Substance on Vietnam Memorial is Vandalism

WASHINGTON - An oily substance on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall is vandalism, U.S. Park Police say.

National Park Service rangers noticed what they call a light, oily substance on the memorial's wall panels and paving stones on Sept. 7.

The substance was spread over an area of 50 to 60 feet.

"We have done some chemical analysis of the work but it's coming back inconclusive at this time," National Park Service spokesman Bill Line says.

Preservation staff are working to remove the substance and say they believe they can do so without causing any permanent damage or pushing the substance into the granite stonework or grouting. The removal process could take weeks, Line says.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, which built the Wall, has offered its help to both the National Park Service and the Park Police. The Memorial Fund has contacted the stoneworkers who work on the memorial to get their expert advice.

"We deplore this act of vandalism on one of America's sacred places," says Memorial Fund Founder and President Jan C. Scruggs, in a news release.

The Fund is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.

The black granite Wall, one of the most visited tourist sites in D.C., bears the names of more than 58,000 men and women killed or missing in the Vietnam War.

There has been only one major case of vandalism in the Wall's 25-year history. In 1993, someone burned one of the directory stands at the entrance to the memorial.

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