Veterans Conquer Barricades at Closed War Memorial

If they can storm enemy beaches, they certainly won't let a little barricade - or even a government shutdown - stand in their way.

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A group of World War II veterans from Mississippi had chartered an $80,000 flight to Washington, D.C., to visit the National World War II Memorial. They arrived Oct. 1 to find to find the monument blocked off, a casualty of the government shutdown caused by the standoff between Washington politicians.

That didn't stop the visitors from completing their mission to honor their fallen comrades, the Washington Post reported.

It's not clear who moved the barrier for the veterans and three congressmen who were with them. But according to the Post, here's what a U.S. Park Police officer had to say: "I'm not going to enforce the No Stopping or Standing sign for a group of 90 World War II veterans. I'm a veteran myself."

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Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.) told the Post: "It's the best civil disobedience we've seen in Washington for a long time."

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