Iraq casualties sign will stay up near Duluth recruiting office

by reposted

Thu, Dec 8, 2005 8:16AM

The Steve Kelley for Gov. campaign office in Duluth says it won't take down a sign in its window that keeps a running tally of U.S. casualties in Iraq.

The sign has stirred up some hard feelings because it's right next door to the military recruiting station in downtown Duluth.

The commander of the station says the sign is troubling for some of his recruiters, including one who recently returned from Iraq. He says his recruiters already have to endure the anti-war protesters who gather outside the office every Monday.

But a Kelley campaign spokeswoman says the sign will stay up. It was put up by a campaign volunteer who was wounded in the Vietnam War and says he regrets not speaking out against it then.

Kelley is a D-F-L state senator from Hopkins.

http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/news/13359610.htm

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by more

Thu, Dec 8, 2005 8:25AM

Potential Army recruits face an unofficial and somewhat grim reminder of what joining the service could lead to while walking into Duluth's downtown recruiting station.

In the window of the office next door, a sign details the numbers of U.S. service members killed or wounded in the war in Iraq.

"Iraq," the sign reads. "Remember the Fallen Heroes." Next to it are two green-and-white "Steve Kelley for Governor" political campaign signs.

The war-related sign was placed in the window of the Kelley campaign office by Scott Cameron, a campaign volunteer and disabled Vietnam War veteran. Cameron was wounded in Vietnam when he was shot in the back in 1969 while riding in a helicopter.

And despite a request from the recruiting station's commander, Army Staff Sgt. Gary Capan, to take the war sign down, it will remain, a spokeswoman for Kelley's campaign said Wednesday.

Capan told the News Tribune the sign is troubling for some of his recruiters, including one who recently returned from Iraq.

"It kind of disturbed her and it is a little unsettling, especially for people wanting to join the military," Capan said. "It makes it so the troops are just a number."

There was no real way to measure whether the sign had any adverse effect on recruiting efforts, Capan said.

Capan said his recruiters already endure the anti-war protesters who converge outside his office each Monday.

"I didn't want to be vocal with the anti-war thing because I didn't want to disrespect the troops," Cameron said. "We had a draft and things were different (during Vietnam), but I didn't say anything — made that mistake and that war went on for another six years. I'm not going to make that mistake again."

An advocate for veterans, Cameron said he does support military members and taking care of them when they come home.

And that's Kelley's stand, too, his spokeswoman Jessica Null said.

"He supports making sure everybody has accurate information," Null said. "He understands the people at the recruiting office are veterans, too, and he has a responsibility to them as well."

The campaign office wasn't selected because it was next to the recruiting station and Kelley, a Democratic-Farmer-Labor state senator from Hopkins, is opposed to the Iraq war, Null said. "It was just a coincidence."

Cameron said he has more of the signs and has secured different places around town to place them.

http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/news/local/13354523.htm

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