By Gillian Ferris Kohl, Daniel Kraker
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/knau/local-knau-575884.mp3
Flagstaff, AZ – Host Intro:
The U.S. is now in its fifth year of war in Iraq. Thousands of American soldiers and Iraqi civilians have been killed since the conflict began. This past weekend, many cities across America held peace marches to support an end to the war and bring the troops home. In Flagstaff, around a thousand people marched downtown to Wheeler Park, where a war memorial bares the names of Arizona servicemen and women killed in combat. Many of the demonstrators were war veterans themselves. And though the day was peaceful, the event was emotionally charged. Arizona Public Radio's Gillian Ferris Kohl produced this audio postcard.
Host Intro to part II:
The day after the peace march, several hundred people gathered at Flagstaff High School to welcome soldiers home. More than 300 Army National Guard service members from northern Arizona have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with members of the military's four branches. Many have returned in recent weeks. Yesterday they were greeted with food, hugs, songs and speeches, as Arizona Public Radio's Daniel Kraker reports.