Vigils in August 2019

[Brian]

I arrived at 5:40 for this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil, earlier than usual.  Walking down Ocean View Boulevard, I saw nobody holding signs on any of the three patches of grass along the wide northwest corner of Honolulu Avenue.  Then I found Anni, Rosalind, Jeanne and her grandson Simon with our favorite street performer, Katherine Terrien, lined up in the slim shade provided by the frozen yogurt shop.

So that's how we started this hot August night.  Although four of our greatest stalwarts had to be elsewhere this week, vigil turnout was near average -- 11 regulars and their signs.

Since October 2011, we have displayed every Defense Department news release announcing the deaths of soldiers, sailors and airmen in our unconstitutional wars. Anni taped printouts of two news releases by the Pentagon on Tuesday, which are linked below, on the utility pole. Tulsi Gabbard cited the deaths of the two soldiers in Afghanistan in the second link during the Democratic presidential debate as two more reasons not to stay in Afghanistan.

dod.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/1921312/dod-identifies-navy-casualty/

dod.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/1921342/dod-identifies-army-casualties/

[Sharon W]

Thank you for your devotion to peace. We had a fabulous time at the Greek seeing Miss Velvet & the Blue Wolf, Dumpstaphunk (Ivan Neville's band), Fishbone and George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic - amazing energy. We tried to exude peace and bought a Fishbone "Fuck Racism" t-shirt.

[anni]

And Roberta was with us in spirit, too:

[Brian]

Roberta and Jim were back at this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil after their trips, but three other stalwarts had other activities this week, so the vigil attendance was only ten participants.  In order of appearance:  Anni, me, Rosalind, Roberta, Bruce, Nancy, Jim, Dawn, John the Realtor -- one of three guys named John who are regulars -- and Frannie.

In the previous seven days, the Department of Defense reported no military deaths in Operation Freedom's Sentinel in Afghanistan, Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq and Syria or in any of the other U.S. operations underway around the world.

[Brian]

Traffic was light on the streets and the sidewalks during this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil, despite the mild weather with the temperature ten degrees below Thursday.  Eleven vigil regulars came to the corner this week:  Rosalind, Anni, Roberta, Jeanne, Simon, me, Bruce, Nancy, Mike, Frannie and John the Realtor, just as we were leaving.  But he held a sign, so he counts.

On Sunday, the Pentagon announced the death of a Marine in Iraq.  We posted a printout of the news release linked below throughout the vigil.  I read a story in Marine Times that said the investigation is about whether he was killed by enemy or friendly fire.

www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/1931427/dod-identifies-marine-casualty/

Gunnery Sergeant Scott A. Koppenhafer

[Brian]

The temperature was below average at this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil, but 17 people held signs on the corner, way above average.

Thanks to Roberta for inspiring John the plumber to participate, along with Sol, her nephew Dan and grandnephews Rhys and Kai.  Bill and Sharon brought their friend Norma, who's visiting from Northern California.  And I have to count Mike, the caretaker of the nearby war memorial, who had a "Tulsi 2020" campaign sign that he printed at home from her website to give to anyone who wanted it.  We had demonstrators on all three patches of grass at the end of the vigil.

By the way, Anni and Rosalind ran into Louisa in front of the bank earlier.  Louisa says hi to the other long time regulars, and she expects to be able to stand on the corner comfortably in a few months.

The U.S. Department of Defense has reported more uniformed deaths this year.  In the past seven days, three soldiers in two Middle Eastern nations.  As seen printed out on the utility pole throughout this week's vigil:

www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/1937749/dod-identifies-army-casualty/

www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/1942037/dod-identifies-army-casualties/

[Brian]

For the stalwarts who are out of town, even away from our continent, I can report that ten regulars participated this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil plus Mike, who was back holding his Tulsi 2020 sign.  After a three week absence, street performer Katherine Terrien returned to the corner -- she was playing paying gigs in Long Beach.  And Yoshio brought copies of the September Change Links from the Westside, marking the beginning of his third year visiting Montrose Peace Vigil.  Here are my attendance tallies for the month:

• Aug. 2 - 11
• Aug. 9 - 10
• Aug. 16 - 11
• Aug. 23 - 17
• Aug. 30 - 11

The weekly average for August was 12 participants -- the same as July -- after averaging 14 in June and May, 11 in April and 12 each month in March, February, January and December. We had 13 weekly demonstrators last November and October, 10 in September and 13 in August 2018.

The Pentagon announced no U.S. military deaths in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria or anywhere else in the previous seven days.