Park Police Investigate Vietnam Memorial Damage

Cybercast News Service ^ | 9/11/2007 | Nathan Burchfiel

[CNS]

(CNSNews.com) - As cleanup efforts continue in the removal of an oily substance from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., authorities are investigating how the substance got on the wall, but warned it is "premature" to label it vandalism.

The wall was defaced sometime over the weekend when an oily substance was sprayed along the base of the granite monument. The black material appeared to stain the dark grey wall and tainted some of the more than 58,000 names engraved on it.

National Park Service preservation and maintenance personnel have been working since Saturday to remove the substance, and NPS spokesman Bill Line on Tuesday told Cybercast News Service the organization "believes it will be possible to remove the substance entirely."

Line confirmed that U.S. Park Police are investigating the incident. But he said it is "premature to speculate whether any intentional act was committed," adding that it "could have been somebody accidentally spilled it. It could have been a visitor."

But veterans' groups that seek to protect the memorial from vandalism are suspicious that anti-war protesters are to blame. "Even on the outside chance that it was [an] accident, things like that shouldn't be happening," Kristin Taylor, a spokesman for the Gathering of Eagles (GOE), told Cybercast News Service.

GOE is a coalition of veterans' groups and pro-military organizations that organizes counter-demonstrations during anti-war marches. Taylor said "there are incidents around the country of war memorials being ... vandalized" and pointed to apparent threats on a leftist/anarchist Web site to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

An Aug. 27 comment posted on the DC Indymedia Web site said that "if they [GOE] come to our march we will spray the wall." The comment was referring to an anti-war protest scheduled for Sept. 15. GOE has advertised that it will counter-protest.

[CNS]

Follow-up to earlier thread

[SouthTexas]

Line confirmed that U.S. Park Police are investigating the incident. But he said it is "premature to speculate whether any intentional act was committed," adding that it "could have been somebody accidentally spilled it. It could have been a visitor."

If they can't figure this out, this country is doomed.

[chaos_5]

“premature” to label it vandalism

Right! I’m sure a sea gull was just suffering some indigestion after eating a greasy burrito.

[in hoc signo vinces]

There’s a reason why they’re park police...and not police police...

[notpoliticallycorewrecked]

"premature to speculate whether any intentional act was committed," adding that it "could have been somebody accidentally spilled it. It could have been a visitor."

Oh Please, if he only knew how ridiculous that comment sounds. How convenient to accidentally spill some solution on the Vietnam War Memorial to deface it. "Shucks, I didn't know that I had several large buckets of chemicals with me."

I hope that they have videotapes of the area around the Memorial.

[bajabaja]

If this needs repair, what about starting a fund to pay for it?

Not a veteran here, but a grateful citizen.

Any GOE guys with an idea?

[SkyDancer]

“but warned it is “premature” to label it vandalism.”

Then pray tell what other name could you give it? A hate crime!?? Works for me ....

[DuncanWaring]

Ping.

[Zerodown]

Line confirmed that U.S. Park Police are investigating the incident. But he said it is "premature to speculate whether any intentional act was committed," adding that it "could have been somebody accidentally spilled it. It could have been a visitor."

Funny, that's the same thing they said about the Vince Foster/Marcy Park case. Clue for you Park Police guys: coulda been either Yogi or BooBoo Look for a large bear with a Sly Stallone hat; another smaller bear with a picnic basket.

[freekitty]

What good are the Park Police? They never seem to be around.

[Minutemen]

If it were a slur against gays, the FBI would be out in full force.

[aShepard]

Maybe the stain came from a frolicing John Kerry, Bill Clinton, and Jane Fonda strolling past the Memorial and taking a collective wizz on our heroes!

[anymouse]

Maybe NSA and FBI need to review incoming phone and e-mail messages to Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL), who pointedly referred to the Vietnam War Memorial in his berating of Gen. Petraeus. The use of oil to desecrate the memorial would be symbolic of the radical leftists trying to make the “no blood for oil” statement that Wexler so clumsily tried to make in his statement.

Maybe it was coincidental that he made reference to the Wall, but it’s the NSA’s job to sort out coincidences from conspiracies to commit Federal felonies, treason, espionage or acts of war.

[biff]

Check out the “MoveOn” dingbats, they are still trying to move on but just can’t get untracked. Of course, they wouldn’t dare deface a monument like that, would they?

[azhenfud]

“If they can’t figure this out, this country is doomed.”

This happened in Washington, Dense City.

[Sue Perkick]

Anyone who would do this doesn’t deserve to be called an American. Of course it was. Maybe they should take their “protest” to another country & see how it works out for them.

Didn’t some group threaten the memorial a while back?

[azhenfud]

What good are the Park Police? They keep the donut makers employed.

[Half Vast Conspiracy]

Oh Please, if he only knew how ridiculous that comment sounds.

I don't think it sound ridiculous. Let's wait and see what they find out. Knowing what the "substance" is will be major part of the puzzle.

[SouthTexas]

It is spreading like the common cold virus!

[azhenfud]

They could one day become so dense they’ll collapse on themselves.