Politics & Government

Bartow Congressional Candidate Joins Veterans in Removing Barricades From World War II Memorial

Republican Barry Loudermilk, a former state representative and senator, is running for Congress in Georgia's District 11.

U.S. Congressional candidate and former state senator Barry Loudermilk of Bartow County joined Sunday friend and supporter, retired U.S. Army Lt. General Jerry Boykin, former commander of Delta Force, and hundreds of other veterans in Washington D.C. in removing barriers around the memorials and honoring those who have served and sacrificed for our freedom, according to the press release published on BartowPolitics.com.

At the World War II Memorial, Boykin reminded veterans that their military oath to “uphold and defend the Constitution” did not come with an expiration date. 

“Closing down monuments to war veterans in order to push for Obamacare was a selfish and terrible political statement by our president,” Loudermilk said in the release. “It was my duty and honor to stand with my fellow veterans in Washington D.C. and take action, rather than just talking about it.” 

Organizers of the Million Vet March in D.C. were against the removal of the barricades, according to its blog, a post on which Sunday night read:

The political agenda put forth by a local organizer in Washington D.C. was not in alignment with our message. We feel disheartened that some would seek to hijack the narrative for political gain. The core principle is about all Americans honoring veterans in a peaceful and a political manner. 

The Obama Administration barricaded national monuments and parks across the country in the wake of the partial government shutdown that is reportedly affecting only 17 percent of government spending, Loudermilk's press release says. Even open air monuments and lawns, such as the National Mall, were surrounded by barriers. 

Loudermilk, also a former representative in the Georgia House, last month resigned from the state Senate to focus on his bid to become the next U.S. Congressman from Georgia. He is running for the District 11 seat to replace Phil Gingrey, who is running for the U.S. Senate. 

Was Loudermilk's involvement in removing the barricades a good political move? Should the group in D.C. have ripped barricades from closed facilities and piled them outside the White House?

Tell us what you think in the comments, share your photos and videos, and don’t miss any of the local news you care about—subscribe to Cartersville Patch's newsletter, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Related Content

Find out what's happening in Cartersvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Cartersville