Badass WWII Veterans Storm Memorial On National Mall, Defy Government Shutdown Closure

With Congress unwilling or unable to pass a measure to fund the government, federal officials were forced to announce a shutdown on Tuesday, bringing with it a closure of national parks and memorials .

This could have proven a huge inconvenience for a group of World War II veterans who were set to visit the National Mall on Tuesday to pay their respects at the WWII Memorial , which is now technically closed to the public. But the group, led by the Mississippi Gulf Coast Honor Flight, wasn't about to be stopped by a few signs and barriers.

Leo Shane , a veterans affairs reporter for Stars and Stripes, was on hand to document the vets as they stormed the memorial:

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) later went to bat for the veterans, saying that he'd donate his salary to their cause and encouraging others to do the same:

Congressional Republicans also tried to get in on the action:

Read Shane's entire piece on the scene at the World War II Memorial here.