Remembrance Memorial

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.. anyone who would like to work on or donate money to Remembrance: A Memorial. Dedicated to U. S. Servicemen and Women who have lost thier lives in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as to those who continue to serve. I invite you to visit the Remembrance web site to hopefully gain a deeper understanding of the intent and purpose of the Remembrance Memorial:
www.remembrance-iraqafghan.com

Names not Numbers

Pfc. James Deady, 65th Public Affairs Operation Center, Massachusetts National Guard

Over 3,000 voices loudly filled the crowded gallery at Somerset High School. Some students and staff, ironically happy to spend their Sunday afternoon at school and local community members who were participating in a special project.
Over 2,900 inanimate figurines, each one representing a service member whose life was lost in Afghanistan or Iraq, hung in reverence in the hallways of the school. More than a project though; it was a reunion, a remembrance. It was a memorial.
Remembrance, a Memorial, was held at Somerset High School March 25 to honor service members who lost their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq, out of respect for their family and friends, and to celebrate their lives.
Merilee Bowers, a Somerset High School art teacher organized the project in November 2006. All figures were hand sewn using a single tea bag, bits of cloth, twigs and other items. Each figure represents one lost American life in Iraq or Afghanistan. Strips of paper containing names of fallen U.S. service members, are then hand sewn to each completed figure, and the figurines are memorialized in glass cases to praise their lives, and somberly, mourn their loss.
“So much attention goes to whether the war is right or wrong. That’s not what today is all about. Today is not about politics, it’s about remembering; keeping the memory of someone you love alive,” said Frank Faria, a Navy veteran and brother of Bowers.
“What the students see on TV helps them understand with their minds what’s happening there, but this memorial helps them to understand with their hearts the impact each service member has on so many lives,” said Somerset High School Principal R..W. Pineault, a Vietnam Veteran as well. “When you look at the Vietnam Memorial you just see a wall, but when you read the names you realize that they are people, and it’s overwhelming.”
One of the many participants in the Remembrance Memorial who was directly affected by the project was Jane Van Gyzen. Van Gyzen is a mother who lost her son, Marine Lance Cpl. John J. Van Gyzen IV in Iraq on July 5, 2004, and made a significant contribution to the production of the Remembrance Memorial.
“A lot of people are impacted by today’s current events and so much love and dedication went into this memorial project from the beginning,” said Van Gyzen.
The earliest stages of the memorial project began by boiling and hanging tea bags to dry. The tea bags refer to concepts of comfort, conversation, ceremony and ritual, said Bowers. Tea is also associated with physical healing. Sewing alludes to concepts of meditation, repetition and connections to family and friends. The act of sewing suggests the closing of a wound, both emotionally and physically. Finally, all figures are hand sewn to a grid contained within frames.
“We wanted to show that these are real people with families and friends. They sacrifice so much to be away from them, sometimes for years,” said Bowers. They’re valued and honored.”
“It’s great to see how much time and effort they put into this,” said Sgt. 1st Class Sean Comisky, Massachusetts Army National Guard 79th Troop Command in Rehoboth and a Purple Heart recipient. I knew some people on this display. When you look at the display you get to see their names. That they aren’t just the numbers of fallen troops you hear about.”
But the emotional atmosphere was far from solemn, it was a reverent celebration and the turn out was nothing less than expected, said Chris Fisher, a senior at Somerset High School and Bowers’ nephew. “It’s great to pay tribute and to see what’s been done here”.
“I’m really impressed to see how many people showed up today.” said Katie Bruce, a senior at Somerset High School. “I know a lot of people in the military. When you see the name on the figurines it makes a big difference.”
Over 700 students and staff members, local Girl Scouts, the Lady’s Auxiliary Post 72 and community members spent countless days and hours reviving distinctive personalities into the figurines, to represent that each figurine is more than a number of a life lost overseas, but an individual who made the ultimate sacrifice. “The community donated a lot time and money to this memorial,” said Bowers.
“It’s great to have not just the community involved but the kids as well,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis Flynn, 79th Troop Command and veteran. “It’s really important to recognize the sacrifices they make and that they’re being supported, and especially to never forget.”
It’s an amazing outcome, said Rory McComb, who served in Afghanistan with the Massachusetts Army National Guard’s 772nd Military Police Company from August 2002 to March 2003. “My mother is a teacher here, and she and my wife helped with the project.”
Remembrance, a Memorial, hopefully did not end March 25, 2007. It is the hopes of all memorial participants, who dedicated so much to the troops, who in turn gave so much more, that the spirit of the project will be immortalized. Bowers hopes to share the memorial with more than the community; her ambitions are high. Perhaps it will in someday be at the Statehouse, or maybe the Capitol, she said. Wherever it goes, it will not go vain. Their names will not be forgotten

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