Memorial Day

Memorial Day is often thought of in the United States as the unofficial start of summer. A day off to relax, maybe fire up the grill for a barbecue.

Not what the real reason the day is for: a day to honor those who lost their lives defending the country. And Second Life has it's share of places where memorials to fallen have been placed.

Probably the best known of these memorials is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Second Life, sometimes known as "The Wall." Opened in November 2007, it is still up and continues to draw many visitors.

"The Wall" sim has it's own website at http://www.thewallsl.com.

To get to the Vietnam Wall, Click Here for the SURL at The Wall (39, 32, 25).



Other memorials in Second Life are less well known. Among these is the TLE Memorial in the Raziel sim. The TLE (The Learning Experience) area is more noted for it's building classes and classroom lectures. But one building was set aside as a memorial, where for a donation one can have a stone set up to honor someone. Not just Americans are represented here, but Canadians, British, and others.

Jacob Barton, one of the soldiers dedicated in this picture (second down on the right row), was Lothi Aeon in Second Life, whom lost his life trying to save a comrade one year ago.

The TLE War Memorial is at Raziel (59,61,22).

* * * Addition added later in the day * * *

There are also numerous smaller memorials. Memorials set up as simple reminders for those who gave their all. Among them is the one set up at the Southern Colorado sim by Daaneth Kivioq.

“I have had for a long time a small memorial located on my sim. I invite you to come here for a few moments to reflect on the gift those brave men and women have given us.”

The memorial isn’t much compared to The Wall, a flowerbed and a couple flags. And a plaque reading:

“My Angel, his name is Freedom - Choose him to be your king;
He shall cut pathways east and west, And fend you with his wing.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Dedicated to all those who have given life or limb
in the service of the Angel named Freedom

The Southern Colorado memorial is at (129, 41, 25).

"A veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard, or reserve - is someone who, at one point in his/her life, wrote a 'Blank Check' made Payable to 'The United States of America', for an amount of 'up to And including my life.' Veterans didn't have the luxury to choose Where, When, How, or even IF they will 'make that payment'. They merely do their duty day in and day out knowing that they've written that check that some day may be 'Cashed!' That is Honor." - Author Unknown.

Bixyl Shuftan

The Wounded Warrior Memorial Celebration

On Sunday May 30th, from 5 to 9 PM SL time, the US Military Veterans Group in SL held a live music event to help the Wounded Warrior project, a program to assist hurt soldiers. The event took place at the Veterans’ Center in the Patriot Island sim, with the crowd in front of the stage numbering over a few dozen residents.

Fingerstyle guitarist Frets Nirvana, US Military Veterans Group of SL, and Symbiotic Productions announced the fourth in the series of benefit concerts for the Wounded Warriors project. ... All proceeds collected ... will be paid out directly to Wounded Warrior Project, (WWP). WWP provides services and programs to the more than 30,000 troops that have been injured in recent conflicts to ease their burdens and aid in the transition back to civilian life.

About Wounded Warriors: Wounded Warrior Project began when several individuals took small, inspired actions to help others in need. The resulting objective was to provide tangible support for the severely wounded and help them on the road to healing, both physically and mentally. What had been initially viewed as a small contribution (compared with what the warriors had sacrificed while serving our country) has become WWP’s signature program: “WWP backpacks delivered beside to wounded warriors.”

Wounded Warriors program has developed significantly over the last several years to include advocacy, benefits counseling, caregivers retreats, coping/family services, peer mentoring, warriors to work and many other programs for the benefit of United States wounded veterans.

Despite being a bit gray from lag, those attending the event enjoyed themselves and the music. Frets Nivarna was the third musician playing, from 7 to 8 PM SL time. There were some schedule changes, and von Johin took over to sing last, “playing live from Nashville Tenn for you.” He noticed not everyone in the audience was from the US, “probably not Memorial Day for you in London, but thank you for participating.” He went on to play past the hour he was scheduled to, going not to 9 PM SL time but two, to 10 PM.

Votslac Hax was among those who helped organize the event, “This is the fourth concert. And I believe the sims been here for quite some time.” He explained in the three previous concerts, there were notable musicians such as Craig Lyons, Maximillion Kleene, “This was the largest longest event (we held). It was designed to celebrate Memorial Day worldwide.”

Approximately 31,000 Lindens were raised for the WWP that night. During normal times, the Patriot Island sim welcomes veterans of all branches to come by and relax, to enjoy activities such as skydiving, helicopter flights, boating, games, and shopping.

To learn more about the Wounded Warriors Project, visit https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

BobbiJo Jonson, “The Responsibility to remember is ours. And a way each of us can do this is to support the Wounded Warrior Project. Thank you all. A most glorious day of remembering.”

Bixyl Shuftan

Second Life Veterans Tribute

Veterans Day/Remembrance Day may have come to a close, but the money one group of volunteers raised will be helping soldiers for some time to come. They also built a sim full of detailed memorials in tribute for the week-long event in honor of US Veterans, and those from other countries.

Read the article in Community.

The Western Front

To honor Veterańs Day, I visited the First World War Poetry Digital Archives at the Western Front exhibit. (219, 199, 646).

This site focuses on the First World War and how it was experienced by the British poets, soldiers, and nurses who served in it. The site has archived poetry, letters, interviews and photographs into an interactive exhibit.

At the point of arrival, the site requests that you change into one of its free uniforms, either a soldier or nurse, before you proceed into the encampment. I chose a nursés uniform for my tour. To enhance your viewing, it also gives directions on changing your sky to evoke the mood that existed near the front lines. This is easy to do and adds a lot to the experience.

The exhibit starts with a typical encampment of tents. As you walk through the sim, the sounds of marching soldiers and bugles can be heard. (Walk slowly because it takes time for the soldiers to rez.) When they do, you will hear interviews with the men who lived through that War.

The topics include typical war information on weapons and training, but also less common information on day-to-day life in the camps.

In addition to the figures that rez, there are blue and red boxes scattered around the site. The red boxes are archived interviews, images and videos of the veterans. The blue boxes are readings of the poetry by Edward Thomas, Siegfried Sassoon, and others, accompanied by images of the poets and their manuscripts. There is a teleport to the hospital tents, trenches, and front lines. Near the rear of the site there is a transport that will give you an aerial view of the trench system, but I couldń't get this to work. However, I teleported easily to the hospital tents and trenches.

The interviews at the hospital were an interesting and sober reminder of the horros of  that war.  From here you can walk through the trenches to the front lines. Allow yourself time to go slowly through the trenches because many of the items are not initially visible.

By Grey Lupindo

Veterans Day/Remembrance Day

To veterans, an honored Veterans Day/Remembrance Day from all the crew

War Memorial & War History Museum Annex

By Bixyl Shuftan

I was recently shown a link to a You-Tube of a VE Day ceremony at a memorial area in Second Life, the War Memorial & War History Museum Annex. Taking place on May 8, 2009, on the anniversary of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany, there were a number of people there, including Fanny Starr whom gave a speech through her daughter’s avatar, Explorer Dastardly.

Going to the memorial, there are a number of signs of statements against war from the Bible to modern speakers such as Isaac Asimov. There are also lone helmets on pedestals and in the middle of the memorial a symbolic torch, “All Mankind is one author and is one volume.” There are also a couple sets of free clothes plus a free t-shirt, and a Betty Grable avatar up for sale.

The memorial’s biggest feature is the wall, made up of many bricks on three sides of the land. A notecard explained why the wall was made, “It became clear that many expressed the fact they personally knew someone who either served their country, was killed or maimed in warfare or killed during a terrorist attack or act of war. And it also became clear that the wars mentioned covered a span of over a century and were all over the world. We then decided a way to memorialize these people should be incorporated within the War History Complex of the TLE Interactive World History Museum. This is how the War Memorial Wall was born.“

People going to the Memorial can purchase bricks for 180 Lindens, the cash going to the upkeep of this and other museum areas. Those who can’t afford 180L are asked to contact Anmarerlice Mayo, Spicy Koba, or Kitvel Silberberg for help in getting a plaque. Upon getting a brick space, the resident then gets a notecard in which one fills whom the brick will be dedicated to, and then drops into a mailbox. The plaque will appear within 24-48 hours. One can “pay tribute to those who served and are thankfully still alive, those who were killed during war or acts of war, or those who were killed during terrorist attacks. This applies to all religions, creeds, nationalities, and beliefs. This is NOT a political wall. This is Tribute to those who served and still do serve.”

Dozens of bricks have already been memorialized in honor of veterans from the United States, Britain, Canada, and other countries, and civilian targets of terrorists and Nazi Germany. There is still plenty of space to fill.

Next to the Memorial is the Military Strategy and Vehicles Annex, which shows a number of military war machines, mostly modern ones. The detail on some is very good, and one can get into the Hummer near the gate, though can’t drive it away.

The War Memorial and History Annex is part of the TLE (The Learning Experience) Interactive World History Museum. It is located at Ileina Cove (101, 194, 21). For those wishing to pay tribute to those who gave their lives to freedom, this is one place they can pause and reflect.

The You-Tube showing the VE ceremony is located at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1qUrI0T0Ug&feature=channel

“They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” - Isaiah

“History teaches that war begins when governments believe the price of aggression is cheap.” - Ronald Reagan

Bixyl Shuftan