Honoring Our Fallen Soldiers Using a Google Earth Layer

During Memorial Day weekend, it is easy to get caught up in barbecues and summer rituals and forget the original purpose of the observance of this holiday. I happened across this blog post that I felt would be appropriate to share during this time of remembering those who lost their lives defending our country.

Sean Askay, an engineer for Google, unveiled on his blog a Google Earth layer he created to acknowledge those who died fighting in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Using information found from a number of sources, Askay mapped out the locations of the soldiers' hometowns and approximations of where they were killed, as well as other detailed information about each individual.



If you have Google Earth you can download the layer file here.

Not knowing anyone personally who has died in the recent wars abroad, it's easy to become numb to the news stories of continuous casualties. Using this tool put everything into a new perspective for me. Just the opening image of the U.S. map covered with seemingly endless symbols representing these men and women who died is shocking and humbling in itself. Taking a closer look at my neighborhood revealed an even more moving experience as I saw the faces and learned the names, ages, and hometowns of my own neighbors who gave their lives protecting mine. While I had never met these individuals, I am grateful to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.