By Bonnie Washuk,Staff Writer

LEWISTON – Picking up on grieving Army mother Cindy Sheehan’s anti-war protest outside President Bush’s Texas ranch, local activists Friday staged an anti-war vigil at U.S. Sen. Susan Collins’ office.

Residents spent the day outside Collins’ Lisbon Street office with “Bring them home” signs, a sight reminiscent of the Vietnam War era. Others were inside the office reading the names of the 1,861 U.S. soldiers and thousands more Iraqis who have died in the war.

The somber reading started at 9 a.m. and continued until after 3 p.m. As each name was read, people sitting on the floor marked an “X” on a large cloth representing the lost life. Black X’s were given for American soldiers, red for Iraqi troops.

Volunteers took turns marking X’s and reading names. After each name was read, a chime was sounded.

“Maj. Jay Thomas Aubin, age 36”

“Abd Algel Aoda, 73”

“Capt. Ryan Anthony Beaupre, 30”

“Abed Jaber Alwan, 65”

“Lt. Therrel Shane Childers, 30”

“Almed Tefoor Nageem Alselehy, 18”

“Cpl. Jose Antonio Gutierrez, 22”

“Ala’a Bush Dokhy, age unknown”

When she wasn’t reading names, Bates College Professor Bonnie Schulman of Poland sat with her hands folded in prayer. Her face looked sad.

Reading the names of the dead “is a way to acknowledge people who have given their lives for things they believe in, but for no reason at all,” Schulman said. “In the first run through of names I’m close to tears.” She said she looked at the hundreds of photographs of the dead. “I think of them as being people I know. My sons, my daughters, my brothers. Reading some of the Iraqi names, some were 8 months old, some 57. They’re gone. I ask myself, ‘Why?'”

World War II veteran Arthur Whitman of Auburn said he and others were there because war is not the way for the United States “to force its opinion on the rest of the world.” Whitman is state treasurer for Veterans for Peace.

Answers need to be given for the questions Cindy Sheehan is asking, Whitman said. What “noble cause” did Sheehan’s son – and the 1,860 others – die for in Iraq? Reasons Americans were given for the war, such as weapons of mass destruction and fighting terrorism, “have proved false,” Whitman said. “The real reasons are probably oil and greed. We thought we were going to be greeted by people throwing flowers.” Many familiar with the Middle East “knew that would not happen,” Whitman said.

As someone who spent 23 years in the Middle East teaching English to Turkish and Arab students, Whitman said he was one who did know.

One goal of Friday’s reading of the names was to ask Collins and the rest of the Maine’s congressional delegation “to support our troops by bringing them home,” Whitman said. “We do not believe it would be a wrong message, as the president has repeatedly said. We did that in Vietnam. We can do it here in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

Collins could not be reached Friday. Her staff said she was in Portsmouth and was not available for an interview.

“Senator Collins appreciates and respects the concerns of these and all of her constituents. She will continue to be a strong advocate for our men and women in uniform who are sacrificing so much for our country,” read a statement from Collins’ communications director, Jen Burita.

Vigil organizer Bruce Gagnon of Veterans for Peace said Friday’s vigil was the fifth held in Maine. More will be held, he said, until the Maine delegation agrees to a town meeting to talk about the war.

“The whole reason why we started this is we couldn’t go on acting day to day as if nothing was happening,” Gagnon said. People are yearning to speak out against this war, he said. “The politicians aren’t giving the public a process to do that.”

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