Nov. 11
Arlington West
 
Last night we drove down to Santa Monica to spend Veteran’s Day at Arlington West, a memorial of crosses in the beach representing the service members who have died in Iraq. Joe, Don and Phil, members of Veterans For Peace who drove up from California to walk with me, invited us to spend the weekend at the beach and we couldn’t refuse.
 
Family members came throughout the day to place mementos and photos by crosses in the sand that bore their loved-ones names. Curious tourists stopped by and asked volunteers what all the crosses meant.
 
As soon as we arrived, Don jumped up out of a beach chair and ran over to us. He wanted to introduce me to Ron Kovic. I was stunned. He couldn’t mean the Ron Kovic who went from Marine to war protestor during the Viet Nam War and wrote “Born on the Fourth of July.” This man had been such an inspiration for me. I could hardly believe it when Don led me to a man in a wheelchair with a neatly trimmed white beard.
 
I tried to be presentable and not fall into the fan/adorer role, but I couldn’t help it.
 
“I watched your movie two times while I was in Iraq,” I said effusively. “I can’t tell you how much it meant to me.”
 
Ron responded with sincere pleasure. He said it made him feel great to know that his story was influencing a new generation of people working for peace.
 
I also met Vicki Castro, who lost her son in the Mosul dining facility bombing. She’s a brave woman who has decided to share her grief and pain publicly so that it might help people understand the true cost of war.
 
At noon, a group of about 50 people carried coffin-sized cardboard boxes draped in flags to a flagpole that the City of Santa Monica was dedicating as a memorial. We got a lot of stares and one child even exclaimed, “Mommy, are those dead people?” The mother explained that the flag-draped coffins only represented people who have died in Iraq.
 
At the flagpole, I said a few words after Vicki shared her story. Then Ron spoke and it was truly inspiring. I’ve heard many rally speeches since the war began, but this was something special. His tone and choice of words were perfect. I was moved to tears.