A Mile of Flags: In Search of Peace with Cindy Sheehan

Posted in its entirety with permission.


A Mile of Flags
In Search of Peace
with Cindy Sheehan

Gerald Ford is dead. Every time I get a chance to turn on the TV I am incessantly reminded of this fact.

His body is lying in state on the same structure that has held up every dead president’s body since Abraham Lincoln. His widow constantly has a military honor guard to support her, sometimes even physically. The flag draped coffin is never left alone: there is always a military presence there to guard and honor the body. We have seen Ford’s flag-draped coffin entering and exiting planes and cars. The tradition can be quite moving at times, but, to me, also quite frustrating and gut-wrenching.

On April 04, 2004, my son, Casey was killed in Iraq. Between April 04 and April 10, we had no idea how Casey was killed, or what condition his body was in. We heard from the son-in-law of a friend who was stationed at Dover Air Force base that he had “unloaded” Casey from the transport plane that brought him from God knows where. Baghdad? Germany? Ireland where he had just passed through alive barely 3 weeks earlier? On April 9 (Casey’s grandpa’s birthday) we heard that he would be delivered to San Francisco International Airport the following day.

The limo from the funeral home picked us up around noonish. Casey’s dad, brother, sisters, my Mom, his Auntie, I, and a few close friends took our final ride to pick Casey up from the airport on his final trip home. I couldn’t get it out of my mind that we had joyfully picked him up from the Sacramento airport less then 4 months earlier when he had come home for his last Christmas on earth.

The trip from Vacaville to the City by the Bay is never fun---there is always heavy traffic, but Saturdays are definitely the worst. San Francisco is certainly a popular weekend destination. This trip to “The City” as we Northern Californians call it, would be the most nightmarish trip of my life.

When we arrived at SFO, our limo pulled up to the United Airlines loading dock. Casey’s body in his coffin, wrapped in a box had already arrived so we stood around and watched the United dock workers load Casey into the back of the hearse. If I remember correctly, about 99% of Casey’s collected loved ones were sobbing uncontrollably and trying to comfort each other, the reamining 1% stood alone in anguished and shocked bewilderment. This is the “honorable” way that Casey was delivered to us. And to make matters worse, his “honor” guard wasn’t with us yet---so we had to sit on the curb under a 101 Freeway off ramp for over 30 minutes waiting for him.

On December 31st, our 3000th child was killed for the lies of another president. While Gerald Ford lies in state, our 3000th troop will be brought home on his final airplane flight in the cargo area. This fine young example of humanity will be sneaked into the USA as if he, and not his Commander in Chief, were a criminal. His family will be left to mourn alone and his body will not be guarded night and day. After the funeral (that Bloody George will not attend), he will be forgotten by the country that sent him to die in a war that is as corrupt as the day is long, but his family will never be able to recover from his loss.

The news channels are infusing us with coverage of Ford’s pomp and circumstance and CNN Headline News gave 10 seconds to the 3000th American casualty of the Iraq bloody blunder. Why is a soldier’s life less honorable than a president’s life? If our soldiers are worthless to the American people, where do the 655,000 innocent Iraqis that have been slaughtered by Bloody BushCo fit in to daily consumeristic consciousness?

Yesterday, Camp Casey in Crawford, Tx, placed 3000 American flags down Prairie Chapel Road. The flags, which we planted about 12-16 inches apart extended for approximately a mile on each side down the road. The visual was somber, touching, and very reverent. We decided that yesterday was not a day for politics, but a day to honor our young people that have been so dishonored by the man on that same road who spends his days clearing brush while contemplating signing more death orders and his nights sleeping like a baby.

Being a peace activist is not a very safe position in Crawford, Tx. One of our neighbors came out with a shot-gun and threatened to shoot if we put flags in front of her property. Since the ditches are public property, and we believe that we are honoring the brave souls who are brave and dedicated, we put some in front of her home. When one of our Camp Caseyites went back this morning to pick up the flags, she had broken every one of them that we had put in front of her house. We already knew that many people in Crawford hate the sight of crosses, but we thought that the American flag would be a safe symbol that all of us, being patriotic Americans every one, could agree upon. Apparently, some people don’t like to visualize a number that was made possible by their support of serial killers.

After we had finished our memorial to our fallen heroes, we ciphered out a very sobering visual. If we put a symbol for each Iraqi death along a road, it would take up 220 miles of road, on each side! That is a road that would stretch from Crawford to Houston. From Baghdad to Vacaville and from Falluja to Crawford, and many points along the way, the heartache and mayhem just continue. Sorrow for war is born by loving, caring families on both sides of the conflict and profit and satisfaction are born with callous disregard for humanity on the other side---while any kind physical, financial, emotional, or political risk is minimal to the war-mongers, to say the least.

While millions of Americans, ordinary citizens, politicians, or news media, were very busy NOT thinking of 655,000 plus lives stolen and millions more lives destroyed, we at Camp Casey spent all New Year’s Eve day with our sorrow and with our devastating and totally un-called for and unnecessary losses.

May 2007 make such memorials obsolete.

The sorrow for the ones already gone will always be with us, but only grass-roots activism that is unrelenting and heartfelt will prevent more sorrow.

May 2007 see a massive dedication, or re-dedication to a Peace Surge.

In Search of Peace is a series of reflections on Cindy’s journey towards true and lasting peace.





Cindy Sheehan is the mother of Spc. Casey Sheehan who was killed in Bush's war of terror on 04/04/04.
She is the co-founder and president of Gold Star Families for Peace and the Camp Casey Peace Institute.
She is the author of three books, the most recent is: Peace Mom: A Mother's Journey Through Heartache
to Activism.

when she broke them she also showed contempt for those who died serving our country. Apparently the only thing she respects is Bush. And we wonder if we're slipping into facsim.

This is bush mentalilty

broke the flags.

that Cindy referred to. Can't believe anyone would do that.

"when she broke them she also showed contempt for those who died serving our country." Serving BUSH! NOT the same.

They worship Bush. Soldiers lvies don't count. Remember the troops chose to be there :sarcasm:

For all those who have lost loved ones may this war end soon and bush and company be charged with war crimes and put in jail for the rest of their lives.
May we have peace soon!!!!

the flags that Cindy's group had placed in publicly owned ditches near her property. I had to read through carefully to understand Comment #1, too.

But I wouldn't conclude that "this country" is becoming fascist. It's just one woman who was obviously upset--we don't know why. Possibly a Bush supporter who is having difficulty understanding who he really is, and what this war was really about. I pity her. She reminds me of the angry white women in the south who made gargoyle faces of hate, and shouted hateful remarks, and spat upon civil rights marchers, who were causing her no grief, only seeking their rights as American citizens, to vote, and to participate in society as equals. These white southern bigots were the minority in the country, and often in their states and towns as well, but they put the stamp of ugliness forever upon southern culture in the modern era. Someone who would tear down US flags meant to honor US war dead is putting the face of ugliness on Bush supporters, who are very much in the minority. She is no more representative of our country than Bush is. We are in truth not becoming more fascist, as a people. We are resisting that propaganda very well, and Bush's fascist policies in all spheres are very unpopular. It is the triumph of real Americanism--who we really are. 70% of the American people have seen through the lies, and want the war ended. Back before the war--Feb. '03--56% opposed the war. (That would be a landslide in a presidential election.) The small elite of war profiteers overrode American opinion at that time, and are still doing so. And we shall see how much our new Democratic Congress is able to respond to an astonishing 70% majority opposed to the war. But, in any case, we can be proud of ourselves, as a people, for NOT becoming fascists, and for being able to penetrate the fog of disinformation that is daily heaped upon us.