Eyes Wide Open (exhibit)

According to the AFSC, the intent of the exhibit is to present a visual reminder of the "human cost" of the Iraq War and provide a place for public mourning.

[1] Based on public information,[3] the AFSC writes the name, age, rank and home state of each soldier and attaches it to a representative pair of boots.

As the exhibit travels across the country, family members, friends and sympathizers leave flags, flowers and other mementos with individual pairs of boots.

The AFSC’s Dreams and Nightmares is a memorial to Iraqi civilians that includes photographs and stories of individuals who have lost their lives during occupation.

Since July 2008, there are 48 state exhibits: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, two in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Maine/Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri/Kansas, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York/New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

All of the Eyes Wide Open state exhibits continue to be under the leadership of The American Friends Service Committee.

Based on a report by economists Joseph Stiglitz and Linda Bilmes, one day of the Iraq War cost the U.S. $720 million or $500,000 per minute.

Veteran suicides are considered a "hidden casualty count" of the Iraq War and are represented by white combat boots.

The song "Twenty" tells the story of a fictional serviceman who returns to the U.S. haunted by his experience in Iraq.