Boots on the ground

Image courtesy: The Phoenix

When students at Swarthmore College hit the books at McCabe Library, they are greeted with a powerful reminder of fellow Pennsylvanians who answered their country's call to service. Nineteen pairs of fallen heroes' boots, which also contain personal items and family notes, now sit in the quiet library.

Swarthmore's independent campus newspaper, The Phoenix, reports on the new exhibit, called "Eyes Wide Open." While the memorial was accompanied by a lecture that was political in nature, the exhibit itself is intended to be non-partisan. While telling the important stories of fallen soldiers like Sgt. Jennifer Hartman, who was killed near a Baghdad electrical station with two fellow troops in 2006, it also includes a pair of boots from Nicholas Berg. The American contractor was abducted and later murdered by al Qaeda in Iraq in 2004. A despicable video released by the terrorist group showed the West Chester, Pennsylvania native's decapitation. Lily Goodspeed explains why organizers believe including the memorial to Berg is important.

Though [American Friends Service Committee Program Director Scilla] Wahrhaftig noted that Nick Berg was a military contractor, not a soldier, she said, "He was a contractor in a different sense. He didn’t go for the money; he went to help the Iraqi people."

Wahrhaftig said that she hopes the exhibit will also remind Pennsylvanians about the importance of support groups for returning soldiers.

"It’s really tragic because when the National Guard comes back, they have no support,” she said. “I heard a story from a girl who saw her best friends killed in battle, and then returned to her hometown and her friends were talking about American Idol. She said 'How could we even start to connect again?'"

Of course, there is support available for returning National Guard troops, but there is no doubt that the system can be improved.

Wahrhaftig correctly states that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have mostly faded from American consciousness, with the celebrity-driven national media shouldering a significant portion of the blame. Yet moving memorials, like this humble tribute at Swarthmore, are a good first step in reminding our young people that many of their brothers and sisters are still fighting in foreign lands. Whether or not they agree with the cause, every American has a duty to notice.