The story of Carlos Arredondo is amazing. I wrote about my meeting him for the first time after driving home from St Louis: http://ivaw.org/membersspeak/boots

Carlos came to the US from Costa Rica as an illegal immigrant. His two sons were what he calls his American Dreams; they were truly his pride and joy. His son Alexander joined the US Marine Corps and was sent to Iraq as a rifleman. He was killed in Najaf when a bullet struck his left temple; he was twenty years old. In letters home, Alexander had written about how conflicted he felt about everything and his desire to go to college when he got home. The picture of Alexander in an open casket is deceiving; he looks so peaceful.

Carlos Arredondo is the man who set fire to the Marine Corps van after the Marines refused to leave his house: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Arredondo Carlos now tours the country with a monument to his son, a reminder of the true cost of war.