Vandals strike Vietnam War Memorials

Washington Times:

The U.S. Park Police are investigating suspected vandalism at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the Mall.

Volunteers and National Park Service rangers on Saturday discovered a "light, oily" substance on the memorial's wall panels and the paving stones in front of it, Bill Line, a Park Service spokesman, said yesterday.

The substance, which has not been identified, was spread over an area of about 50 to 60 feet, mostly on the paving stones, Mr. Line said.

Maintenance and preservation staff were working to remove the substance with no permanent damage to the memorial.

Mr. Line could not predict when the cleaning would be completed.

The substance "could have been from a variety of different products," and it is not clear whether it was spread intentionally, said Sgt. Robert LaChance, Park Police spokesman.

"We are investigating to see if there was any criminal act or if it was an accident," Sgt. LaChance said. "We don't have any indication that it was intentional, but we are investigating to see if it's a possibility."

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A week earlier the Vietnam War Memorial in Andover, Massachusetts was desecrated.

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The lyrics of a 1970s protest song and a reference to Iraq were scrawled on the monument in the Park. "War, what is it good for, absolutely nothin'," was written in red marker along with a peace sign.

The lyrics are from "War," a song that Motown soul singer Edwin Starr popularized in 1970.

Near the base of the memorial where the phrase "our cause is just" is etched, a vandal wrote "just like in Iraq."

The markings were made with some kind of felt marker, which soaked into the stone, Burke said yesterday. Methuen Monument is helping the town repair the memorial, which was dedicated May 29, 2006.

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Anti war pukes, what are they good for? You know the answer.

Another desecration took place in Sacramento in the first week of September. It could be signs of a trend from the crowd that claims to support the troops.