Correction Appended
The Young Democrats club at ASU gave students a visual representation of the death toll in Iraq on Tuesday by putting more than 4,000 American flags around campus.
In an effort with the Young Democrats of America, the Flags of the Fallen project was a way to show students just how many soldiers have lost their lives. The club placed 4,023 flags around campus; each one represented the life of a soldier killed in Iraq.
The flags were only displayed on campus for one day because the club believed it would be a powerful way to show those on campus the cost of the war, club President Lisa Fernandez said.
"After five years people forget how many people have died," Fernandez said. "It was heartbreaking putting the flags up and realizing those were actual people who had lost their lives."
Correction: The nature of the project was unclear. The flags were placed in honor of all 4,023 service members who have been killed in Iraq, not just soldiers.
Reach the reporter at: kelsey.tomlinson@asu.edu.