2008 Woodie Awards
'Eyes Wide Open' exhibit examines the human cost of war
Jamie Metrick
Issue date: 4/11/08 Section: Features
|
A solitary pair sits atop a bookshelf; they belong to Sergeant Elmer Krause, 40, from Greensboro. Killed in action in May 2004, his smiling picture sits among medals and scrapbook memories. One memento is a letter from President Bush to his son: "Mrs. Bush and I send our heartfelt sympathy. We hope you will be comforted by your faith and the love and support of your family and friends. May God bless you."
On Monday, April 7, "Eyes Wide Open: An Exhibition of the Human Cost of War" came to Hege Library. The exhibit runs through Friday and is sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). Since 1990, AFSC has worked in Iraq towards social justice, peace and humanitarian aid. The boots began touring the country in 2004 at AFSC headquarters in Chicago. It started with 504 pairs of boots donated by families of deceased soldiers; now there are over 1,400 pairs.
"Now that I'm seeing it, it's very powerful, especially since my brother's in the army," said Laura Houpt, who helped set up the exhibit.
However, the exhibit at Guilford features the boots of North Carolinian soldiers, among them Sgt. Krause. Some of the boots look fresh with mud, some grayed by months in the sun, and others seem barely worn.
"It is a really important visual, it reminds people of the human cost of the war," said Airlee Parham, president of GPeace, Guilford's student activist club.
GPeace contacted local AFSC coordinator Debra Dillard to show the collection of local fallen soldiers. The display is not unfamiliar to the area; the main exhibit toured Greensboro in January 2005. More than 3,100 people came to see over 1,300 pairs of shoes displayed at the Depot, a restored train station.
"Eyes Wide Open" exhibits travel to colleges across the country showcasing soldiers' boots from men and women in their home states.
"I've heard our generation referred (to) as the silent generation, so it's important to have the exhibit come back," Parham said. "The time for us to act is now."
Be the first to comment on this story