"With today's technology people should just talk to each other, not go to war," said a 50 ish third grade school teacher softly. "My uncle was killed in Vietnam," she added.
She helped to set the vigil's warm tone, as she also spoke with John Fortier, a Korean War veteran and peace activist who jointly conducted this vigil. John is a retired school teacher who now volunteers to teach and they briefly discussed their teaching skills and mutual interest in students.
Shortly after she left, a 50 ish couple who often join the vigil did last night as well.
While in Iraq, despite President Obama proclaiming an "end to combat operations," on Tuesday an Iraqi soldier on a tightly secured military base 130 miles north of Baghdad killed two U.S. soldiers and wounded nine more and in turn was shot dead. Only two days earlier, U.S. soldiers helped fight off a major assault on central Baghdad, as that war rages on.
While in Afghanistan, the U.S. and NATO attack on the fringes of Kandahar, that nation's second largest city has begun, with the loud frightful rumbling sound of a U.S. Warthog attack plane firing 70 30-millimeter shells a second, with ear splitting explosions following in its wake. From the heavens above, it rains Hell below to any man, woman or child it reaches.
But thousands of miles away our vigil received strong support from honking motorists and from others who waved or held up two fingered peace signs or who called out encouraging words.
The most touching moment came when a 35 ish woman in a gray SUV stopped alongside the vigil as she waited to make a right turn. She smiled and heartily waved her support and next to her was a girl about 8 years old, who followed her lead in waving to us as her eyes absorbed the vigil. John and I were struck by that child's awareness at such a young age.
Because the traffic was so heavy, easily a thousand cars drove by in the hour we were there, we felt from the response of the vigil's supporters and from the many people who turned their heads to read the vigil sign, the vigil's message was widely received.
As John put it when the vigil concluded, "We had a very good night."
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