Rangers vs. the walker brigade -- By Wesley Pruden, The Washington Times

The commander in chief and Harry Reid, his faithful dog robber in the U.S. Senate, have assigned the rangers of the National Park Service the most dangerous mission of the government shutdown. They're already up for medals.

Barack Obama will invite them to the Rose Garden any day now, or if not the Rose Garden, to the back nine at Congressional Country Club. Ribbons and decorations are waiting.

The rangers are following the example of Darby's Rangers, who were heroes of the Italian campaign in World War II. They were faithful, resourceful and as tough as hickory. Just like their namesake, William O. Darby, the original ranger, who was killed two days before the Germans surrendered Italy. It took the direct hit of an artillery shell to get him.

A chest full of medals, including the Silver Star, accompanied his remains back to Arkansas, and the Army Rangers are his legacy today. Darby won the Distinguished Service Cross at Arzew in North Africa in 1942 for striking "with complete surprise at dawn in the rear of a strongly fortified enemy position capturing prisoners and destroying a battery of self-propelled artillery."

Inspired by such heroics, the rangers of the National Park Service struck in similar dramatic fashion at the Battle of the Mall, when, in the face of a determined assault by 80-year-olds trained in World War II, the Park Service rangers, with total disregard of their own safety, held off a determined mechanized cavalry charge against a solid phalanx of orange traffic cones and yellow 'Do Not Cross' tape blocking access to the World War II Memorial. Before retreating, park rangers stopped the advance of a squadron of wheelchairs and the famous walker brigade, attacking in company strength supported by troops advancing on walking canes armed with oxygen canisters, bearing down on their forward positions.

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