Time is running out to see this moving exhibition! It is on display until Sunday, January 9. Be sure to come by and write your own comment or leave one here.

• I think it is beautiful and thoughtful.
• This is so beautiful.
• Good thinking.
• Lots of people have died. Very sad. Just too many leaves.
• Reminds me of the children’s book “The Fall of Freddy the Leaf.” Very nice.
• I would have liked to have seen their rank as a soldier printed.
• I wish there would be zero leaves.
• Beautiful. Thank you.
• There is too many.
• The way you built them up, it seems like a path to somewhere.
• Awesome!
• Thank you, Jane!
• Very impressive. Thank you for your hard work with the project. And thank you for honoring our downed veterans.
• Simple, colorful and moving.

Below are the comments from the past few weeks. It’s interesting to see the differences in the comments of people. Just as each leaf is different, so are people and the thoughts, feelings and emotions they have.

• Beautiful!
• So very powerful.  It does make you realize how random the soldiers’ deaths are.
• Too many leaves
• Sobering…when does it end?
• Imagine if we added leaves for the fallen Iraqis and all of the family and friends of all of these tragically lost people…amazing the horror perpetuated for profit. Thank you, Jane, for the reminder.
• Enjoy all of the galleries, especially on free Thursdays and Saturdays.
• Very powerful and spoke to me.
• Really beautiful and well made. I’m very impressed and I wonder how long it takes to make every single one. I’m flabbergasted!
• I hope a lot more people come back than this
• Very thoughtful and beautiful sculpture.
• What a moving piece with layers of the fallen soldiers some lying beneath others – forgotten.
• Neat
• Very moving. I cried.
• I love it!
• It looks beautiful
• I love the leaves.
• I love the colors of the leaves and god bless the soldiers
• A thoughtful and emotional tribute to our “fallen” soldiers
• How emotional! Losing that many people in a war is unbelievable
• Thank you for this
• End the wars!

—–

• These leaves are very cool
• Incredibly beautiful and sad piece of artwork. I pray my brother’s name never appears on a leaf, but it if it does, he and our family would be honored.
• I enjoy the imagery, but don’t think it grasps the destruction this war has caused. How about civilian and non-American casualties?
• I think the symbolism of the piece is well thought out. Each leaf is unique just as each individual who fell and gave their lives was unique. It also allows us to get a visual of just how many American lives have been lost.
• Honor our soldiers…not often enough is this done
• Very nice place. Glad we came.
• Time has stopped for these leaves, just as it has for the “fallen.”
• Nice use of photography, sculpture and installation
• I understand and respect the creation of this work. I also think the destructive connection to war wasn’t fully grasped. Why not use shell casings (symbolize only a frustration of what this role we call humanity has bestowed upon the earth.)
• Unbelievable and what a tribute to this country.

—–

• I love this!
• You have said what words never will…
• Every U.S. citizen should see this. Thank you.
• Impressive.
• More moving in person then I imagined. Impressive installation. Honored to speak about the work.
• Very moving and fitting for a memorial. I can hear Bocelli’s version of “The Falling leaves” as I look at it.
• Your work with the memories of the Fallen heroes is the best here we wish you all the luck on your on going work and hope it all come to an end.
• You’re work for the person in Iraq is really memorable.
• Beautiful memorial to the fallen.
• We appreciate your work for the memorial.
• Cool.
• I think it’s a good way to remember the people who died for us.
• Very touching.
• Beautiful.
• Thank you.
• Awesome memorial to our fallen soldiers. Very colorful.
• It is interesting and sad
• Very powerful reality check and beautiful, too.
• Thank you for your sacrifice.
• This is great. Thank you so much. This touches my heart and will hopefully touch the hearts of many in the future.
• One of the most touching remembrances for our fallen soldiers. Thank you!
• And the tends of thousands of Iraqi that aren’t represented…
• Very touching. Awesome.
• Requiescat in pace.

—–

• Awesome! Love it.
• A blessed way for remembering our heroes
• Thank you
• Priceless!
• We await the day when Jesus says to those in the memorial tombs, “Come out”
• Thank you Jane!
• Very moving. A beautiful way to honor our fallen soldiers
• Leaves fall when their life has run its natural course. These young men died in the prime of youth. They will never have the chance to live a ripe, rich, full life.
• Where is the outrage with the continued killing? Enough!
• Cool stuff dude.

Here are the comments from the fifth week of the journal being on display in the gallery with Jane Hammond: Fallen. Keep the comments coming!

• “Very impressive!”
• “It will be a wonderful time when war will be no more.”
• “Moving, beautiful.”
• “War is hell.”
• “Peace be with you.”
• “The sacrifices of war are great.”
• “Blessings to the families of the soldiers who served this country. Love you! May the blessings of God be with us all!”
• “Thank you for everything.”
• “Wonderfully done. God bless our service men and women.”
• “God bless America.”
• “We came to Roanoke to honor the fallen of the 29^th infantry Division in WWII. This work is a moving reminder to the ongoing sacrifice of our soldiers in our service, and evokes the loss of truth and beauty they represent.”
• “I look at the leaves and wanted to cry. Every fall, the leaves fall down like death.”
• “Felt the same as my daughter. Very powerful and moving.”
• “Powerful image.”
• “We love fall. It is very pretty.”
• “Dramatic, heartbreaking, eye opening.”
• “Gives one a perspective of the horrible cost of war. Pray for peace in our time and an end to needless deaths of our young men and women in wars.”
• “Very important that people recognize the scale of the sacrifices made by these brave men and women in our military. This living sculpture speaks volumes and is a peaceful reminder of what we’ve all lost.”
• “Beautiful, bitter-sweet. May no more leaves have to be added.”
• “Love your sympathy for the people that fought for us, Jane.”
• “They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning…we will remember them.”

It has been four weeks since the installation and people are becoming very vocal on the piece! Take a look at the wide assortments of opinions and emotions that people wrote last week and be sure to leave your own thoughts in response to comments mentioned here.

• “Too many deaths for nothing.”
• “Very moving.”
• “I wasn’t prepared for my reaction. I’m deeply moved by the sight of all those names of men and women who sacrifice their lives. What a wonderful tribute!”
• “I’m a mother of a soldier and a marine who thankfully are alive. I didn’t think I could make it knowing some of their friends’ names are there. I’m glad I did and happy someone cares to remember them.”
• “Powerful.”
• “Powerful and strong.”
• “Great way to honor our ‘fallen.’ Impressive.”
• “Nice. Like it! Greetings from Germany.”
• “Freedom comes at great sacrifice, too great at times.”
• “Breathtaking, a beautiful remembrance.”
• “Astonishing. What a waste of humanity!”
• “An amazing and sad exhibit. Very well done.”
• “So sad! But yet the persons are so deserving of this display! Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
• “Thank you for remembering them – freedom is not free.”
• “Great job on a very interesting way to show remembrance!”
• “This is so amazing I can’t believe how they got all of the names.”
• “This is so amazing I can’t believe this work.”
• “This museum is amazing. I had no clue you got all this stuff.”
• “This museum is awesome. I can’t wait to show my mom, dad, and brother!”
• “It’s cool.”
• “This museum is awesome. I want to touch everything buy you can’t.”
• “This museum is awesome. Wish you could touch everything.”
• “I love this place! Every exhibit is full of an artists’ creative work! It’s awesome.”
• “I love the museum! I feel so sorry for all the families of the people who died in Iraq.”
• “Joshua Adam Scott was a very good man.”
• “Hi. I love this place.”
• “I love and miss you.”
• “I think this place is cool.”
• “I love this place.”
• “I love and miss you all.”
• “I love this place and hope my cousin Mark won’t end up a leaf.”
• “I love this place.”
• “Great place. Everything I’ve seen I’ve liked.”
• “I liked this exhibit very much because it has a lot of detail.”
• “It was amazing!”
• “I love it!”
• “One word – awesome.”
• “This place is amazing. I love it, dude.”
• “This is amazing. 4300 handmade leaves.”
• “This place is magical.”
• “Very touching.”
• “I was inspired.”
• “I was touched.”
• “The beautiful leaf display commemorating our lost loved ones was extremely touching to my heart and soul. Brought tears to my eyes.”
• “This is a beautifully, sad exhibit. I am sad of the deaths of our soldiers but happy with the dedication.”
• “I was deeply touched that someone took time to remember our fallen soldiers. In taking time to do this, that person showed great patriotic duty to our country.”
• “Thank you, Ms. Hammond.”
• “Beautiful. Moving and wonderful.”
• “Why no flag?”
• “Good question! Why no photos…”
• “Why leaves?”
• “Thank you.”
• “Beautiful. Thank you.”
• “Ms. Hammond – Lost so many friends in Vietnam War -  thank you for remembering those in Iraq. Blessings to the families and the men and women who gave their lives for the U.S.A. Absolutely powerful and thought-provoking. Thank you.”
• “Each leaf is beautiful and unique as was each lost life. A powerful, narrative, unusual way to portray horror and grief through beauty.”
• “It is very heartwarming.”

The following are the comments from the second week of the journal being available for comments. Be sure to leave your own here or at the museum!

• “I join the person above, with the same sentiments.”
• “What a wonderful tribute to our “fallen” soldiers.”
• “What a lifting tribute! Thanks.”
• “As a reminder for us all, unity across the world is call for, the men and women of our armed forces to be honored and thanked with a prayer, each day.”
• “Perhaps this would be well-exhibited in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capital.”
• “…Something in Korean….”
• “My son now serves in Iraq and Afghanistan. This tribute means a great deal to all the soldiers who have served their country in all foreign wars. Thank you!”
• “This exhibit makes my heart heavy just as the Vietnam memorial made me feel. Thanks for making us remember!”
• “May we find the strength to stop the killing.”
• “Love how one thought of this.”
• “God bless and keep them safe.”
• “Dear Jane Hammond, A few years ago I witnessed the display named “Faces of the Fallen” while visiting Arlington National Cemetery. That tribute and yours are a wonderful and honorable understanding and serve to remind us home in America and elsewhere that lives are being given in a place far away so that peace loving people can live, travel, worship, and work as they choose. God bless the families and loved ones of the Fallen. Thank you.”

• “Very artistic artwork. It deserves to be here and more.”
• “We are humbled. God bless America.”
• “A powerful idea.”
• “Most impressive and touching.”
• “So many young lives lost for nothing.”
• “Not for nothing! – but in the name of arrogance of power and greed.”