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WWII veterans storm D.C. memorial closed by government shutdown
stars and stripes ^ | October 1, 2013 | By Leo Shane III

Posted on 10/01/2013 2:45:16 PM PDT by dennisw

WASHINGTON — Wheelchair-bound elderly veterans pushed aside barricades to tour the World War II Memorial Tuesday morning, in defiance of the government shutdown which closed all of the memorials in the nation’s capital.

The four bus loads of veterans — visiting from Mississippi as part of a once-in-a-lifetime Honor Flight tour — ignored National Park Police instructions not to enter the site as lawmakers and tourists cheered them on.

“We didn’t come this far not to get in,” one veteran proclaimed.

The scene was both emotional and comical at once. After it was clear they had lost control of the situation, Park Police officials stood aside, telling press that they had “asked for guidance on how to respond” to the breach of security.

As 80-something veterans slowly walked around the massive war memorial, Park Police stood quietly to the side, advising other tourists that the site was technically still closed. But they made no moves to stop the wishes of the war heroes.

The memorial was closed because of the government shutdown which started 11 hours earlier, after lawmakers failed to pass a temporary budget plan to keep nonessential federal programs operating. Republicans and Democrats have been stalled in budget fight for weeks, mostly over legislative add-ons dealing with the new healthcare law.

As a result, more than 800,000 federal employees were furloughed Tuesday, set to return only after Congress reaches a compromise. National parks and federal buildings were closed down. And the WWII Memorial — along with the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and much of the rest of the Capitol — were barricaded, to keep tourists away.

Several Republican lawmakers were on hand to greet the Mississippi Honor Flight veterans at the memorial on Tuesday, and nodded thoughtfully as the greatest generation representatives voiced their displeasure at being turned away from their own memorial.

Organizers said the trip took months of planning and nearly $100,000 in donations for airfare, food and buses. A dozen more are scheduled in the next week.

“It’s great to be here, but it’s really disappointing that we can’t get closer to see it,” said Gene Tolley, a Marine Corps veteran who served in the Pacific during the war. “I came through the city back in high school, but I was looking forward to coming back and seeing this.”

He got his wish.

As Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, distracted a Park Police representative, other lawmakers and their staff helped topple the metal fences. A bagpiper on hand for the event led the men past the crowd and into the heart of the memorial, attracting a large, applauding crowd.

“This just means so much to me,” said Alex “Lou” Pitalo, an Army vet who also served in the Pacific during WWII. “I waited 70 years to get a welcome like this. And to get to see this and to have all those people clapping … I’m just so happy. This was amazing.”

Officials from the Honor Flight network, which organized the tour, said they have advised upcoming trip planners that the memorials will not be open to the public, and to plan accordingly.

Meanwhile, at press time, Park Police said they were still reviewing how to handle similar problems in the future, since they still have no indication when the government shutdown will be resolved.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Constitution/Conservatism; News/Current Events; US: District of Columbia
KEYWORDS: barrycades; greatestgeneration; honorflight; memorials; obamahissyfit; oldnews; operationwhipcracker; shutdown; wwiiveterans
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To: DJ MacWoW

.........I totally agree too! These guys should be treated with reverence!


41 posted on 10/01/2013 4:25:13 PM PDT by Cen-Tejas (it's the debt bomb stupid!)
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To: Riley

So it does cost taxpayers more to keep WW2 vets away from the WW2 memorial.I thought they might have to pay a multitute of gov. employees to man a booth where WW2 vets had to buy their permit to look at the WW2 memorial.


42 posted on 10/01/2013 4:30:56 PM PDT by philetus (Keep doing what you always do and you'll eventually get what you deserve)
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To: dennisw
BEAUTIFUL!
43 posted on 10/01/2013 4:35:59 PM PDT by 444Flyer (How long O LORD? Habakkuk 2;Isaiah 55)
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To: dennisw

Was the “honor” flight of 80 year old veterans gate raped by the TSA?

“asked for guidance on how to respond” to the breach of security.”

I bet they will have the dogs out and fully loaded M4’s with those Hollow Point training rounds in 30 round magazine’s.

Tazers at the ready!

Teach those old geezers to storm the memorial. Terrorists!


44 posted on 10/01/2013 4:39:51 PM PDT by Southern by Grace (kickbacks, bribes, maifia payoffs is how the D's get R' done!)
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To: sergeantdave
Nearly 70 years after Normandy and Iwo Jima, these vets still know how to land in enemy territory and take the beachhead.

They are STILL our heroes!
45 posted on 10/01/2013 4:43:23 PM PDT by yorkiemom
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To: dennisw

Obama was probably hoping for a photo-op, showing the wheelchair-bound WW II vets sadly stopped at the shuttered gate. Does anyone know if the media was there today, or are these all private photos? I’m guessing that if they were there, the media, once they witnessed the (gasp!) civil disobedience, slunk away in horror, hoping to bury the story.


46 posted on 10/01/2013 4:45:15 PM PDT by COBOL2Java (I'm a Christian, pro-life, pro-gun, Reaganite. The GOP hates me. Why should I vote for them?)
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To: dennisw

If there was a request made for temporary volunteer caretakers for these monuments and parks, there would be an outpouring of support from the public. These are the people’s parks. Not the politicians. With such volunteerism There would be no vandalism.

All we need is leadership that is willing to provide a method for volunteers to help. All of these Americans and foreigners that then had planned vacations to attend the parks could be handled. If only we had leadership and foresight from both Parties. Instead the only thing they want is to get reelected.


47 posted on 10/01/2013 4:54:45 PM PDT by apoliticalone
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To: philetus

Probably Same trick as with the sequester.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Monument_Syndrome


48 posted on 10/01/2013 4:54:57 PM PDT by Riley (The Fourth Estate is the Fifth Column.)
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To: laplata

Try it yourself then.


49 posted on 10/01/2013 5:05:10 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: dennisw

Evil ploy by Obama and his enablers i.e. using government employees to close a public financed memorial. Being a vet of WWII with service in the Pacific just another notch against the bunch. To make matters even more disgusting for me is that my brothers name, killed on Okinawa, is kept from a person like myself who donated funding for the Memorial only to find that someone like Obama, a coward from military service’ can be given authority to block me from paying respects at any time. I hope that all vets of WWII will see this as a crass use of authority from a joint smoking draft dodger provided he was a USA citizen.


50 posted on 10/01/2013 5:12:38 PM PDT by noinfringers2
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To: dennisw

51 posted on 10/01/2013 5:13:19 PM PDT by RightGeek (FUBO and the donkey you rode in on)
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To: George from New England
Awesome! God Bless your Dad and those who served with him.

For those of you who would like to experience this vicariously, buy or rent this:

Honor Flight: The Movie

It's a must see!!

52 posted on 10/01/2013 5:21:38 PM PDT by Mygirlsmom (Didja hear the one about the 3 Senators who went to sign up for Obamacare? Yeah, me neither.)
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To: editor-surveyor

I’m saying that something provoked that kind of response and asked you to tell the whole story. Thanks.


53 posted on 10/01/2013 5:24:00 PM PDT by laplata (Liberals don't get it .... their minds are diseased.)
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To: dennisw

Good for these brave military me.

Democrats are mean, spiteful, little pricks.


54 posted on 10/01/2013 5:24:50 PM PDT by FreeAtlanta (Liberty or Big Government - you can't have both.)
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To: LucyT; MestaMachine

ping


55 posted on 10/01/2013 5:29:28 PM PDT by Rushmore Rocks
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To: smokingfrog

How many vets will pass who planned to visit? All because of a tantrum by Obama and other democrats.


56 posted on 10/01/2013 5:30:09 PM PDT by FreeAtlanta (Liberty or Big Government - you can't have both.)
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To: DJ MacWoW

They will probably be punished.


57 posted on 10/01/2013 5:33:52 PM PDT by FreeAtlanta (Liberty or Big Government - you can't have both.)
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To: FreeAtlanta
They will probably be punished.

I hope not. Their respectfulness to elderly veterans should be rewarded. But as you indicated, no good deed goes unpunished.

58 posted on 10/01/2013 5:37:04 PM PDT by DJ MacWoW (The Fed Gov is not one ring to rule them all)
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To: Rushmore Rocks

If I could be there, as G-d is my Witness, I would be. Damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead!


59 posted on 10/01/2013 5:37:50 PM PDT by MestaMachine (--0)
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To: FreeAtlanta

How will they be punished? By taking away their AARP cards?


60 posted on 10/01/2013 5:39:37 PM PDT by max americana (fired liberals in our company after the election, & laughed while they cried (true story))
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