Opinions crossing over pier memorial

Jenny Marder

A seaside war memorial meant to honor soldiers who have lost their

lives in Iraq is causing a rift between local veterans groups.

Members of the local American Legion are criticizing what another

group of veterans say is intended as a tribute to fallen American

soldiers.

The Orange County Veterans for Peace have trekked down to the

beach every Sunday at daybreak to erect hundreds of homemade crosses

in the sand by the Huntington Beach Pier. In the past month, as

American soldiers continue to lose their lives in the crisis in Iraq,

the number of crosses has jumped from 200 to 600.

The crosses are part of a quickly spreading campaign called the

“Arlington West Project,” which has sprouted similar memorials in

Santa Monica, Santa Barbara and Oceanside.

But as the crosses on the beach continue to grow, so does the

resistance to the memorial.

Michael Johnson, commander of the Huntington Beach Legion Post No.

133, thinks the Veterans for Peace group is using the crosses to

deliver an anti-war message.

“Are we honoring them or are we trying to point out that these

guys are being killed for no good reason?” Johnson asked. “That’s our

concern as a veteran’s organization. Don’t use dead service people

for your purpose.”

James Ameen, one of the project’s organizers, said the memorial is

intended strictly as a remembrance, not a political statement. In

fact, he said, the group is striving to approach it as less of a

discussion piece.

“We need to have an attitude more of being like a nurturing mother

in front of a cemetery,” Ameen said. “We’re getting away from the

debate mode and using it more as a remembrance, to contemplate, stop

and think about the people who are dying.”

But about one in 10 people, he said, object to the crosses.

Instead of engaging them in discussion, Ameen and other organizers

“just let them pass and say peace.”

Still, Johnson raised the item for discussion at an American

Legion meeting last week. His feelings are the consensus among

members of the group, he said.

“There’s a feeling of undercurrent that this was not pro the war,

this was anti-war and [Veterans for Peace members] are using these

crosses to push their agenda,” he said. “If this was to honor our

service people, who have fought and died for our freedom, this would

be a joint effort and there would be contact between veteran’s

organizations.”

Jim Gibson, 56, also a member of Veterans for Peace, said that the

statement that the memorial is an anti-war message couldn’t be

further from the truth.

“That’s 200 degrees away from the way I feel,” he said. “I feel

we’re doing a patriotic duty. Whether you’re for the war or against

the war, you should honor the sacrifices.”

Johnson also questioned whether the group had the necessary

permits to be occupying beach space.

At this point, nothing about the memorial requires a permit,

Marine Safety Chief Kyle Lindo said.

“We looked at what they did and we didn’t see any safety hazard

and we didn’t feel that it impeded public access or safety traffic,”

Lindo said. “Looking at that, we determined there was nothing they

were doing that required a permit.”

The memorial is currently under review by the city attorney and

the Marine Safety Department, he said. As summer beach traffic grows,

the crosses may begin to present a problem, Lindo said.

Organizers plan to keep the crosses up throughout the summer,

Ameen said.

“If people have opinions other than mine, that’s normal, it’s

natural,” Gibson said. “It offers a way for people to talk if they

want to. Our attitude is to be respectful of that.”