A memorial dedicated to hundreds of U.S. military teenage members killed in Iraq and Afghanistan has been Jack Finley’s vision for years.
Finley, former president of VFP Chapter 67, took part in or oversaw the gathering and painting of crosses and acquiring obituaries of fallen troops that were laminated and clued to crosses.
A smaller version of the memorial, accompanied by large signs listing the number of teen KIAs, has been displayed twice at Peace Weeks held at California State University, Long Beach.
Held at a park fronting a busy street on a holiday weekend, VFP chapters 67 and 110, members of Military Families Speak Out, the Long Beach Area Peace Network, Occupy Long Beach, Senior Patriots, a high school Peace Club and local peaceniks planted crosses along eight city blocks.
In the same city where VFP and anti war veterans of the GWOT were banned from a Veterans Day parade (an incident that made Long Beach notorious nationally), the Teen Memorial got front page coverage and a photograph gallery in the local paper.
TV coverage was done by major Los Angles TV stations. Jeff Merrick (Chapter 67 member and formerly a MFSO national board was interviewed). Finley and Dan Kelly--first president of chapter 110--gave speeches. Pat Alviso and Rossana Cambron, mothers of sons who’ve done multiple tours--and MFSO members--made moving remarks about the stress and trauma family members and service members can suffer.
The memorial attracted much attention and approval from street level. Its crosses were lit by illuminarios (candles placed in paper bag, a southwestern tradition) as the sun went down. One newspaper reporter, skimming a roster of dead teen warriors had no idea so many youths had died.
These wars have been going on for more than ten years and there’s yet ignorance and indifference about them. There’s still work to be done.
By: Horace Coleman