In a stunning development that has absolutely no precedent in the annals of 'people doing dumb things at national monuments,' a woman was arrested Friday morning for defacing the National World War Two Memorial on the National Mall in Washington DC. US Attorney Jeanine Pirro, clearly savoring the moment, announced the arrest with the gravitas of a prosecutor unveiling a RICO case against a crime syndicate, rather than, say, a person with a can of spray paint and a questionable sense of humor.
Melissa L Farris, the alleged perpetrator, is facing two felony charges: Depredation Against Property of the United States and Destruction of Veterans’ Memorials. If convicted, she could spend up to ten years in prison - which, coincidentally, is roughly the amount of time it will take to scrub the words 'Clean hands dirty $' off the memorial's hallowed stone. The pool was also polluted with soapy bubbles, because nothing says 'protest' like a bath bomb in a war memorial fountain.
Pirro, whose father and grandfather served in WWII, called the vandalism 'a despicable attack on a sacred monument.' She posted photos of Farris on X, one of which appears to show her holding a can of spray paint at the scene, presumably in the middle of committing the act, because why not document your crimes on social media? Farris, ever the influencer, also posted videos to her Facebook account of herself spray-painting the memorial, asking why she hasn't been arrested yet. Spoiler: she got her wish.
The National Park Service and the Department of Interior were suitably outraged, with a spokesperson vowing, 'The public should know we will find the person responsible for this disgusting act.' The Friends of the National World War Two Memorial issued a statement reminding everyone that a national memorial is not a canvas for political expression, even if you have a really sharpie. The Veterans of Foreign Wars called it 'an act of profound disrespect,' which is putting it mildly.
But wait, there's more! The memorial sits near the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, which has been the site of recent controversy. A contentious upgrade project ordered by Donald Trump for the 250th anniversary of the US went sideways when the new surfacing separated and algae returned. Trump, never one to let a crisis go to waste, blamed vandals for the damage, though prosecutions of individuals allegedly involved have since collapsed, including a high-profile case against US Olympian David Hearn. In early June, vandals etched '8647' - a numeric signal of opposition to Trump - on the National Memorial lawn, prompting White House spokesperson Davis Ingle to declare that anyone engaging in political violence or assassination culture must be condemned. Because graffiti is basically assassination, right?
Meanwhile, visitors to the memorial expressed a range of emotions, from 'a little bit juvenile and funny' (Leanna Townsend of Florida) to 'ridiculous and very disrespectful' (Sonja Weekley of Alabama, whose grandparents and father-in-law fought in WWII). Weekley added, 'This is not political. This is for the men and women who fought for us to be free.'
Farris, in her post-arrest videos, appears disheveled and crying, saying she knows she upset people but was trying to get help for herself. The criminal complaint quotes her as saying, 'Someone has to make choices that are different and I am accountable for my actions.' Indeed, choices like 'spray-painting a war memorial' and 'adding soap to a fountain' are certainly choices.
Trump, meanwhile, took to his social media platform to post, 'First the Reflecting Pool, now this. We are on their trail! Where do these animals come from???' Because when you're a former president, every vandalism incident is a chance to sound like a B-movie detective chasing down a mysterious gang of monument defacers.
In the end, the real tragedy here isn't just the vandalism - it's that someone thought this would be an effective form of protest. There are, as the Friends of the Memorial noted, many places for expression, debate, and disagreement. A national memorial honoring those who served and never returned is not one of them. But hey, at least the bubbles were pretty.