GETTYSBURG, Pa. — Two incidents of vandalism took place at Gettysburg National Military Park within the span of a week.
A boulder on Little Round Top was discovered to have been defaced by carvings of words on Aug. 15. The War Department Observation Tower on Oak Ridge was found to have been spray painted with graffiti on Aug. 19.
The Gettysburg Borough Police Department says it has identified a suspect in the vandalism. The suspect's identity was not released.
The boulder was cleaned up by a preservationist and currently shows no signs of damage.
"It's safe to say that our hearts sank to see that something like this had been done here on the hallowed ground of Gettysburg," said GNMP communications specialist Jason Martz. "This area hasn't seen a whole lot of foot traffic for the better part of two years. It was very disheartening to see and discover that something like this had been done."
Little Round Top reopened to the public in June following renovations to the site of one of the most important moments of the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863 where the Union fended off a key Confederate attack.
Martz says he first saw the damage in a social media post from a visitor, and that visitors can play a big role in making sure one of America’s most hallowed grounds remains just that.
"This battlefield is certainly among the most hallowed ground in the entire country," Martz said. "We really can't do everything on our own. We need help. We need any help that we can get from the visiting public. And so if you see something, please say something."
The penalty for vandalizing a National Park is up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $5,000.