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Second Annual Candlelight Vigil for the Dead

By Ward Reilly

The Second Annual Candlelight Vigil for the Dead was held in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at the Unitarian Universalist Church on February 20, 2005. It was held to honor and remember all of the victims of the neocon-inspired war in Iraq.

The vigil was attended by members of Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Veterans for Peace, the Coalition Against War and Injustice, and Bienville House for Peace and Justice. Many nonaffiliated vets (from World War II to the Gulf War) also attended, as did an active-duty soldier, who is attempting to get out of the Marines as a conscientious objector.

Guests from New Orleans and Covington joined in the solemn event, which was first done last year as a way to commemorate the first anniversary of the worldwide antiwar demonstration that took place on February 15, 2003. On that day, upwards of 10,000,000 citizens around the world attempted to convince the Bush administration not to go to war with Iraq.

The candlelight vigil got front-page coverage, and was front-and-center with a beautiful photo in the Advocate, Baton Rouge's main newspaper. The photo's caption was straightforward in declaring that the more than one hundred participants were mourning the deaths of 100,000 innocent Iraqis, and of course the deaths of 1,478 of our own citizens, including 34 from Louisiana, one of whom had died the day before.

The vigil was a complete success. Visually stunning, it was the result of hard work and two months of planning. The vigil featured a continuously running digital slideshow showing the horrific effects of the war on all involved (produced by Dr. Louay Mohammed), photos of the first thousand US troops killed, and a personal bio and photo of each Louisiana soldier killed in action in Iraq.

The name, ranks, dates, and hometowns of all the Louisiana KIA were read by me, and a "peace bell" was rung once for each American soldier killed in action. The bell-ringing, which started at 6:00 PM, lasted until 7:15 PM, was done by children of the organizers and was accompanied by a bagpiper, which added just the right effect.

All the participants ended the evening with a slow walk through the incredible candlelit labyrinth designed by Maida Owens, which was fashioned so that you could enter it, walk past all the candles, and exit where you started, without stopping—a truly remarkable design.

There were 537 KIAs at this time last year, with fourteen from Louisiana, compared to the 1,478 KIA total with 34 from Louisiana this year. I can only hope that this second annual event will be the last candlelight vigil for the dead that we have to organize.

Thanks to the UU Church and Minister Steve Crump of Baton Rouge for hosting this event, and to the many volunteers that set up the labyrinth, put the sand and candles in the cupholders, and placed and lit the approximately 1,500 candles—no easy task—and especially to the Bienville House of Baton Rouge, who again paid for all the materials necessary for the vigil.

May all the dead rest in peace, and may we end this war as soon as humanly possible.