Vandals at the Wall
Human Events
by Michelle Oddis
Posted 09/12/2007
ANSWER is planning big anti-war demonstrations this weekend. The
last time they were in town, some demonstrators tried to deface the Wall and were blocked by veterans...Is this a pre-emptive
strike?
Last Friday a "light, oily substance" was sprayed on 50 to 60 feet of the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial wall panels and paving stones in an act of apparent vandalism. All this week, Washington was consumed with
the Iraq reports by Gen. David Petraeus and Amb. Ryan Crocker. This weekend, ANSWER and a number of other anti-war groups
are planning big demonstrations in Washington. Some veterans groups are planning to parallel the demostrations with lines
of volunteers blocking access to the Vietnam Wall and other memorials they believe may
be targeted for defacment. The assumption that Friday's discovery was an act of vandalism connected with the demonstrations
seems a logical conclusion.
Bill Line, Communications officer for the National Park Service doesn't think that assumption would
be normal.
"No it would not be normal... it would be wrong," Line said defensively.
"It would be -- wrong -- to call this incident vandalism because we have not concluded the investigation,
it is still ongoing. It would be premature and wrong to use the words vandal, or vandalism… It could have been an accident."
Anyone who has seen photos or video of the trail of gunk on the black glossy walls would definitely
not see it as an accident -- but it is true that the circumstances of the spraying are still unknown.
If a particularly twisted individual or group of individuals decided they wanted to deface a national
monument that represents some 58,000 fallen warriors, why would they chose a wimpy "light, oily" substance? Wouldn't you choice
a flaming red can of paint? But how this could possibly be an accident?
Col. Harry G. Riley (US Army, Ret.) who is heading up the "Eagles" group -- one of the veterans
groups coming to Washington to protect the monuments this weekend said "When you see there is some type of a substance on
the wall down and on the base for 50 to 60 feet, its pretty hard for me to rationalize how that could be anything other than
purposeful…"
"Who ever did this, if they were trying to enrage the Vietnam
Veterans, they did," said Riley. "We have been stomped on and ridiculed and spit on simply because we went when our nation
called. It wasn't that we are pro war -- when the nation called we went."
Vandalism of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial has not occurred
since 1989 said Jan Scruggs, who conceived the idea of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
wall and raised the money to have it built 25 years ago.
"Someone put some lighter fluid on one of the directories on Constitution Avenue, lit a fire, and
burned a few pages off," said Scruggs.
Scruggs who is also founder and president of the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial Fund said that there is a belief that the recent vandalism was motivated by "MoveOn.org type of people" but he hopes
that no one is accusing them at this point.
"I just can't image that this was an organized activity or a conspiracy involving more than one
deranged person, or that anyone would have done this to score political points for their cause -- it would have just the opposite
effect."
Scruggs told HUMAN EVENTS that if anyone has knowledge of who committed this act that the Foundation
is offering $1000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
The substance has been reported to be coming off the wall, although recent weather conditions in
D.C. have been slowing down restoration progress. The "light, oily" substance is yet to be identified. Whoever did this, and
regardless of their reason, they have raised tensions around this weekend's demonstrations to an unnecessarily high level.
Why would the National Park Service be so tense, and reject so forcefully the idea that the oil
spraying was an act of vandalism? HUMAN EVENTS plans to follow this story closely.
Military Order of the Purple Heart Press Release
MILITARY ORDER OF THE PURPLE HEART
National Headquarters
5413-B Backlick Road, Springfield, VA 22151
703-642-5360 Fax: 703-642-1841
September 6, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For information contact:
Nat'l Public Relations Director Ray Funderburk (662) 772-5811
Eagles must gather again
Springfield, VA--As combat wounded veterans we all know and understand the truism,
"Vigilance is the price of liberty." In the 1960s groups like the A.N.S.W.E.R Coalition and its followers took to the
streets of our nation and since they were unopposed they shaped a national defeat that could not be brought about by the Viet
Cong or the North Vietnamese. They also created mischief and acts of vandalism against our memorials, our flag, our
serving military and military recruiting stations.
Make no mistakes about these groups today and their announced goals. Their leadership
like their tactics has not changed. They remain a menace and it is not just about protesting and their right to protest.
All of us who have been wounded in combat know why we went to war. We know the
values and rights we were protecting. We will always fight for all of the rights of every American citizen to have freedom
of speech, rights of assembly, freedom of religion, the right to keep and bear arms and all of the other rights granted by
our forefathers. We must always fight to preserve and protect those rights that we have come to know as Americans.
I am once again calling for our Patriots to again gather with the Eagles. Not
to stifle protest, not to out shout voices of dissent, but simply to protect what we hold so dear. The planned activities
of A.N.S.W.E.R on September 15th will not require us to counter protest or even stand in opposition to protest. No,
the reason we must gather is to stand vigilant, and place ourselves between our memorials and symbols of freedom and those
who would do harm to them.
The A.N.S.W.E.R coalition and their support groups have stated that they intend to
bring one million protesters to Washington for the purpose of overcoming the White House, Congress and the Pentagon.
In addition to a call for protesters, they are now calling for volunteers who "are able to risk arrest." They have clearly
stated that they intend not only to indulge in legitimate protest but that they intend to violate laws.
We must remember that in January of this year, this group marched on our capitol and
marching and voices of protest were not enough for them. They defaced and desecrated our capitol building and while
their major effort was centered on our capitol, a small group journeyed to the Navy Memorial and defaced and desecrated it.
We must also remember that on that bitter cold day in March, when we stood arm in
arm with the Eagles of our land, the protesters were stunned and stopped by our mere presence. But nevertheless, late
in that evening they made an attempt to deface the Viet Nam Wall.
Once again we must gather with the Eagles and we must remain vigilant. We must
remain vigilant as those who protest use the streets of our capitol as their stage. I ask the Patriots of the Military
Order of the Purple Heart and all other veteran Patriots that you join me just off stage, in protection of our memorials once
again.
Gather again and stand with the Eagles of this nation.
Henry
J. Cook, III
Col.
U.S. Army Special Forces (Ret.)
National
Commander, M.O.P.H.
The Military Order of the Purple Heart consists of about 39,000 combat wounded veterans
from all wars. The MOPH exists to offer support to the combat wounded and their families.
