Before this past week, the soldiers and civilians killed in Iraq were little more than numbers to Bridey Maidhof.

Then, the Kansas University freshman from Overland Park started making small posters featuring photos of the soldiers for a vigil Wednesday on the lawn outside Strong Hall.

Bridey Maidhof, a freshman from Overland Park, was one of several Kansas University students who downloaded pictures of U.S. servicemen and women who have died in Iraq and mounted them for a campus display. More than 1,000 of the small posters were put up Wednesday in front of Strong Hall.

“It wasn’t until I was printing these up that it really hit me,” she said. “Some of these people are my age. It’s their senior pictures, instead of military photos.”

Wednesday, with the photos flapping from a makeshift display stretching across the lawn, volunteers read the names of the more than 1,000 U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq.

After each name was read, the volunteers said, “Plus 15 Iraqi civilians.” Civilian death counts in Iraq are difficult to pin down, but estimates range from 10,000 to more than 20,000.

“We really wanted people to hear the names, see the photos, see the numbers and have a personal recognition of those who died in Iraq,” said Ethan Nuss, co-coordinator for student activist group DeltaForce. “We’re one human family. I know it’s cliche, but the only way we can avoid conflict is to have a recognition of the value of all human life.”

Mark Wine, a junior from Topeka, was among those who stopped Wednesday to read names and look at the faces.

“Until I first saw the pictures and read the names, I hadn’t made the connection they were real people,” he said. “I hope people get an understanding of the impact of the war.”

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