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Four years ago, Plainville resident Mary Gibeault was soaking up the sun at her mother's house in Florida when she heard the news that the United States had invaded Iraq.

From then on, she said, what was supposed to be a relaxing getaway was tainted by the "bad news."

"It just destroyed my whole vacation," said Gibeault, 49, a member of the town's board of health. "From the beginning this war has reeked of President Bush's personal agenda. This war has nothing to do with humanity."

Those sentiments fueled a candlelight vigil held Monday night at the corner of routes 106 and 152 in Plainville, attended by Gibeault and almost 30 other area residents opposed to the war.

The biting wind and snowfall weren't exactly conducive to lighting candles, but demonstrators bundled in heavy jackets, hats and scarves waved U.S. flags and displayed banners and signs asking for peace. Many passerbys honked their horns in support of the message, while a few offered their opposition in the form of derogatory shouts.

The vigil was organized by Mary-Ann Greanier, 50, of Plainville, to mark the fourth anniversary of the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq, which she called a "travesty."

Greanier, who has organized previous vigils in Boston and Washington, D.C., had information about contacting Congress on hand, along with copies of a bill drawn by U.S. Rep. James McGovern, D-Worcester, to bring U.S. troops home.

"I think this war is immoral," Greanier said. "I think this administration is bankrupt. I've opposed this war from the beginning. The more we can show people that their neighbors and friends and people they know and see around town oppose it, I think they don't feel so alone."

Many demonstrators wanted to make it clear that despite their opposition to the war, they back the troops unconditionally.

"I'm here to support the troops by bringing them home," said Nancy Kolligian, 45, of Franklin, who heard about the vigil through co-sponsor MoveOn.org.

A few seasoned peace-seekers turned out Monday night, including Town Moderator Sharon Friedman, 58, of Plainville, who attended similar demonstrations opposing the Vietnam War and called the war in Iraq a "global heartache."

The vigil also drew impromptu guests like Joey Manning, 15, of Plainville, who rolled in on his skateboard clad in a thin sweatshirt and asked his friend to take a picture while Manning stood with the demonstrators.

Manning, a freshman at King Philip Regional High School, said he's "into photography" and respected the message.

"I'm glad these people are out just standing in the cold," Manning said. "Some people don't do anything, and just say they (oppose) it. These people are actually doing something." LAUREN CARTER can be reached at lauren-carter@hotmail.com.