What is the Peace Crane Memorial?

The Memorial, started in 2003, was a response to the news embargo preventing coverage of returning coffins from Iraq. It grew into a community project with Friends and school children folding the origami (paper) peace cranes and affixing one above the the name of each fallen soldier. For identification purposes, the names are in chronogical order by date of death. The memorial has been displayed many times in the local region including yearly in the Las Cruces Dia De Los Muertos Festival, The Whole Enchilada Festival, and in the Veteran’s Memorial Park. The Iraq Memorial was expanded in 2011 to include those also dying in Afghanistan. In 2013, it was transported and displayed in the National Mall in Washington DC. This marked the 10th Anniversary of the memorial. This is the only known Afghanistan-Iraq memorial to display the name, picture and brief biographical data of each fallen service member together with a folded origami crane, a symbol of peace, above it.

Interested in supporting the Peace Crane Memorial?

The Peace Crane Memorial is a project of the Las Cruces Society of Friends, (Quakers)  with the support of all three Rotary Clubs in Las Cruces.

The Rotarian magazine has been instructing Rotarians throughout the world on how to fold origami cranes-the international symbol of peace.

The Las Cruces Rotary support to the National Mall display is a small contribution to the Rotary global peace message.

For more information about the Peace Crane Memorial or for information about the Quaker meeting in Las Cruces please Contact:

Vickie Alrich or Tlm Best - mathstar@gmail.com

Jean or David Hansen -