Empty soldiers' boots part of war exhibit

One hundred and forty-three pairs of empty combat boots tagged with the names of Illinois soldiers who have died in the current Iraq war will be displayed at Elgin Community College as part of "Eyes Wide Open: The Human Cost of War," from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. today and 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday.

The display will be located in the Instruction Center Lounge, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin. The event is free and open to the public.

The 143 pairs of combat boots that will be displayed at ECC are a fraction of what the exhibitor, the American Friends Service Committee, displays nationally. The boots are part of a larger, national traveling exhibit that includes more than 2,000 pairs of the military footwear that grows with each soldier's death in the current war. Each pair has the name, rank and the home state of the deceased serviceman or woman.

The committee, a 91-year-old Quaker organization that works for social justice, peace and humanitarian service, began with 504 pairs of boots when the exhibit was first unveiled January 2004 in Chicago.

Since then, people in each community where the exhibit has visited have stopped to look at the display -- sometimes leaving flowers, flags or other memorials in or near the boots.

Accompanying the exhibit is a "Wall of Remembrance" that contains the names of Iraqi civilians who have died during the conflict. The event is sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee, the Peace and Justice Group, and Gay, Lesbian or Bisexual at ECC and Supporters (GLOBES). For more information, call the Student Life Office at (847) 214-7370.