Peaceniks v Patriots in fight over war dead

Peaceniks v Patriots in fight over war dead

By Alec Russell in Waterville
(Filed: 28/11/2005)

The rival phalanxes of flags in Waterville Veterans' Memorial Park are drawn up like hostile armies on an old military map.

Barely visible in the snow, 2,000 white pennants flutter in a wintry wind. They were planted by peace protesters to commemorate America's casualties in Iraq. In pride of place a placard proclaims: "War is not the answer."


White peace flags and the Stars and Stripes
flutter side by side in the Waterville Veterans'
Memorial Park

Jostling alongside them are a similar number of Stars and Stripes. They were planted as a riposte by veterans outraged over the appearance of "flags of surrender" in soil dedicated to the fallen in America's wars.

They too have placards, proclaiming: "Proudly Serving America" and "Support Our Troops."

Unsurprisingly in a nation as patriotic as America, skirmishing broke out soon after the white flags were first planted at the end of last month. In an apparent throwback to Vietnam war-era confrontations, five veterans, including the commander of the local branch of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, are due in court for trying to rip them out.

More: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/11/28/wflags28.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/11/28/ixhome.html