Veterans from all over the country gathered at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. Sunday morning to protest the closure of the memorials during the partial government shutdown, throwing barricades placed in front of the memorials aside in heaps.
Organized by Brats for Veterans Advocacy, the Million Vet March on the Memorials drew in a crowd of vocal veterans fed up with the federal government’s shutdown decisions waving enormous American and “Don’t Treat On Me” flags and signs.
“I’m totally, thoroughly disgusted in our government’s decision to close these monuments,” said retired Army Green Beret Mike Freeman, who served in Vietnam.
Retired Master Sergeant Jim Hanson also expressed his anger with the closures, telling The Daily Caller that veterans have every right to visit memorials erected in their honor.
“It’s a disgrace to close this memorial,” Hanson said, indicating the World War II memorial. “It cost more to close it than to let the veterans pay their respects. The government is not in charge of keeping people out of monuments that were put here in their own honor.”
An African-American vet who asked to remain unnamed was dismayed that patriotic commemorations were caught in partisan crossfire and that more black veterans were not joining in the protest.
“I think that things are getting bad when they can find the money to fund academy football teams but can’t find the money to give to widows and dead soldiers’ families. That’s just wrong,” he said. “My only regret is that there’s not a lot more black veterans here today. It’s not a black or a white thing, it’s not a Republican or a Democrat thing — it’s a right or wrong thing. I’m here today because it’s the right thing to do.”
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee and Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz all made appearances to thank the vets for their service and rail against the Obama administration and the closure of the memorials.
Via: Daily Caller
