A group of elderly veterans refused to acknowledge the closure of national monuments in Washington D.C. on Tuesday by entering the World War II memorial.
According to ABC News, 92 Mississippi Gulf Coast Honor Flight Veterans visited the World War II memorial despite it being closed due to the government shutdown that started today. The group started in 2011 to allow veterans to visit memorial sites that honor their services free of charge.
At the scene, Rep. Steve King and Rep. Michelle Bachmann were there to pose with visitors and talk to the park police as the veterans went through.
“I’m not going to enforce the ‘no stopping or standing’ sign for a group of 90 World War II veterans,” said one on-duty Park Police officer, who was a veteran himself.
Congressman Steven Palazzo wrote a letter to President Obama requesting him to re-open the monuments for veterans as a way of thanking them for their services and sacrifices. The National Republican Congressional Committee created a petition to support the veterans, Yahoo News reports.
While today’s group was lucky to get in, the WWII memorial, plus the other monuments, will re-close until the shutdown is settled.
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