Veterans groups condemn vandalism at DC’s World War II Memorial

WASHINGTON — National veterans groups and other supporters are condemning vandalism Thursday at the National World War II Memorial that involved spray paint on the outdoor monument and soap poured in the fountain.

“Clean hands dirty $” appeared to be the message scrawled on the memorial, which is on Independence Avenue, between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.

“Defacing this memorial with graffiti and paint and dumping soap into its fountains is not an act of expression. It is an act of profound disrespect, a slap in the face to the veterans who served and sacrificed and to the families who carried that burden at home,” said Cory Geisler, national commander for the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

U.S. Park Police officers closed off the area and kept visitors away, as the incident was investigated and the site cleanup began.

The Friends of the National World War II Memorial, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the memorial, said it was “deeply disturbed” by the actions.

“Whatever the intent, defacing a place dedicated to the service and sacrifice of the World War II generation is unacceptable,” the organization said. “A national memorial honoring those who served and those who never returned home should never be used as a canvas for vandalism.”

An estimated 5 million people visit the memorial each year.

A nearly $4 million renovation was completed in May. The site had been closed for several months to make repairs and update the aging infrastructure, which included installing new in-fountain lighting and replacing exterior in-ground pillar lights.

The Department of the Interior, which oversees the memorial through the National Park Service, described the vandalism as “an utter disgrace.”

“These memorials are not backdrops for political statements, acts of vandalism or childish stunts. They are sacred places of remembrance that belong to every American,” said Geisler of the VFW. “Those who visit them should show the same dignity and respect that we owe to the men and women whose service and sacrifice they commemorate.”