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.
So they hAve the personnel to arrest them but not to keep the park open. Checkmate.
My grandpa never got to see it either...nor his son..who visited his grave in Margratten, Holland for the first time last month.
Let one hair of harm come to the head of one those vets...
Do they have their own SWAT teams for such situations?
“the memorial is open air, not in a building so why is it shut? “
Because Obama thinks it’s his own personal property.
There were Republican Congressmen there today to help the Vets clear the way into the Memorial today instead.
This also needs to be said time and time again.
Every time these WW2 vets are mentioned storming the Memorial, it needs to be mentioned that they were aided by Republican Congressmen tearing down the barricades.
There were no Black Caucus members there helping. There were not DNC members helping. There was nobody from Obama’s administration helping tear down the barricades.
ONLY Republican Congressmen.....
If it wasn’t for the WWII vets, Obama would be picking cotton and speaking German or Japanese.
No, he would be chunking spears in Kenya at antelope........
It will be the end of the Democrap party FOREVER.
They had to erect barricades to shut it. Yes, you heard that right.
We can't just have people walking up to a memorial willy-nilly, now can we?
Seriously, I hope they arrest the vets. I really do. That will end the Democrap Party.
Jambo...Jambo!!!
Does anyone know if the other Memorials are closed or just WWII? I have heard, anecdotally, that the Vietnam Memorial remained open.
If this is the case and it’s only WWII that’s very, very telling.
Since the government is down, do the park service police have the right to say or do anything. The fact they are acting is illegal. They do not exist
"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.
Mr. Armstrong: Please go ahead with your trip. I want to volunteer to be a "human shield" for your Honor Flight. I will agree to serve as a 'proxy' for one of the veterans, and allow myself to be arrested in his place.
Let me know ASAP if you need my services so I can take the day off next Wednesday and be at the Memorial early.
I JUST thought of this and have put no deep thought or planning in to it at all, but I'd sure be happy if it became a "movement". I urge as many others as possible to be there next Wednesday to help protect the men & women who gave so much to protect all of us so long ago.
B y WHOM?
Keystone Kops?
Love it. I would humbly participate in escorting any of these heroic men and women to THEIR memorial, shutdown be damned.
I had the pleasure of working with a Tuskeegee airman that was one of those leading to the Memorial’s approval. I would not let his tireless effort be denied to others who served.
YES!!!!! You can say that again.
“Come and take it!”
Vague Alamo reference...
Perhaps. There seems to be arguments on both sides of the issue of whether MacArthur was directed to use any and all means to clear the demonstration or whether he was simply Hoover’s scapegoat for the resulting violence.
The point of my OP with regard to the present situation is to demonstrate that persons in authority have in the past and should be expected in the future to use unreasonable force on U.S. citizens who exercise their right to assemble and voice their opinions.
It appears we hold different opinions on MacArthur’s professional aptitude and reputation. He did in fact have a substantial number of military accomplishments, some of which were attained via the adroit use of politics.
In my view however, the historical record indicates his role in WWII and most specifically, his role during the Korean War was much less than what we could have expected from one with his credentials. Ask any USMC veteran of the Korean War whether MacArthur kicked ass in that conflict.
There are RED ones; and then there are some in the sand...
Please see my Comment #92, below.
Spread the Word.
I guess America's 'rulers' would find out just how MANY 'blades of grass' there are!!!
Especially in THAT crowd!!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.