Maine Veterans For Peace announces the Tom Lewis Presente! Action. A gathering at Bath Iron Works to protest another christening of a weapon of mass destruction.

Maine Veterans For Peace; Smilin’ Trees Disarmament Farm; Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space; Pax Christi Maine, and other activist groups and individuals will gather at Bath Iron Works to protest the christening of another billion dollar war ship, a weapon of mass destruction.

This action will be dedicated to our good friend, fellow activist and artist Tom Lewis who died suddenly April 4th. Tom Lewis participated in two Plowshare actions at Bath Iron Works, the Aegis Plowshares Action in 1991 and the Prince of Peace Plowshares Action in 1997. Tom has been present at many of the Advent, Lenten and launch gatherings over the years. His physical presence will be missed however his spirit will be with us on the 10th .

WHERE: BATH IRON WORKS, Washington Street, Bath, in front of the administration building.

DATE: MAY 10, 2008

TIME: Begin gathering at 9:30 AM

We will gather in front of the Bath Iron Works administration building, Washington Street, Bath. Some of us, or all of us, will walk down to the public admission gate about ½ mile down Washington Street.

History: Begun with the USS Arleigh Burke, DDG 51, this will be the 55th Aegis destroyer built for the US Navy, approximately 1/2 of them at Bath Iron Works. This warship, costing somewhere between $900 million to $1.1 billion, carries 56 of the nuclear capable (200 KT warhead) Tomahawk missiles; depleted uranium penetrators in the Phalanx 20mm close-in SA system; the ASROC vertical launch system using the Mk-45 nuclear capable (20 KT or less) torpedo; the Boeing Harpoon surface to surface missile and the Standard SM-3 kinetic warhead missile used in the Ballistic Missile Defense System.

Contact: Jack Bussell, Maine Veterans For Peace, 207-772-1442 FMI