Spokane7
65°
September 29, 2010 in News, Idaho
War hero’s family blocked from White House tour
The family of World War II hero and Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Vernon Baker was denied access to a White House tour on Saturday because Baker’s grandson was wearing a T-shirt and shorts.
The boy’s T-shirt was emblazoned with the image of his celebrated grandfather, who had been buried just a day earlier at Arlington National Cemetery. Also turned away was another Medal of Honor recipient and North Idaho resident, Thomas Norris, who accompanied the family to Washington, D.C., for the military burial.
Norris, a retired FBI agent and Navy SEAL, said he was turned away at the White House by an employee of the Office of Management and Budget because the Secret Service had not run a security clearance on him.
“He apologized,” Norris said. “He told me the Secret Service has informed me they haven’t had time to do a background check and you can’t get in.”
Moments later, after Norris gave up his place in the tour to the Baker family’s driver, who had clearance, Baker’s grandson, Vernon Pawlik, 10, was denied entry because he was wearing shorts and a T-Shirt bearing his grandfather’s image. Also on the tour were Vernon Baker’s widow, Heidy, and her daughter Alexandra.
At that point the family gave up and left the White House, Norris said.
In general, there’s no dress code for White House tours and the St. Maries Gazette newspaper in the family’s hometown reported today that the family had checked about possible dress codes ahead of time just to make sure.
However, congressional officials say the Baker family was given access to the more prestigious West Wing tour, which does have a dress code prohibiting most casual wear, including jeans, shorts and T-shirts.
Still, Norris said he wondered why when questions arose no one in charge stepped forward to assess the circumstances.
“You would think there would be someone there to stand up and say, ‘I’m a supervisor and we can make an exception” for a living Medal of Honor recipient and the grandson of another, Norris said.
Norris said that little Vernon was looking forward to the tour and the chance to meet President Obama. He even bought a copy of Obama’s book, in case he got a chance to get the president’s signature.
As it turned out, Obama was out of town on Saturday.
The staff members of Idaho’s congressional delegation today were crafting a letter to the White House about the incident, according to Susan Wheeler, communications director for Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho. Wheeler said the letter will ask for an “apology, an explanation and a clarification” of policy from the White House.
Dean Ferguson, communications director for Rep. Walt Minnick, D-Idaho, said his boss was “Very upset.”
“Vernon Baker was one of our nation’s greatest heroes, and Walt has asked the White House to contact the family,” Ferguson said.
The whole incident “is beyond understanding,” said Norris, who was awarded the nation’s highest honor for military service in 1976 from President Gerald Ford for his actions in Vietnam in 1972.
Norris, then a SEAL adviser with the Strategic Technical Directorate Assistance Team, rescued two downed Air Force officers on separate missions behind enemy lines in Quang Tri Province.
In 1979, Norris became an FBI agent after overcoming a disabling head wound during his service in Vietnam.
Vernon Baker, the boy’s grandfather, was the only living black World War II veteran to receive the Medal of Honor for uncommon valor. In 1945 he rallied the troops after their commander deserted and took a German stronghold in Italy, taking out three machine gun nests, two bunkers and an observation post.
Recent stories by Kevin Graman
Recent stories in News
1992 murder trial begins against sex offender May 30, 2012 1- Supermajority for taxes unconstitutional, judge rules May 30, 2012 10
- Man dies following early Saturday car crash May 30, 2012 13
- Sex trafficking suspects released as probe continues May 29, 2012 7
- Center’s activities provide glimpse into network of advocacy groups May 28, 2012 4
soccermomsusie on September 29 at 12:25 p.m.
I have been telling everyone about this for years -
OBAMA HATES BLACK PEOPLE!!!
Now if that shirt had a gay pride symbol on it then they all would have been given the rainbow carpet treatment.
HEAR OUR VOICE!!!
Itsgodswill on September 29 at 12:55 p.m.
Wow, what a complete slap in the face of those who are supposedly honored.
misjustice on September 29 at 12:57 p.m.
If you were Muslim you would have been embraced with open arms & given the keys to the building!
We are really starting the countdown of his remaining days!!!!
chouligirl on September 29 at 1:03 p.m.
someone with some connections needs to contact the white house and this needs to be made right. I can’t imagine that some white house staff person has the ability to keep these folks out of a tour based on those issues. that’s outrageous.
a 10 year old boy should be allowed to wear his grandfather’s picture on his shirt and shorts to go on a tour. since when is there a dress code for citizens to tour the white house??
there is also no excuse for the SS to not get a background check done for a metal of honor award recipient so he can tour the white house too. what is going on there??
voice_of_reason on September 29 at 1:05 p.m.
Ignorance must really be bliss for some of you. Do you honestly believe that Obama personally administers policies regarding something such as this?
As usual, you are blinded by Big Money Politics, Loud Mouthed Commentators, Prejudice, or all three.
Itsgodswill on September 29 at 1:07 p.m.
“If you were Muslim you would have been embraced with open arms & given the keys to the building!”
And this, my friends, is an example of total idiocy.
PhiltheBibliophil on September 29 at 1:22 p.m.
soccermomsusie, once again you prove yourself to be part of the problem, not the solution. And while at it, you prove yourself to be an idiot!
zelda on September 29 at 1:29 p.m.
I’m not saying the Baker family is maneuvering on this, but there’s something about this situation that smacks of political exploitation, namely by Minnick and Crapo and the St. Marie’s paper. It’s shameful that pols would use Vernon Baker’s body to score points at the polls.
johno on September 29 at 1:30 p.m.
I’m sure this is all handled by Secret service or other professional staff which stay the same when presidents change. But what the hell, gives the right wingers another chance to trash our President.
horse_feathers on September 29 at 1:34 p.m.
This rule of no t-shirt and shorts has been in effect ever since Monica Lewinsky showed up in a similar outfit smoking a cigar.
MrNatural on September 29 at 1:55 p.m.
I heard on good authority it was Congressman Jim Demint dressed up as a rent a cop…Republicans sheesh!…always trying to whip up a good scandal against Obama
notaSmartBombsFan on September 29 at 2:06 p.m.
I can’t wait to vote! I’ve never been more energized regarding a mid-term election!
hawken on September 29 at 2:07 p.m.
Touche HorseFeathers!!
Hey monarch…. even the President’s own, former supporters are trashing him, albeit with a bit less shrill! Don’t get me wrong…. I’m not against a little shrill in light of Obama’s performance, misleading and Progressive Ideology… Just saying, Obama has always had a problem with conservatives (not all Republicans are conservative)… now, he’s got major problems with Dems and Independents. That is cause for hope!
tjh on September 29 at 2:24 p.m.
@chouligirl asks “since when is there a dress code for citizens to tour the white house?? ”
Since George W. Bush:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/24/AR2007072402132.html
soccermomsusie on September 29 at 2:42 p.m.
NotSmartBombsFan, It sounds like you are going to vote against the Libertard Demoncrats, now that you are able to vote. That is fabulous!
I used to be very much against the reinstatement of voting rights for convicted felons, but now you have me rethinking my position. Thank you! I am glad YOU will be able to vote again.
On another note, I bet Vernon Baker hated Obama. I think I remember him saying he couldn’t believe that Obama was elected. He even started crying about it, he was so upset. I bet that is why his family wanted to go there, to confront Barry O’Kenyan Obamatron 2000 about his prejudice against black people.
I bet when Vernon won his Congressional Medal of Honor, he was wearing a ripped up Insane Clown Posse T-Shirt (or I guess it would have been Glen Miller back then), a pair of cutoffs and flip flops. I say if our soldiers during WWII didn’t have a dress code neither should today’s patriots who visit the aptly-named White House.
W Again in 2010!
HEAR OUR VOICE!!!
crader72 on September 29 at 4:16 p.m.
So is this where the debate club is hanging out?
empyrius on September 29 at 4:16 p.m.
My “black on black crime” post gets deleted while soccermomsusie can write “OBAMA HATES BLACK PEOPLE!!!”?
Wow!
bumblebeetuna on September 29 at 4:40 p.m.
Susie,
Have you read this article about your Tea Party selling out to the mainstream R’s?
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/17390/210904
Very interesting read.
Here’s a taste that probably hits pretty close to home for you.
“Let me get this straight,” I say to David. “You’ve been picking up a check from the government for decades, as a tax assessor, and your wife is on Medicare. How can you complain about the welfare state?”
“Well,” he says, “there’s a lot of people on welfare who don’t deserve it. Too many people are living off the government.”
“But,” I protest, “you live off the government. And have been your whole life!”
“Yeah,” he says, “but I don’t make very much.”
Bob_Knows on September 29 at 6:24 p.m.
The Obama regime hates the military. No surprise here.
Diana on September 29 at 6:39 p.m.
I think I accidentally wandered into Teabagger Central.
misjustice on September 29 at 6:57 p.m.
Diana; Mooselini’s chosen ones! Scary, ain’t it?
Diana on September 29 at 7:35 p.m.
Mis, I can’t refudiate that. They deserve each other!
JBlim on September 29 at 7:41 p.m.
Well all the terrorists have to do is claim to be from a war hero’s family and the Republicans will let them in to the White House. Smart. We just found yet another good reason not to turn over the keys to the GOP again.
lewis8457 on September 29 at 10:15 p.m.
This is ridicules how is a tour in the white house going to be such a big deal a security clearance is needed for a war hero? When Obama wasn’t even in town. Haven’t the people at the white house been reading the papers? Mr. Baker’s death and burial has been front-page news.
This is a kick in the teeth to all our armed forces men and women.
Itsgodswill on October 01 at 1:11 p.m.
Jblim: I don’t think it’s as easy as a terrorist walking up to the gates of the whitehouse and saying “yeah so uhhhh…My grandpa was a war hero, can I come in plz?” Considering that a war hero himself was denied because they hadn’t performed his background check. Read articles before commenting on them.
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on October 05 at 10:53 p.m.
Soccermomsusie FTW yet again.