People may think Felix Zacharias is crazy for volunteering to go to Iraq last year, but he felt it was his duty as a Marine, an American and a friend.

Zacharias, a Kansas University sophomore from Wichita, returned from Fallujah, Iraq, in April.

The vice president of the Collegiate Veterans Association decided to recognize his friends and other soldiers who have died in Iraq with a candlelight vigil and memorial service on campus on the sixth anniversary of Sept. 11.

Zacharias served in the Marines for four years in infantry before beginning school in the fall of 2005. During his time in the Marines, his unit was “never utilized for any operations in Iraq until I got out in 2004,” he said.

Feeling like he could do more, or should do more, he decided he’d volunteer on reserve status to go. He said he was constantly bugging his officers to be shipped to Iraq. He said people probably think he’s strange for his enthusiasm, but he puts it like this:

“Say on Sept. 11 you were a firefighter in New York City, and all of them went to the World Trade Center and you were stuck on the phones, you’d feel pretty bad. That’s my reasoning.”

He’s lost several friends and continues to lose friends serving in the war, he said.

“I realize I lose friends because I read about it in a newspaper; it’s kind of sick sometimes,” he said.

Zacharias helped form the KU Collegiate Veterans Association when he began college. He invited the KU Young Democrats and College Republicans to join the veterans group to represent nonpartisan support for troops.

Despite people’s political stance, he said, he wants to commemorate lives lost at the candlelight vigil and memorial service, which will begin at 11 p.m. today in front of Wescoe Hall on Jayhawk Boulevard. It is scheduled to end at 1 a.m. Tuesday.

Julia McPherson, president of the KU Young Democrats, said she invited people from surrounding communities to join them.

“We want people not only from KU but surrounding communities; it’s not a KU-exclusive event,” she said.

The groups invited several guest speakers, including members of the area legislative and congressional delegations, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, and university officials including Chancellor Robert Hemenway and Provost Richard Lariviere.

A live band will commence the vigil, followed by a moment of silence. Zacharias said there will also be a flag folding ceremony and a name reading of those who have died. Candles will be available to those who participate.

Other events will mark the sixth anniversary of Sept. 11:

l Kansas University’s School of Law will host a panel discussion Tuesday called “The Path Forward from 9/11.”

The discussion, free and open to the public, is from 3:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. in room 104 of Green Hall, 1535 W. 15th St. For more information, call John Head at 864-9233.

l Lawrence’s Films for Action will present a screening of “Oil, Smoke & Mirrors,” a 50-minute critique of global circumstances in light of energy production constraints, at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Liberty Hall. The film argues that the events surrounding the 9/11 attacks and the war on terror can be understood in the context of a critical divergence between available global oil supply and global oil demand.

Films for Action is a nonprofit educational project. The cost is $2.