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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW BLM plan focuses on environment and recreation ... Drive-by shooter gets 8 years ... OSF and bookstore at odds over banned books display ... BLM plan focuses on environment and recreation ... Drive-by shooter gets 8 years ... OSF and bookstore at odds over banned books display ... Warriors for peace share their experiences Iraq war vets will speak at SOU today John Conor Curran will never forget the day he led his Marine Corps squad on a random search of a family home in Ramadi, Iraq. Comment By Paul Fattig MailTribune.com By Paul Fattig Posted Oct. 29, 2009 at 12:05 AM By Paul Fattig Posted Oct. 29, 2009 at 12:05 AM If you go --> What: Iraq war veterans Josh Stieber and John Conor Curran will tell the personal stories that led them from war to peace When: 7 p.m. Thursday Where: Room 202 of the Stevenson Union, Southe... » Read more X If you go What: Iraq war veterans Josh Stieber and John Conor Curran will tell the personal stories that led them from war to peace When: 7 p.m. Thursday Where: Room 202 of the Stevenson Union, Southern Oregon University, 1250 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland For more information: http://contagiousloveexperiment.wordpress.com/ » Social News John Conor Curran will never forget the day he led his Marine Corps squad on a random search of a family home in Ramadi, Iraq. It was broiling hot in August 2007. The sergeant, on his second tour of Iraq, was tired and sweaty. "It wasn't a big house — the usual humble Iraq dwelling," he recalled. "But it had a walled-in courtyard with a beautiful lawn and garden that would have been the envy of anyone in the states. "My squad went into the house and started searching inside while I pulled out a mine detector and started sweeping and digging in his yard and garden," he continued. "While we were tearing his life apart, he came out with a tray of tea and started serving us." The man asked questions in English that were rooted in compassion, Curran said. It turned out the man had nothing to hide, he added. That incident, coupled with other images of the war he will never forget, turned Curran, now 25 and with his hitch in the Corps behind him, into a man of peace. The Perrysburg, Ohio, resident has joined fellow Iraq war veteran Josh Stieber, 21, of Gaithersburg, Md., in a bicycle ride across the United States in the cause of peace. Curran and Stieber will tell their stories at 7 p.m. Thursday in Room 202 of the Stevenson Union at Southern Oregon University, 1250 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland. The two former warriors, interviewed by cell phone when they were near Bandon, call their project the "Contagious Love Experiment" in the belief that caring and understanding are stronger than anger and hate. A conscientious objector who spent 14 months in Iraq beginning in February 2007, Stieber began his journey of peace on May 28, and was joined by Curran in Ohio in August. Stieber was a specialist who served in the Baghdad area. "When it got to the point to where our strategy seemed like we were trying to out-intimidate the supposed terrorists, I realized that forcing someone to agree with you at the point of a gun doesn't change much," Stieber said. "When that force is gone, nothing has changed. "What does matter is the internal condition which can be guided by love just as easily as fear." While the pair have met people who question their cause, many others have stepped forward in support, he said. "It's been pretty receptive but we try to engage with everyone we meet," said Stieber, who is giving money he earned in Iraq to charitable causes en route. "We are learning from other people we meet about peaceful alternatives." Citing his religious beliefs as a driving force in his efforts, Stieber said one of his inspirations is "a guy who said 'Give away your wealth to those in need and love everybody.' " "When I got out of the Army as a conscientious objector because of what I felt was the wrong answer, then I felt I had to try to find a better alternative," he said. Curran agreed. "It took me a while to reach that conclusion, to process the different events that happened to me in Iraq," he said, noting he has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. A younger brother, a Navy medic for the Marines in Iraq, also came to the same conclusion, he added. "The hard part for most people is taking that mind-set and doing something with it," he said, adding that's why he joined Stieber in hitting the road with their views on the war. "The man serving me tea in Ramadi started a transformation in me," Curran said. "His was a powerful, contagious power of love. He showed me how one person can help change our world." Curran and Stieber plan to complete their cross-country trek early in November in San Francisco. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected]. By Paul Fattig MailTribune.com By Paul Fattig Posted Oct. 29, 2009 at 12:05 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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