Despite a government shutdown now underway, the Republican-controlled House is poised to pass a bill that would reopen national parks which, along with other federally-funded services and agencies, has lost its funding and its staff. Perhaps the minor tweak in budgetary measures could spark an unusual and rarely-seen show of bipartisan collaboration, though there’s been no word of such as of yet.

With all national monuments falling under lock and key, a group of World War II veterans from Gulfport, Mississippi took no mind of the Congressional stoppage on memorials, busting through the gates to pay homage to those who fought and died for the Red, White, and Blue showing just how trivial the entire situation actually is.

According to the Associated Press, the bill would reopen not just national monuments but also “portions of the government, including national parks and processing of claims at the Department of Veterans Affairs.”

Included in that vague group of reopenings would be national parks like Yosemite, which, coincidentally, is celebrating its 123rd birthday having opened back in 1890.

Judging solely on how tourists in Boston have reacted to the shutdown, those traveling to Washington D.C., where a substantial amount of memorials and museums operate under the yolk of Uncle Sam, are likely in for a rude awakening. Some foreigners visiting The Hub weren’t even aware that a shutdown was in place and that some attractions, like the USS Constitution and Bunker Hill Monument, were off limits for an unknown period of time.

Similar reality checks are sure to ensue nationwide as national parks, monuments, and museums line the country as much as its signature extensive interstates and waterways.

For those who have had the misfortune of attending a national memorial, please feel free to share your experience and thoughts in the comments section below.