The DMCW & VFP ended it's 3rd annual Aug 6th to 9th, 24/7 Vigil @ DM Cathedral with a Rally and Direct Action Aug 9 @ the DM Drone Command Center with two arrests.

By Frank Cordaro

      This annual commemoration of the US A-bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Japan in DM is part of yearly Hiroshima & Nagasaki observances across the US.

      This year's 3 day, 3 night 24/7 vigil at the St Ambrose Cathedral was low key and personal. We did not have an opening or closing ceremony for the vigil.

The reason? We are in-between Catholic Bishops in Des Moines.  The Pope named Father William Joensen, a priest from the Diocese of Dubuque IA to be our new Bishop, to be installed in Sept.  Bishop Pates is retiring and moving back to MN.

      This was our last chance to reach Bishop Pates with our message before his leaving. We did sight Bishop Pates walking from his residence to the chancery across the street one morning but no acknowledgement from the Bishop of our vigil was given.

        We have a year to reach our new bishop with out message about our Armed Drone Command Center. We are hoping and praying to be on better terms with Bishop Joensen than we are with Bishop Pates.

      Our Hiroshima Nagasaki observance ended with a Rally and Direct Action at the IA Air National Guard Armed Drone Command Center. Twenty people joined us for the Rally. Thanks to Mary Ann Koch for the opening prayer and closing song, to Joe Aossey  Cedar Rapids VFP and Dr. Maureen McCue, Iowa City’s Physician’s for Social Responsibility for speaking.  And  we also heard from our own DMCWer and Vets for Peace President Gil Landolt.  

       DMCW Jakob Whitson’s read Thomas Merton’s “Original Child Bomb”                          ( https://archive.org/details/ThomasMertonOriginalChildBomb ) .

     The Rally ended with two arrest. DMCW / VFP members Ed Bloomer and Frank Cordaro walk down the Drone Command’s main drive and block the entrance for twenty minutes (!) before the DM Police arrived to arrest, hand cuff and put in a police van.  Both were booked in at the Polk Co. Jail and spent a long night in a holding cell with 12 other inmates, plead guilty to trespass charges before the Saturday a.m. Jail Court Judge Saturday, fined $200 plus jail and court cost and were set free at 2 p.m.

Photos posted: Group Photo at Drone Command entrance; Gil (in support) Frank and Ed 20 min blocking main gate,
For more info and updates

DM VFP & CW Contacts:
Frank Cordaro (515) 490 2490 <frank.cordaro@gmail.com>
Gil Landolt (515) 657 0354 <peacevet@hotmail.com>
Ruth Michelle Hart (319) 654 7010 <ruth.gracegirl.hart@gmail.com>  
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