WWII Vets reportedly storm memorial closed for the shutdown

From Twitter User Leo Shane



WASHINGTON -- Dozens of WWII veterans from Mississippi reportedly stormed a WWII memorial in Washington D.C. Tuesday after it was closed by the government shutdown.

According to Leo Shane III, a White House reporter for Stars and Stripes, a group of WWII honor flight vets knocked over barriers at a memorial in Washington. The vets "stormed" the memorial and refused to leave as park police showed up.

Park police allowed vets to walk the memorial, Shane reported, saying they had called their superiors to ask for guidance on how to respond.

Visitors from Iowa also reportedly walked past barriers to get into the park. Politicians were arriving on the scene at 12:10 a.m. EST, Shane tweeted, presumably for a photo opportunity with the feisty vets.

The trip cost nearly $100,000 for the group of Mississippi vets. A dozen more groups are slated to head to the memorial next week, officials said.

Watch the CNN video here.