Volunteering At Arlington West Santa Monica

We love volunteers! Our projects are only a dream without you. Every Sunday we setup over 3800 crosses and other markers just a few feet north of the Santa Monica pier, and we depend on the strong support we've received from the local community since we first began putting crosses on the beach on February 15, 2004.

The public is always invited to interact with the memorial. We encourage the public to engage their hearts and minds in a tangible way with the memorial by selecting any name of a fallen soldier or sailor, write their own thoughts and sentiments on a piece of paper, and place that along with a flower on a marker. Photography is permitted but we ask that respect be shown to others as we treat this as any would if they were at a memorial service for someone they knew.

Many individual markers currently have dedications placed there by loved ones and friends. Those who actually knew the individual for which a dedication is made will have that dedication/memento lamenated, which will be given a specific location out among the markers. A Gold Star is placed on dedications made by family members or other close loved ones while those that served with or were friends of an individual have a Silver Star afixed to the memento. Where the memento will eventually be located is determined by the sequence in which we've received the dedication, making it easier to find an individual should there be another visit to that individuals' marker. Arlington West Santa Monica now holds over 1200 such dedications which are placed upon or at the designated marker each and every Sunday by our volunteers.

On special holiday weekends such as Memorial Day and Veterans Day, the memorial is typically set up for 2 - 3 days with a candle-lit vigil placed at the foot of each cross at dusk. Be sure to check the Calendar page on this web site for schedule.

Mission Statement of Arlington West Memorial

• To honor the fallen and wounded
• To acknowledge the human cost of war
• To provide a place to grieve
• To encourage dialogue among people with varied points of view
• Educate the public about the needs of those returning from war

We invite all who embrace this vision to join us. Please arrive early morning to help set up, during the day to help maintain the memorial and mementos, or to assist with take down starting around 3:30pm during the winter. Be sure to check the Calendar page on this web site for schedule. Contact us if you need additional information. Our contact information is shown below.

We also offer Community Service hours for high school students. Teachers and students, please contact us for details. We also offer a 27 minute version of the Arlington West Film, suitable for classroom use. This film is an invaluable tool for introducing students to the many points of view expressed by visitors at Arlington West. Of particular interest to educational facilitators, a Curriculum and Discussion Guide is also available on our web site here.

ARLINGTON WEST MEMORIAL IS NON-PARTISAN AND NON-SECTARIAN

Veterans For Peace Statement of Purpose

Veterans for Peace, Inc. (VFP) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational and humanitarian organization dedicated to the abolishment of war.

We, having dutifully served our nation, do hereby affirm our greater responsibility to serve the cause of world peace. To this end we will work, with others:

• Toward increasing public awareness of the costs of war.
• To restrain our government from intervening, overtly and covertly, in the internal affairs of other nations
• To end the arms race and to reduce and eventually eliminate nuclear weapons
• To seek justice for veterans and victims of war
• To abolish war as an instrument of national policy.

To achieve these goals, members of Veterans For Peace pledge to use non-violent means and to maintain an organization that is both democratic and open with the understanding that all members are trusted to act in the best interests of the group for the larger purpose of world peace.

Volunteer Coordinators

Los Angeles Chapter Veterans For Peace

1727 Hauser Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90019
Tel: (323) 934-3451
Tel: (818) 347-6805
FAX: (323) 931-1896

Web Site for Veterans For Peace, Los Angeles:
www.veteransforpeacela.org

Email List Serv - Veterans For Peace, Los Angeles:

For ongoing information and discussions about the Veterans for Peace and its Statement of Purpose, as well as our main project Arlington West, Santa Monica, please join our public mailing list. Click Here To Join Our List Serv

VFP Membership Information

Step 1: Download the VFP Membership application here: VFPMembership

Step 2: A copy of your DD-214 is required for membership. Don't have your copy?
Please visit the National Personnel Records Center web site here to obtain one.

Step 3: Send your application through mail to the national office of Veterans For Peace along with a copy of your DD-214 to join or send it to our local office and we'll send it for you.

All Veterans for Peace Chapters are joined through the national office at:

Veterans For Peace National Office & Web Site

216 South Meramec Ave
St. Louis MO 63105
Tel: (314) 725-6005
FAX (314) 725-7103
www.veteransforpeace.org

Find a local VFP Chapter in your city or State here: VFP Chapters