For the past several Memorial Day weekends, the Madison chapter of Veterans for Peace has set up a display in Olbrich Park along Atwood Avenue.

Each tombstone along the Memorial Mile represents an American killed in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

The totality of lives cut short (now over 6,000) really hits you when you walk the entire length of the display.

To add to the sadness, the veterans ran out of room along Atwood Avenue, and have needed to continue the display toward the lake. Signs at each end of the temporary memorial ask the poignant question, “How many more?”