Elderly veterans of World War II proved that they have faced many tougher foes in their lives than a government shutdown as they pushed barricades aside to visit the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., according to the Washington Post.
The government shutdown has forced all of the National parks and monuments to cease operations, including the World War II Memorial. A group of World War II vets from Mississippi had made plans in advance to visit the memorial including chartering a plane for $80,000, the Washington Post reports.
When the group arrived at the memorial it was blocked off by barricades and yellow tape. Within minutes the impediments had been moved aside and the veterans were able to visit the memorial, according to Fox News.
"I'm not going to enforce the 'no stopping or standing' sign for a group of 90 World War II veterans," a U.S. Park Police officer who declined to be named told reporters. "I'm a veteran myself."
The veterans were joined by lawmakers including Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Rep. Steven Palazzo, R-Miss., Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa and Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., according to Politico.
"Credit where due - I watched Rep. Steve King distract a park police officer while vets and staggers knocked down the fences here," Leo Shane, a reporter for Stars and Stripes, tweeted.
Credit where due -- I watched Rep Steve King distract a park police officer while vets and staffers knocked down the fences here. #shutdown
— Leo Shane III (@LeoShane) October 1, 2013
Palazzo had written a letter to President Barack Obama on Monday asking permission for the veterans to still be able to visit the memorial in the event of a shutdown, according to the Mississippi Press.
"These men and women didn't cower to the Japanese and Germans," Palazzo said. "I don't think they're about to let a few National Park Police stand in their way."
"It's the best civil disobedience we've seen in Washington for a long time," Huizenga told the veterans.
The World War II Memorial wasn't the only memorial taken over by veterans on Tuesday either. The Korean War Memorial was visited by a group of veterans from Puerto Rico who were looking to lay a wreath. Anthony Mele, the president of the group, told the Washington Post that a Park Police officer told them the site was closed before turning his back while the members moved the barricades aside and entered.
"We went on the other side of the barriers like good soldiers should, and we laid our wreath there," Mele said. "We were told that all permits were rescinded. I thought they said all permits were canceled except ours."
