The World War Two Memorial in Washington, D.C., was the scene of vandalism on Thursday when its central fountain overflowed with soap suds and paint was splattered across parts of the site, federal officials said.
Photos and official statements show the fountain bubbled over with suds and one surface of the memorial was defaced with graffiti reading "Clean hands Dirty $." The paint marred the stonework of the memorial and left visible splatters on the plaza.
Dedicated in 2004, the memorial consists of 56 granite pillars arranged around the edge of an elliptical plaza on the National Mall. According to the National Parks Service, it stands as a monument to roughly 400,000 Americans who died and the 16 million who served in the armed forces during World War Two.
The Interior Department, which oversees the National Parks Service, issued a forceful statement condemning the act. "The vandalism that occurred is an utter disgrace and will not be tolerated," the department said. It added that the U.S. Park Police were on the scene and that the investigation was ongoing, and that the public should know authorities will find the person responsible for what it called "this disgusting act."
The Friends of the National WWII Memorial, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the site, described the incident as "unacceptable," calling the memorial a "sacred place of remembrance." The group said there are many venues for expression and debate, but that a national memorial honoring those who served and those who never returned should not be used as a canvas for vandalism.
Commentary in the public domain noted that the United States' role in World War Two is widely viewed as a matter of national pride and unity even amid intense political disagreement, and that some Americans continue to debate whether the use of atomic bombs on Japan was appropriate to end the war. The vandalism occurred as President Donald Trump has been pursuing a personal and sometimes politically divisive campaign to alter memorials around Washington.
Authorities have said the investigation into the incident is ongoing. No arrests were reported in the statements released by federal officials and nonprofit stewards on the day of the vandalism.