Art Piece At Harold Washington Library Uses Dog Tags To Represent U.S. Soldiers Killed In Vietnam
(CBS) -- An art exhibit created by Vietnam War veterans was unveiled today at the Harold Washington Library, reports WBBM's Mike Krauser.
The piece is called "Above and Beyond." More than 58,000 dog tags, representing each person killed in the Vietnam War, hang from a ceiling, on the third floor of the library.
"Over 58,000 people," said Lionel Rabb, chairman of the National Veterans Art Museum Board. "You read that in a book it's a number. You look at it its overwhelming. It's overwhelming."
Army veteran and Medal of Honor recipient Allen James Lynch stood in front of the piece.
"And if you listen just for a moment, just be quiet for a moment and listen. Do you hear it? Do you hear the whispering? Do you hear the whispering of all those lives? What are they saying?"
He said they tell him that freedom comes at a high price.