Olbrich Park/Atwood Avenue
Madison, WI
5/24/2025
On a one-mile stretch of Atwood Avenue, along the bike path next to Olbrich Park, volunteers, veterans and non-veterans alike, work in teams to set up nearly 7,000 plastic headstones, one for each American soldier killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The flyer for the event on the Veterans for Peace website calls the memorial mile "a graphic memorial to the costs of war."
When I asked a volunteer how many they would be putting up, they made sure to point out that this only represented soldiers, not civilians or foreign soldiers — to include them would be, well, nearly impossible. Estimates of civilian casualties in the Iraq War (2003-2011) are approximately 200,000; in Afghanistan (2001-2021), it's estimated that nearly 50,000 civilians died. Most agree that these are only estimates, and the actual numbers are likely higher.
This reminder of those killed to protect capitalism will be up until May 31st.
The Memorial Mile is sponsored by Veterans for Peace.
Note: As an independent freelance photographer, I am not affiliated with any political organizations. I document marches, protests, and rallies in Madison, Wisconsin, capturing the people's right to free speech and their right to organize.
