WWII Veterans will not let the government shutdown stop them from entering the closed World War II memorial.
According to ABC News , WWII “honor flights” from Missouri, Illinois and Michigan entered the closed World War II memorial on Wednesday, following the example of fellow veterans from Mississippi on Tuesday.
NBC Washingto n stated that the National Park Service said Wednesday that it’s allowing access to WWII veterans so they can exercise their first amendment rights.
ABC News reported the following from a statement by National Park Service Spokeswoman Carol Johnson:
“The Honor Flights are being granted access to the WWII memorial to conduct First Amendment activities in accordance with National Park Service regulations applicable to the National Mall and Memorial Parks. This is consistent with the DOI Closure Determination and Notice issued on October 1, 2013.”
The Inquisitr reported Tuesday that four buses full of veterans were involved in the mass storming as wheelchair-bound elders ignored National Park Police instructions telling them not to enter the site, one of which proudly stated, “We didn’t come this far not to get in.”
Check out some of the Twitter images of WWII Veterans visiting the World War II memorial:
Go away, let them be – MT @bennyjohnson : Wall of republican & democrat congressmen welcome WWII veterans to memorial. pic.twitter.com/PUczjY2con
— Cameron Gray (@Cameron_Gray) October 2, 2013
Thank you @NatlParkService – #WWIIMemorial – RT @NickWTOP : #Vets make it in. Police literally turn their backs! pic.twitter.com/Aq6k0VaEiR — Cameron Gray (@Cameron_Gray) October 2, 2013
Pic from @RepLynnJenkins shows perspective of number of WWII Vets at Memorial. #LetsTalk #HonorFlight pic.twitter.com/TIG6gX0onV — Melissa Yeager (@melissaKSHB) October 2, 2013
Park police putting up new “closed” signs on #WWIIMemorial . Honor Flight rep says “we’ll get in.” pic.twitter.com/S7m752N8OF
— Leo Shane III (@LeoShane) October 2, 2013
The WWII Veterans are not taking no for an answer, and it would seem that nothing is going to stop them from visiting the memorial and paying their respects.
[Image by U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Daniel J. McLain via Wikimedia ]