"Broadway triangle" Top 5 Page for this destination New Haven Off The Beaten Path Tip by leics

This little slice of green lies between Elm street and Broadway, to the north-east of the Green.

It's an up-and-coming area, apparently, with shops and cafes and restaurants.

But I'm writing the tip about the war memorials on the triangle. The older one, to those who served in the Civil War, is a classic of its type: column topped with eagle, sculpted figures at each corner of its base, memorial plaques.

But look to the south-west of this bit of green. You'll see a pile of stones.

Look closer and you'll see that each stone is painted with the month and casualty figures.

Each stone stand for one month since the beginning of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

As of July 2011 total US military deaths in Iraq stands at 4469. Verified civilian deaths stand at 110918, but will be higher of course.

In Afghanistan, US military deaths so far are 1648. Civilian deaths are at least 14240.

So much death.

I found this simply memorial to be intensely moving. I hope it will soon be no longer necessary to add a rock each month, but i fear this is not likely.