Vigil in German Park

By KURT NESBITT

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM--The lights of the football game at Johnson Park shined brightly throughout the surrounding neighborhood. The crowds cheered loudly and the New Ulm High School Marching Band band played spirited, brassy marches.

The lights of German Park--one block south of the football game--also shined brightly, but in a different sort of way. The crowd applauded quielty and sat on the grass in silent thought while Joe Morales and his daughter sang a quiet folk song about friendship.

"I felt we needed to have a peace vigil," said wife Lilly Duran. "We celebrate Native American spirituality, so we felt we needed a place close to the Earth to send out our voice."

Children, seniors, passersby, teens, veterans and city officials began to gather in the park around 7 p.m. on Friday night. They handed out small white candles to each other and lit them from a larger white candle standing on top of a picnic table.

They sat all around the park's ledges on blankets and folding chairs and talked quietly with eachother. Duran read a statement to the crowd with a PA system and then opened the floor to anyone who had something to say. Gradually, people came forward.

Some were small children who spoke nervously in front of the crowd, others were adults. Some had relatives killed in the attacks on Sept. 11th, others had siblings or parents who are military veterans of previous wars. And there were still a few more who voiced anger and confusion, uncertainty and frustration, tolerance and hope.

"This vigil is quite a sight," said New Ulm Mayor Arnold Koelpin. "And I know what it means."

Koelpin told the crowd he remembered Dec. 7, 1941, the day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. He was 10 years old and remembered President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's address to the nation following the attack.

"He said 'We are at war'," Koelpin remembered. "When Nine-Eleven happened, my wife called. I turned on the T.V. I was told 'We are at war'. Those are not pleasant words."

The mayor then read to the crowd a letter he sent New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani on behalf of the citizens of New Ulm. In the letter, Koelpin said the city is moved by what happened and wanted to express New Ulm's sympathy and solidarity.

"Our prayers are with you," the letter read. "With them and you, our resolve remains firm and our nation strong."

Koeplin called for 30 seconds of silence in rememberance of the victims of the attacks.

"I want to thank the citizens of New Ulm for showing their concern in such a demonstratory way," he said.

Morales then sang a song called "Take Good Care Of Each Other" with his daughter. He reopened the microphone to more speakers. The Rev. Hank Campbell of United Church of Christ said a prayer with Morales, who said a separate one in a Native American tradition. Once the prayers ended, the vigil concluded. Citizens began to get up and leave quietly while the football game roared on.

"It's good for the community to get together," said Buffy Spilman, of Courtland. "I came to show support. I'm always patriotic. I've got two sons in the service. One is in the Army Reserve and could get called up. My other son is a Marine who would go in a heartbeat if they called him."