WASHINGTON – Caution tape and barricades ringed the World War II Memorial Wednesday, but it did not stop hundreds of World War II veterans from doing what they came to do — walking and wheeling into the memorial. Congressmen were on hand as greeters, a gesture that some quickly dubbed a political stunt.
Caution tape and barricades separated visitors from the World War II memorial, but Honor Flight veterans entered the memorial, even though the National Mall is closed during the government shutdown. (Elena Schneider/Medill News Service)
Despite disapproval from National Park Service officers, the veterans, who were brought to Washington by the nonprofit Honor Flight Network, paid their respects.
“They stormed the beaches at Normandy, so I think they could take the Park Service and get into their own memorial,” said Honor Flight Network volunteer Michele Tennery.
The Honor Flight Network has coordinated trips to Washington for veterans since 2005, but rarely has a trip garnered such attention. The vets first visited the memorial Tuesday, pushing past barricades that were put up because of the federal government shutdown. More than 3,500 veterans are scheduled to visit the memorial in October, said Sarah Makin, another volunteer.
Several congressmen, including Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., Rep. John Carter, R-Texas, Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., were on hand Wednesday at the entrance of the World War II Memorial.
World War II veterans were greeted by volunteers and lawmakers as they entered the memorial. (Elena Schneider/Medill News Service)
“They want to grandstand and dupe these veterans into thinking they’re on their side,” said Erin Capuano, a political blogger. “It’s a classic Republican delusional alternate reality where they try to spin their failures onto other people.”
The Republican National Committee also jumped in the fray, offering to pay for security guards to allow veterans to visit. “Make no mistake, it was the Obama administration’s choice to barricade this memorial,” said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus in a press conference at the memorial.
The Democratic National Committee called the RNC’s offer a “silly stunt. “We’ve already been working on a plan to open the Memorial — and the entire government — after the GOP caused them to close. It’s called a clean funding resolution and it sounds like the votes are there if the Speaker would just call for a vote.”
But others said the federal government was at fault for keeping out the veterans. “[Security] is usually only here until 6:30 at night anyway, what’s the big deal?” said Ray Smith, an Honor Flight Network volunteer. “It’s just a political ploy.”
“The last thing we were going to let happen was have them show up here and be met with barricades, they should be met with hugs and thanks,” Makin said. “We’re trying to get as many WWII vets here. We lose hundreds of them a day, so it’s imperative that we get them here now.”