With one week left in June, the flag fight at the Des Moines VA Hospital continues. Officials at the Des Moines VA confirmed earlier this month that a pole that previously flew the American Flag was only flying the Pride flag. They confirmed the two flags were the only flags flown on the pole.
They also told The Iowa Standard the pole was more toward the back, but others have said the flag was flying at the main entrance.
On Thursday, Republican State Sen. Adrian Dickey drove two hours to the VA after receiving an email about it. Dickey put up an American Flag.
According to a Facebook post, Dickey said a maintenance worker asked what he was doing on Thursday and he simply told him “the right thing.” When asked if he had spoken with the superintendent of the hospital, Dickey said he was only concerned about the men and women serving our country and using the hospital.
“Their opinion is the only one that matters to me and I’m pretty damn sure that they would be more than happy with what I was doing,” Dickey wrote. “The neat thing was that several veterans thanked me and saluted the American Flag as I put it up.”
On Friday morning, Dickey stopped by the VA to see if his flag was still up.
“I’m astonished, it has already been taken down,” Dickey wrote. “Pathetic does not begin to describe the move by the administrators from the hospital doing this.”
Dickey put up a larger American Flag.
“As I was putting this up again, two veterans were walking out of the hospital,” he said. “One started to tear up, the other clapped. They both said they were completely demoralized this morning as they walked in for their treatments to see something other than the American Flag flying as they entered that building.”
Dickey urged everyone to contact hospital administrators and encourage them to stop the nonsense.
“Also, for people who live in the Des Moines metro, occasionally make a drive past the hospital and do the right thing until the hospital gets tired of taking the American Flag down,” he added.
Here were today’s before and after photos: 
[…] That was last year’s version of events — you can read about it here. […]