Vietnam Veterans Memorial Defaced, originally uploaded by Rob Bluey.

I got word this morning from Gathering of Eagles that the Vietnam Veterans Memorial had been vandalized, so after I was finished at the White House, I headed over to check it out for myself. Sure enough, I found several stones covered with an oily substance.

In the above photo (and others available on Flickr), you’ll noticed that the memorial has been sprayed toward the bottom of the wall with some kind of black substance. Free Republic has also posted photos.

I spoke to a National Park Service employee who was livid that someone would vandalize the memorial. “It’s like defacing a grave,” he told me. When I asked if there were any clues as to who was responsible, he told me videotape was being reviewed. It is believed the damage was done on Friday night. Because the monument never closes, it could have taken place late in the evening when no one was around.

The most tragic part of the vandalism is that the damage appears to be permanent. The Park Service employee who talked to me said that the initial diagnosis was that the oily substance had stained the stone. He said another analysis would take place tomorrow.

At a time when America is particularly sentimental about the men and women who have given their lives for our country, this is a sad and unfortunate act. The coward who did it should be ashamed.

UPDATE — Sept. 11, 9:47 a.m.: The Washington Times has a story today about the damage and efforts to repair the memorial.