The World War II Memorial on the National Mall was vandalized Thursday with bright pink spray paint, and a nearby fountain was found overflowing with bubbles. U.S. Park Police responded to the scene and have launched an investigation.
The spray paint included the phrase "Clean hands, dirty money." The Department of the Interior issued a statement calling the act "an utter disgrace and will not be tolerated."
"Our U.S. Park Police are on the scene and the investigation is ongoing," an agency spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "The public should know we will find the person responsible for this disgusting act."
The memorial honors the armed forces and the more than 400,000 Americans who died fighting in World War II. An Army veteran visiting the memorial expressed her dismay, stating she was "offended" by the vandalism.
"It just makes me absolutely irate," said Debra Mortensen. "I was offended because people fought and died for our country, and it’s dishonoring our country and all we’ve been through."
This is not the first time the World War II Memorial has been targeted. In 2016, it was vandalized with spray paint protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline. The memorial recently underwent a $4 million renovation project that upgraded its fountains and lighting and re-opened in May.
Other monuments on the National Mall have also been defaced recently. In June, red markings associated with a political slogan were found on the Washington Monument, and damage was reported at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.