In a clear example of hyper-optimism and a failure to recognize reality, a memorial constructed by Republicans to honor the fallen soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq has run out room for more names!
Pathetic.
An excerpt from FortWayne.com:
Memorial honoring fallen soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan runs out of room
By Frank Davies
San Jose Mercury News
WASHINGTON – Congress already has run out of space on a memorial created last year to honor all of the U.S. service members killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In a grim sign of the times, the “Wall of the Fallen,” set up by House Republican leaders in June, is almost full. The mounting death toll from Iraq has forced U.S. House staffers to study how to reconfigure the display in the lobby of the Rayburn Building – the largest office building for members of Congress – to squeeze in more names.
According to the Defense Department, 3,736 U.S. service members died in the two wars by the end of April. New names are added to the display every few months, but none have been added since November. The last name listed is Lance Cpl. Luke Holler, 21-year-old Marine reservist from Bulverde, Texas, killed by an explosive device on Nov. 2.
In the current format, there is space for about 130 more names, but 506 Americans have died since mid-November. In April, 104 Americans were killed in the war’s sixth-deadliest month.
With a fierce debate raging over Iraq in Congress as President Bush resists the Democrats’ push for a timetable for troop withdrawal, the wall has taken on symbolic importance to some members.
“It’s just another example of how pathetically unprepared and unrealistic the supporters of this war have been,” said Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a San Jose Democrat and member of the Administration Committee that oversees operations in House buildings.
Rep. Vernon Ehlers, the Michigan Republican who chaired the committee last summer, said members and staffers “simply wanted to do something to honor those who had made this sacrifice.”
…
“This is so sad,” Delahunt said. “This states so poignantly and ironically that we never thought about needing extra space. The concept of the wall is laudable, but no one wanted to think about how many more soldiers would die.”
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© 2007, San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.).
