The conflict in Iraq is something that many people are reminded of daily.

Today, Penn State students and community members will have another reminder in the form of a wall honoring Americans who died in Iraq -- a week after the U.S. death toll reached 500.

The Iraq war memorial is expected to appear at the Allen Street Gates this morning and will remain as a tribute to honor the fallen Americans.

Scott Morris, member of The Streets Project, said his group is creating the memorial in part because it's easy to forget how many U.S. soldiers have died.

"We live our daily lives and forget people are being killed on a daily basis, but it does add up," Morris (graduate-language and literacy education) said.

Sacha Brown (senior-English), a member of The Streets Project, helped to come up with the idea and carried out the labor for the project.

Brown said the wall resembles the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.

"The wall seemed like a good idea because [the Vietnam wall] is so effective," Brown said.

The wall, which names about 500 Americans who died through Jan. 14, is about 12 feet long, 4 feet high and made of three black, painted plywood panels.

Army captains Brian Faunce and Tristan Aitken are two names that are expected to appear on the wall.

Faunce graduated from Penn State in 1996 and died on Sept. 18 in Iraq.

Aitken, who died on April 6 during military service, was from State College and has family in town.

"I think it's very appropriate because of just the starkness of it. It simply lists names, but that's enough," said Daniel Miltenberger, executive officer of the Army ROTC Detachment at Penn State.

Miltenberger said he thinks the wall is a good idea because the one in Washington already has great meaning to many people.

He also said it is not really important how the memorial is constructed, but just the fact that it's there.

"I think it's a great thing because it's extra important for Americans to remember the sacrifice for those who served," he said.

Miltenberger said a memorial of this type is not a celebration of war but a remembrance of people who sacrificed their lives in Iraq.

Morris said that every human life is important.

"We're reminded that life is important, and war is something that's tragic and brutal in all people's lives," Morris said. "[It] does start to permeate our culture, psychologically, morally and ethically."

Morris helped to conceptualize the project, for which the primary reason is that human lives are being exterminated, he said.

Morris said they don't want to add more names to the wall because that means more people are dying, but they do have additional space if it happens.

Brown said they have plans for the wall to remain for some time, but have not yet determined just how permanent it will be.

President George W. Bush declared war against Iraq on March 20, and while combat is officially over, troops still remain in occupation and Americans are still being killed.

Brown said the 500-person death mark was an important push for the group to complete the memorial.