The World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., was vandalized Thursday after someone covered parts of the site with graffiti, paint and soap bubbles, prompting officials to temporarily close the memorial while cleanup efforts got underway.
According to Reuters, one section of the memorial was marked with the words “Clean hands Dirty $” in red paint. Red and green paint was also splashed across other areas, while soap had been dumped into the memorial’s fountain, creating a large amount of foam.
The National World War II Memorial, dedicated in 2004, sits on the National Mall and is surrounded by 56 granite pillars representing the U.S. states and territories that contributed to the war effort.
The memorial honors the 16 million Americans who served in the U.S. armed forces during World War II, including more than 400,000 who died during the conflict.
The Friends of the National WWII Memorial, a nonprofit organization that works to preserve the site and its legacy, condemned the vandalism and described the memorial as a “sacred place of remembrance.”
“There are many places in our country for expression, debate, and disagreement,” the organization said in a statement. “A national memorial honoring those who served and those who never returned home should never be used as a canvas for vandalism.”
The Department of the Interior also sharply criticized the damage, calling the incident an “utter disgrace,” according to WRC-TV.
“The World War II Memorial is a sacred place to honor the service of our members of the Armed Forces and the over 400,000 Americans who gave the ultimate sacrifice in WWII,” the department said.
Officials said U.S. Park Police responded to the scene and launched an investigation into the vandalism.
“The vandalism that occurred is an utter disgrace and will not be tolerated,” the Department of the Interior added. “Our U.S. Park Police are on the scene and the investigation is ongoing. The public should know we will find the person responsible for this disgusting act.”
Veterans organizations also reacted with anger.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars told the Associated Press that defacing the memorial was “an act of profound disrespect” and “a slap in the face” to the veterans who served, those who died and the families who supported them at home during the war.
Debra Mortensen, an Army veteran who was visiting the memorial, told Fox News that she was furious when she saw the damage.
“It just makes me absolutely irate,” Mortensen said. “I was offended because people fought and died for our country, and it’s dishonoring our country and all we’ve been through.”
Thursday’s incident was not the first time the World War II Memorial has been targeted. In 2016, the site was vandalized during protests connected to the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Cleanup crews began working to remove the paint, graffiti and soap after the latest incident, while authorities continued investigating who was responsible.