Posted on 10/01/2013 8:24:42 PM PDT by M. Thatcher
TOLEDO -- Locally in the Glass City, we can see the affects of the government shutdown at our museums, monuments, and national parks. The gates are closed and locked, denying access completely to the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge.
TSA employees were still working at Toledo Express Airport, but when WNWO called the TSA to find out if they would be affected, there was a message that said the public relations representative did not have access to her voicemail or email due to the government shutdown.
In a letter from Marcy Kaptur's office in the 9th District, it read, "...only services deemed essential for the safety of human life and protection of property will be continued."
But for a group of World War II vets visiting the national memorial in Washington D.C., an all expense paid trip which is called an "Honor Flight," the shutdown was not stopping them from seeing the tribute that was inspired by them.
"It just goes to show you why we won World War II," says Honor Flight of Northwest Ohio President Lee Armstrong.
Many elderly veterans, some in wheelchairs, broke through the barriers set up around the memorial, as police, park service employees, and tourists looked on.
"The Germans and the Japanese couldn't contain us. They weren't going to let barriers contain them today. They wanted to see their memorial," says Armstrong.
Honor Flight of Northwest Ohio has a trip scheduled to depart from Toledo next Wednesday, October 9.
"We will make the call this Friday to determine if the flight is still a go, or if we will have to re-schedule," Armstrong explains.
He says they are considering going ahead with the trip even if the government is still on shutdown, but when he called the parks service, he was told they would face arrest.
Armstrong says, "I said, are you kidding me? You're going to arrest a 90/91-year-old veteran from seeing his memorial? If it wasn't for them it wouldn't be there. She said, 'That's correct sir.'"
When he asked for her name, he says she did not give it to him and then promptly hung up the phone.
99% of veterans on Honor Flights have never had the opportunity to see the memorial that is devoted to their service.
Through October, the are over 35,000 veterans scheduled to visit the site, more than 900 in the next five days alone.
It may all be waiting in limbo if the government can't complete their job.
I hope Barry’s pigs try it. The American people won’t stand for it. This will be Barack the Kenyan’s last “red line”.
The “tough guys” will most certainly arrest the Vets.
The Greatest Generation veterans kicked Nazi butt 70 years ago....they will do it again!
There’s a golden opportunity for Obastard right there, but he probably can’t bring himself to do it. There were Republican Congressmen there today to help the Vets clear the way into the Memorial today instead.
Has anyone thought of a protective force for those vets, to defend them in the event some sick lib in charge authorizes the arrest of the Greatest Generation?
Seems like those two million bikers I saw not too long ago would come in handy for protecting them.
Vets respectfully removed the barriers and let themselves into the Memorial today. I didn't see any breaking in.
In that case, we can suspend payment of Congresswoman Kaptur's paycheck effective immediately.
I would love to see local patriots show up to overwhelm, protect, and support.
With fes exceptions, if given the order by their handlers they will make the arrest. Just becasue a few vets in their ranks might not doesn’t mean the career fedgov drones wouldn’t.
That is the truth! It’s also our land, our parks, and our veterans.
I wasn’t commenting on what happened today, but what might happen in the event of a real lock-out.
If it wasn’t for the WWII vets, Obama would be picking cotton and speaking German or Japanese.
You know something, where the hell does the government get the f’ing idea that anything considered ‘’Government property, ‘’Government land is the governments? It’s OUR property OUR land! Who the f to they think they are?
Should it come to that, the only viewable video will be a park ranger on his ass looking at the sky. They vets may be old, but we owe them our full respect and the knowledge that their six is covered. God bless them!!
With you 100%. Between my wife and me, there were four WW2 vets in my family, including my father and mother (flight nurse, thankfully still living), and one POW from the Battle of the Bulge.
Most clear thinking Americans understand the absurdity of that statement and the dishonor involved in this instance - and are ashamed.
However, one is reminded of the 1932 Bonus Army episode. One out-of-control army officer, Douglas MacArthur, exceeded the president's orders and with fixed bayonets and billy clubs rousted the "army" of veterans that had peaceably collected in a public park, injuring 55.
Can one seriously doubt in the current political setting that something similar is possible?
I”m thinking we need to organize something about this.
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