VFP POLICY FOR ARLINGTON AND OTHER MEMORIALS TO THE FALLEN
Arlington Memorials are important and effective initiatives by local Veterans For Peace chapters. These memorials are conducted to make the consequences of war real and to allow people to express their grief, respect and thoughts. As a result of the power of these memorials and our stance against war, Veterans For Peace has come under attack from some quarters, mostly people who support the war in Iraq.
However, VFP has also received a few complaints from Gold Star family members. These wishes should be taken into consideration when conducting the Arlington Memorials, thus the following policy has been adopted by the National Board of Directors. The Directors request that all VFP chapters and affiliated memorials follow these guidelines for the use of the names of the fallen and recognition of the deaths of Iraqis and other victims of war.
POLICY: The names of the fallen are released by the Department of Defense and they are published weekly throughout the country as part of the public record. Several Veterans For Peace memorials and vigils list a number or all of the names of the fallen on name tags, or other means and post them on crosses, tombstones, boots or other items to represent those service members who have lost their lives in the occupation and war in Iraq. Veterans For Peace conducts these events to remember and honor those who have given their lives in their country's service, and to offer friends, relatives and those who served in the military with the deceased an opportunity to pay their respects.
If an immediate family member (mother, father or spouse) personally requests that we not post a person's name publicly, VFP chapters and members should (1) honor these requests and the name of the person should be kept on file, so that visitors wishing to honor that person may do so in a manner of their own choosing and (2) get this request in writing and contact the national office so that the information is given to all memorials affiliated with Veterans For Peace.
The Arlingtons and other memorials are primarily in honor of fallen U.S. service members. However, in accordance with the mission of Veterans For Peace, to increase the public awareness of the cost of war and to seek justice for veterans and victims of war, it is equally important to remember the civilian lives lost. When possible, shoes, photographs or other appropriate images or symbols should accompany the memorials or vigils in remembrance of the Iraqi and other civilian deaths.
Adopted by the National Board of Directors September 22, 2006
NAMES: The National Office has a list of names compiled that we know have been requested by Gold Star Family members to no longer post. If you know of other names, please secure the request in writing and send it to the National Office so that we may disseminate it the information. If you are planning a Memorial Event, please contact the National Office so we can give you the list of those names. For privacy reasons, we do not want to post them online.
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