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.
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