"Thank you for doing that," boomed the voice of a 50 ish man from his car. He had a commanding presence and a powerful upper body build of a military officer. "It's very nice of you and it's important. I'm proud of you."
"My brother lost his life in Iraq," said a 30 ish woman as she motioned me to her car. She first spoke so softly, I had to ask her to repeat it.
When I leaned in the window, she showed me his memorial. "It was in 2005. He was in the Marine Corp," she added as her eyes welled up in tears. "Thank you."
"My brother served three tours of duty in Iraq," said a heavily tattooed 35 ish man from his car as he stared at the sign. "He was in the Marines. He came back safe but he tells some horrible stories. Many didn't come back safe."
"God bless you for doing that," said a 50 ish man from his bright red van, his eyes opened as wide as two tiny ping pong balls as he read and re-read the sign. "They protect our freedoms and God bless them."
The traffic was heavy and the light turned green but he was hesitant to move as he kept staring at the sign, slowly inching away.
Among that heavy traffic was the 64 ish large heavy set man in a black Lexus who occasionally drives by the vigil and flips me the finger. He used to do it with vigor, making faces and sometimes yelling obscenities.
But as I smile and wave when he does it, it seems to have reduced his anger if not his strong conviction expressed in the past that the vigil undermines the U.S. war effort in Iraq.
Later in the vigil, a 40 ish man with thick blond hair and dark sun glasses, with a striking resemblance to a young Robert Redford walked up and began a conversation as he read the sign.
"Did you lose someone over there," he asked. "Were they your blood?"
He is writing a novel and moved out to the beach from Silver Lake [near Hollywood] for "anonymity" so he could finish it. It's a story about a young man seeking redemption for his sins, coming to grips with his life.
As he kept glancing at the sign, he began to speak of how "unjust" the Iraq war is and of the young people who have paid with their lives there. He also noted the many Iraqis who've been killed and he felt however wrong or right the war is, they should be remembered.
He spoke of the Israelis, "our only ally in the Middle East," and his deep caring for them. He then discussed how badly they treat the Palestinian "innocents."
"I guess there has never been a time when there wasn't a war," he said with a sigh, as he slowly turned and walked away.
Then after walking several yards, he whirled around and said, "I'm sorry for dominating the conversation." "That's fine," I replied. "You've given this a great deal of thought and wanted to express yourself. I found it interesting listening to you."
"Next time it will be your turn," he said as he smiled softly. He turned and slowly walked off, seemingly lost in thought.
Thousands of miles away, the tragedy that is the Iraq war continues and we need to hear your voice to help stop it, for what you think really matters.
But on this warm evening the appeal for peace and holding in our hearts those who have paid a severe price in the war touched many a conscience.
Dick
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