Gettysburg Times reports on January 12 that “Oil-based substances were used recently to deface several monuments in Gettysburg National Military Park (GNMP), according to park officials.”
The story continues…
Restoration of the monuments involved “takes months and costs taxpayers thousands of dollars per monument,” the Facebook release posted Friday morning reads.
By Sunday afternoon, the release had generated over 800 comments.
One photo shows a maintenance worker seemingly working on a number of stains on the Pennsylvania Memorial.
Other pictures show oil damage to the Pennsylvania Independent Batteries C & F monument, the right flank marker of the 6th Maine Battery, and the left flank marker of the 111th New York Infantry.
“While possibly intended as symbolic or ritualistic, the damage is real and lasting. Porous stone absorbs oil deeply, making stains nearly impossible to remove,” the GNMP release reads.
Park officials also addressed the symbolism of the monuments in the post.
“These memorials honor brave soldiers—many of whom died on the very ground where these markers now stand. Adding oil does not honor their memory. It desecrates it,” the release reads.
In September, one of GNMP’s most iconic monuments was vandalized when someone allegedly scratched “LJR” into the side of a bronze plaque on the 44th New York Infantry Monument, also known as the “castle,” on Little Tound Top.
A witness to that incident allegedly saw a man scratching the side of the plaque and subsequently photographed him, Jason Martz, GNMP communications specialist, said at the time.
Anyone who witnesses any suspicious activity in the park is asked to contact staff immediately. The park’s tipline is 888-653-0009.