Posted on 09/13/2007 6:41:02 PM PDT by tgslTakoma
Still images from video of the damage to The Vietnam Memorial Wall, filmed on Monday morning, September 10, 2007. This was two days after the National Park Service Spokesman told reporters that they discovered the damage and had begun an immediate cleanup.
The lone security camera is located in a corner of the grass, closer to the Brothers statue than The Wall...
The Brothers statue appeared OK...
But there were numerous oily drips along the walkway around the statue. Sticker bushes around the Brothers statue proved a good security device, apparently...
And an oily trail along the cobblestone between the statue and the walkway to The Wall...
I arrived at the Nurses statue to find this little bugger guarding the site...
He was keeping a close eye on everybody; not just me...
There was more of the suspicious oily substance dripped on the walkway at the base of the Nurses statue and on the base of the statue itself...
And at the feet of the fallen soldier...
After inspecting the Brothers and Nurses statues, I walked back over to The Wall, to see how the cleaned panels looked after they had time to dry. It wasn't pretty. You can see those images and others, in the DC Chapter Webshots photo album.
But I was taken by surprise when I reached panel 15E...
On my earlier walk through the Memorial I had my camera focused down on the oily trail, but on this walk back eastward, I looked at the whole Wall. Panel 15E had multiple, long and deep, vertical gouges in it...
In all the statements from the National Park Service related to the oily substance vandalism, nobody seems to have addressed this damage to The Wall. I do not know when or how this damage happened, and I'd guess the NPS doesn't, either.
In their recent statements, they've said that there was only one other instance of vandalism to The Wall.
It would appear that there have been others, but we just aren't told about them.
Unless you consider the gestation and birth of the SOB who did this to be the "accident" that started it all.
Mr. Trooprally (and I) will toss this ping list, now that all three parts are posted and pinged. Thank you for your interest. And please, do copy, download and share these images and videos (just please credit them to the DC Chapter, as this story was broken here on FR by [Mr. and Mrs.] Trooprally, Va Flagwaver and Concretebob, and NOT by the MSM).
Isn’t Code Pink in town? Dennis Kucinich has an alibi.
I was unaware of this abomination.
Thanks for your post !
The left is worthless to this country. They do nothing but complain and destroy.
After all the attention by bloggers, military and conservative forums, I have yet to see any talk of this vandalism by the leftists and 'Rats.
The local radicals and anarchists are strangely silent.
Their boards have been silent.
And I have not yet seen any of our "esteemed" members of the 'Rat party condemning this "possible" act of vandalism.
Code Pink, IVAW, MFSO, GSFP, OutOfIraq, ANSWER, SDS, DAWN... all silent.
But they support our troops.
And our vets.
And they love our country.
I don't think so.
Those scum sucking pigs!!
I thought the oil substance was bad enough... but to gouge it with some sharp object is just too much.
Unbelievable that they would deface the memorial like that.
It was probably more than one individual that done this.
I would suggest that anyone that defaces any war memorial should be castrated … however, in the same breath; anyone that would do this suffers from “scrotamus lactus” (no balls). My life long dream … to catch one of these cowards in the act. Would show them what a vet is all about.
Thank you for the coverage. I am wondering how the cleanup is going. Do you think that this abomination will get cleaned up ok?
My Bros on that wall ...
I can't think of many examples of public sculpture that have had such an effect on people.
I can't walk within sight of it and not get emotional.
The vicious nature of those gouges makes me think of Code Pink right off the bat. If you guys are out, you might want to push them on it when you run into them. See if you can get some smart a.h. to brag about it.
I may be off base, but that dark stain might be caused by something as simple as mineral oil. It may seep into the stone and darken it.
Thank you for publicizing this.
I noticed they were using what looked like a power washer. Since that hasn’t completely removed the stains, how about using a steam cleaner? (another FReeper suggested steam as a remedy) Or maybe they already did.
p.s. I hope that was an attack squirrel.
Understand … I have yet to visit the memorial or the traveling version. I lose it just seeing it on the internet. BUT TO DEFACE IT just burns me no end.
Please tell us what you saw when you checked it out this evening...
Kristinn, you went out there this morning. Please stop by here and tell us what you saw, and heard from the NPS people you talked to. Inquiring minds want to know.
He looked pretty ferocious to me. I think he was a troop-supporting squirrel, from the looks of him.
;-)
Great reports! Thank you. Great pics of Rocky the Relaxin’ Squirrel.
“It would appear that there have been others, but we just aren’t told about them.”
It got scratched up pretty badly in 89 or 90, and they fixed it, but that was before the internet and I think CNN was the only 24 hr cable news then so word of it didn’t get out much, just a few small mentions in a few newspapers, and in the Veteran rags like 2 months later.
Doogle
Here are the still shots of the statues and panel 15E.
I always thought it was poignant that the design that was/is probably perfect in every way came from an Asia girl....
I returned from my own inspection of the wall late last night...this seems the place to post my thoughts.
The stains on the concrete were evident after the steam cleaning. Maybe somewhat lighter, but still there.
The wall had a fine layer of debris...small bits of dirt, leaves and general dust. (almost like bread crumbs?) It extended up the wall 12-18 inches in most cases. It was in the same areas as the streaking on the concrete and some others too.
I tried wiping it off with my hand and came away with a feeling of “silicone” (slippery). I believe that the heat and steam may have spread the “oily base” of the solution used by the vandals. Some areas in full sun still showed the streaks that had run down the granite wall. I guess they were areas that had absorbed the oil, or were higher than the steam was directed. It was much harder to see in the deeply shaded areas.
I talked to the Vets who run the booth nearest the wall and they said they heard nothing at night and the camera would have been in full darkness. It was reported to them by the volunteers who came in on Saturday morning. ( Someone must remain in the shops 24/7/365 or the Park Service can remove them!)
The statues seemed to be clean. The men are placed on a natural bed of mulch and bushes so show nothing. Some grease was on the base of the nurses memorial maybe just 2 or 3 3” circles. The bronze seemed totally clean...maybe cleaned since not a speck of dust in the folds or seams of the clothing or skin of the statues.
Well that is all I can add except the anger by the visitors and Rolling Thunder is extreme. Language that would not often be heard in the memorial area was commonly used!
Thank you for the update.
Bump for #25
Bump for #25 for you too.
aren’t there any cameras around the wall?
it would have been nice to see and identify the s.o.b who smeared the memory of soldiers who died fighting communist swine.
Called my dad, a Vietnam Veteran, and told him what happened. He’s furious. He said, “why the hell can’t they just leave us alone after all this time?” I told him because they are spawns of Satan.
Please call Dad back and tell him I said THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE and WELCOME HOME!!!!!
This whole thing is disgusting. Jim would ban me if I said what I’m thinking...
I will, and thank you :) I know it’ll mean alot to him.
Well, I mean it.
My brother fought in that war. My cousin lost his life....
Men like your Dad and ALL of them deserve our UTMOST RESPECT!!!
God Bless your brother and your cousin (God rest his soul), and you’re absolutely right, the UTMOST RESPECT to them ALL!!
Makes me want to cry.
Well done.
It finally did get a mention in the WaPost yesterday. IIRC, it was buried pretty deep on an inner page (Metro section), but it did have a picture with it.
Bump, for the best of my generation. I missed VietNam, Asthma, heart mumur. When I am around these guys, I still feel like I let them down.
I still can’t bring myself to look at that wall. The travelong wall has been here a couple times. I promise myself, the next time I get the chance, I will go.
So many young lives... is it okay for a sixty year old man to cry in public?
You didn’t let them down. Never feel like that. There are many ways to support our troops and our country. Voting is a big one. I think a close second is any time we publicly speak up for them.
I think we’re all here for a purpose. Each for a different purpose. That’s why we’re not clones of each other. Your purpose just doesn’t involve fighting in Viet Nam. That doesn’t make it less important.
Please do go see the traveling wall. Better yet, if you can see the real thing, it’s worth the trip.
Sure it’s ok for a sixty year old man to cry in public. I’ve seen a lot of people of all ages cry at the wall. That’s one form of “publicly speaking up” for our troops, the exact opposite of the vandalism. It’s an action that speaks louder than words.
Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to get the videos and pics.
[Mr] T
[Mr] T
BTTT
Thanks for the update.
Some sick ... people ... out there. Hopefully the scratches can be polished out. Unless the thing that did this starts bragging it will never be brought to justice.
It hasn’t made the news that I’ve seen.
Sometimes, tears . . . in public . . . are the major sign of a man's greatness . . . from his heart out . . . evidence of the depth of caring of his courage; his caring; his strength; his resolve; his fierce Love for things that REALLY matter. CONGRATS ON YOUR TEARS.
LLS
“Jim would ban me if I said what I’m thinking...”
In this case... probably not.
LLS
Its pretty easy to install camera’s.
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