F-M vigil marks 5 years
Benny Polacca, The Forum
Thursday, March 20, 2008
John Jorgensen believes he can support U.S. troops serving in Iraq by speaking for them.
The Fargo resident and Air Force veteran said soldiers fighting in the Iraq war – which entered its sixth year Wednesday – are limited in expressing themselves because they must follow orders.
“Supporting the troops means speaking on their behalf when they can’t,” he said while attending a candlelight vigil Wednesday evening on the Main Avenue Bridge connecting Fargo and Moorhead.
The vigil was one of several nationwide events organized by anti-war groups marking the Iraq war’s fifth anniversary. Five large identical lit candles stood alone on the bridge’s south side, where attendees gathered.
About 30 people braved the chilly winds while carrying anti-war signs or candles during the vigil.
Temperatures hovered around 19 degrees, according to the National Weather Service in Grand Forks, N.D.
Attendees waved signs urging “War is Not the Answer,” “Invest in America, Not Endless War in Iraq,” and “Five years – For What?”
Several motorists crossing the bridge acknowledged the crowd with waves, shouts of support or by sounding their horns. One man made an obscene gesture out of his pickup window while heading into Moorhead.
“We’re here to say it’s time to bring our troops home,” said LeAnna Lesmeister. “Our mission was to get Saddam (Hussein) out of power, and we’re still there. I’m frustrated about that.”
Lesmeister, a Moorhead resident, is a member of MoveOn.org and one of the vigil organizers.
MoveOn.org is a nonprofit that focuses on education and advocacy on national issues, its Web site said. United for Peace and Justice and Lutheran Peace Fellowship also helped organize the event.
Jorgensen said the United States could be spending time solving its own problems instead of spending money on missions in Iraq.
The country’s economy needs to be fixed so unemployed people can work, he said.
Lesmeister said the country could be investing in education, homebuyers’ assistance and renewable energy. “We should do more research to figure out what’s best and sustainable.”
Jorgensen said the country’s leaders also should prepare to help soldiers returning from battle who may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. If so, “you’re going to prevent a lot of divorces, suicides and homelessness,” he said.
Nearly 4,000 U.S. military servicemen and women have died since the war’s 2003 start.
Sixteen soldiers with North Dakota ties have been killed in Iraq and 59 linked to Minnesota have been killed.
