Radio talk show host Mark Levin pounded the government Thursday for blocking World War II veterans from visiting their own memorial.
“I want to say this loud and clear to the people on Capitol Hill who are listening, to this administration. You lay one damn hand on one of those World War II vets at that memorial and I’ll bring half a million people to that damn memorial! You got that?!”
Veterans have stormed the barricades for the last two days.
“It is an atrocity,” said Jeff Fuller, a native Virginian who served in the army special forces for over 20 years. Fuller visited the memorial Wednesday afternoon to support Honor Flight veterans.
Several officers confronted him at the blockade.
“They are spending more money trying to keep people out,” Fuller remarked on the saving technique of the shutdown government.
The memorial is normally open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Merely shutting off the fountain would seem like a sufficient spending freeze.
Over 900 World War II veterans are scheduled to visit their memorial this week, according to an Honor Flight official. Between now and mid-November, 4,300 veterans are expected to pay homage to the site.
DCA Honor Flight volunteer, Danielle Sturgis said the reason for the increased publicity is saddening:
“My heart sunk as I was reading the coverage about the impact the shutdown could have on the WWII Memorial, because I knew it'd turn political and folks would start throwing rocks. My request has always been that folks keep their personal politics out of it and keep the focus on the vets.”
A National Park Service spokeswoman tweeted Wednesday that the memorials would reopen for veterans only.
The Honor Flights are being granted access to the WWII Memorial to conduct 1st Amendment actives in accordance with NPS regulations
— Carol B Johnson (@NationalMallPIO) October 2, 2013
Saturday four Honor Flights are scheduled to visit beginning at 10:30 a.m.