibility
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Boots representing Spc Christopher A. Golby, 26, Johnstown
Photo: Paul Wahrhaftig |
Over one hundred and fifty people visited Eyes Wide Open in Johnstown’s Central Park.
“The day itself was as if there was an invisible presence in the cool darkish overcast during the morning set up. Then, providing consolation, comfort and peace as the warmth and brightness of the sun appeared, bind our hearts with the still grieving families as they told their stories.”
More Gold Star Parents (those who lost their children in the war) participated in the Johnstown exhibit than in any other place. Dawn Golby spoke at length about her son, a medical rescue pilot, killed in Iraq. She brought pictures to adorn his boots and a small note book with an invitation to leave a message for his child.
“The exhibit was hosted in Johnstown on Holy Saturday. This was very meaningful to me because of the need to recognize the innocent, both military and civilian, who are still being killed senselessly for the same things behind the killing of Jesus.”
Pastor Russ Eanes, of Community Crossroads Church, also brought a Holy Saturday message to the exhibit. He spoke of Jesus as the Prince of Peace, reminded those present that Iraqis and Americans must grieve together over their losses, and said, “empires do not last, but love does.”
“Everyone who passed by or visited the exhibit did so with respect knowing it was something special. Hope comes with sharing of a burden and we, society, are heavily burdened by the loss of life and human suffering caused by the preemptive war in Iraq.”
Quotes taken from a report by Etta Albright, local organizer. Compiled by Emilie Smith
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Villanova University, Villanova - April 19-20
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| Photo: Paul Sheldon |
Once again I was reminded of how eyes are opened by the power of compassionate listening and dialogue. As I was standing admiring the way the students at Villanova had laid out the boots and the Iraqi shoes, a women came up to me and said how much the exhibit moved her. She talked about the importance of this approach. She gave me a wonderful story from her own life that I promised to carry with me.
Her family was all killed in Auschwitz. For many years she has been outspoken on the tragedy of the holocaust and the need to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Her car had several bumper stickers proclaiming her concern. One day she came out of her house to find two skinheads kicking the tires of her car. They were dressed from top to toe in black, with chains and earrings. One had swastika tattoos on his hand and arm and a large swastika on his shirt. She went up to them and asked them what they were doing and why. She was afraid, but they didn’t seem to have guns or knives and she thought that if her family could die in the gas chambers the least she could do was to talk to these people. After a little back and forth she invited them to go with her to her house to share food and talk about their views. One left but the other agreed to go with her.
Not only did he stay for lunch but also listened to tapes she had made of the history of her family. He left with tears in his eyes, a changed person. They have stayed in touch and he has had the tattoos removed, saying the scars would remind him of the years when he was brainwashed. He is now in his second year of medical school and working hard.
I was struck by the courage it took to be willing to look beyond fear and reach out to this young man, and the courage it took for him to be open and to listen to new ideas. This is what Eyes Wide Open is all about.
Story from Scilla Wahrhaftig
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West Chester Meeting House, West Chester - April 29
Co-sponsors: Birmingham and West Chester Meetings, the Birmingham Peace Center, the Chester Co. Peace Movement.
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| Boots on lawn at W. Chester Meeting House. Photo:Barbara Quintiliano |
Boots on the ground
scuffed brown boots
on the green green grass
some stuffed with notes
some bearing pictures...
recruited for their muscle
their quickness
hired to hold a gun
not a pen
combatants have little time for words
yet...
I am so grateful for the marvelous collaborative effort of several organizations that worked together to put it on.
That is a small success story in itself. It was very moving and meaningful to be a part of this important witness.
-Sallie Jones
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some have left thoughts
scrawled in army issue notebooks
reminders that this bit of cannon fodder
these IED smithereens
were someone's son
or brother or father
others have accumulated words
thoughts
prayers
...so many tears
in their boots
as they march
still march
march though still
from one place to the next.
Poem by a volunteer.
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National Civil War Museum, Harrisburg - May 13-14
Co-sponsors: Harrisburg Friends Meeting, Harrisburg Center for Peace and Justice, and others.
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| Monks honor Iraqi deaths. Photo: Paul Wahrhaftig |
The EWO exhibit in Harrisburg on Mother’s Day Weekend, May 13-14 was initiated with a training session in “listening” for volunteers on Friday evening, May 12.
The site chosen by our committee was the National Civil War Museum in Reservoir Park which afforded both an indoor and outdoor site. After starting to set up on Saturday morning, threatening dark clouds drove us indoors to a large ballroom. Saturday drew a sparse crowd, the first two people being a young soldier who had served in Iraq and his friend who was planning to enlist. After viewing the exhibit, the friend looked quite sober and shaken.
TV publicity on Saturday helped to attract more people on Sunday. The large crowd on Sunday was very diverse and included a soldier who wept openly as he viewed boots of his fellow soldiers from Johnstown, PA; and members of the Adams family who brought mementoes to place in their loved one’s boots. They were introduced to a couple from the Pittsburgh area who belong to Military Families Speak Out, and to Alycia Barr, a local member of MFSO.The mother of Kimberly Veloz, a fallen soldier from Carlisle, asked to be photographed with the boots representing her daughter.
The museum staff were extremely helpful and several visited the exhibit. TV coverage continued on Sunday and a program featuring speakers (clergy of various faiths, two mothers from MFSO and lay people) lasted for about 2 hours. The program concluded with a solemn procession of Buddhists from the community.
Report by Ann Marie Judson, local organizer.
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Marywood University, Scranton - May 20-23
Co-sponsors: Fellowship of Reconciliation, Marywood University Campus Ministry.
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| Brent Adams' family left him a motorcycle. Photo: Paul Wahrhaftig. |
The Eyes Wide Open Across PA display held at Marywood University, Scranton, PA, was a moving event for the nearly 200 attendees. There were many memorable moments throughout this four day event, but the two most powerful involved two mothers of fallen PA soldiers who commemorated the lives of their sons.
The event opened with a moving prayer service memorializing the fallen PA soldiers. A very special part of this service included Mary Anne Cleary, mother of 1st Lieutenant, Michael J. Cleary, who died in Iraq. She briefly shared some cherished memories about her son and presented a pair of his boots to be included in the display. Mrs. Cleary also shared a beautiful display of photos and newspaper clippings that gave everyone a glimpse into the life of her son.
A second prayer service concluded the event, featuring Dolores Parker, mother of Staff Sergeant, George A. Pugliese, who died in Iraq. Dolores paid tribute to her son through stories, both sentimental and humorous, that made everyone in the room feel as if they knew her son personally. Listening to her made many reflect more deeply about the fact that each pair of boots represented a person, a life full of meaning, purpose and potential, which made looking at the boots even more powerful and moving.
Report by Marty Fotta
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Wal-Mart Parking lot, Lewisburg - May 27-28
Co-sponsor: Center fro Non-violent Living.
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| Photo: Paul Wahrhaftig |
“Hold Eyes Wide Open in a Wal-Mart parking lot? There is no way Wal-Mart will agree.” That was the response of the AFSC staff when the Center for Non-Violent Living in Lewisburg asked us if the location would be suitable. To everyone’s amazement Wal-Mart not only agreed but was extremely helpful in identifying the best spot for us to use, just beside the main driveway to the store.
Throughout the day, cars slowed as they pulled into the parking lot, curious shoppers peering from their windows to figure out what was going on. Many parked and walked over for a closer look. Once there, they pulled out cell phones to call friends with the message, “You have to come see this.” One woman, who received a phone call, came because her son, who is still in Iraq, told her enthusiastic stories about his commanding officer. “Major Mac died in my son’s arms”, she said. She left a long note in the Major’s boots hoping that his family would see it when EWO was next near their hometown. “You are with the army of angels,” it says, “Thank you for your caring of our son.”
On the second day, a front page article in the Daily Item brought more people out to the sun soaked parking lot. These people looked for Nick Berg’s boots, an independent contractor whose story had been featured in the paper. Nick, from West Chester, PA, was working in Iraq when he was captured and beheaded. His father, Michael, had approached AFSC in PA and asked if we would display a pair of boots for his son along with the soldiers. Michael drove down from Delaware to be at the exhibit.
In a number of cases the visitors knew the local people who had died. “He went to school with my son,” was one comment. A member of the military visited who had the job of telling families that their children had died. He pointed to a pair of boots and said the mom was hanging out the wash when he came to tell her of her son’s death.
A young soldier, recently returned from Iraq himself, spent a long time with the exhibit trying to find the names of his buddies in the 104th Infantry. He had brought decals to put in their boots. Clearly very moved by the exhibit, he said when he went into the army he was gung ho for the war. Now he is in a very different place. “What is it all for?” he asked sadly.
As often happens, the Iraqi shoes had a very sobering effect on people. One father stood by the smallest shoes with his nine year old daughter. After a moment, with tears in his eyes, he hugged her close and told the story of when she was a small child and had asked him, “How can babies die, Daddy?”
Local organizers could not stop talking about the people they had met and seen at the exhibit. Despite expectations to the contrary, many people getting out of cars covered in yellow-ribbon magnets and American flag decals expressed deep gratitude for the memorial and concern about the war. In fact, more people donated to support Eyes Wide Open at Wal-Mart than at any other site, feeling it was one small thing they could do in remembrance to lives lost. David Young, the first to suggest the Wal-Mart location, said, “I’ve done many unique things during my life, from taking students to a leper colony, to prisons, or to schools for the blind, but none even came close to how this exhibit impacted the public.”
Report by Scilla Wahrhaftig and Emilie Smith
For more information on how you or your community can get involved please contact our office, 412 371 3607 email swahrhaftig@afsc.org.
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