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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Vandals damaged several buildings overnight across the city, including the Liberty Memorial.

Workers already are busy removing the spray painted graffiti at the National World War I Museum.

Police say just before 1 a.m. Tuesday a 911 caller reported seeing two people spray paint the phrase “glory to the fallen” across the face of the monument.

There were some additional words in Spanish, which refer to a Peruvian island and prison riots that happened on this date in 1986.

In addition to defacing the tribute to World War I generals, the same words were spray painted overnight on buildings in Kansas City’s Northeast neighborhood, including a church on St. John Avenue.

Volunteers from DSG Equipment and Supplies are cleaning up the National World War I Museum’s monument for no charge.

“It’s always distressing to see violence being done to a national memorial,” said Matthew Naylor, president and CEO of the museum. “We’re outraged that someone would deface the National World War One Museum and memorial, this general’s role, that they would do that.”

Naylor said some bronze plaques honoring the generals also have been damaged and make take some time to restore.

The museum has shared surveillance video with police, and so have Union Station and other Crown Center businesses nearby, in hopes of identifying the vandals.

Vandalism to the Liberty Memorial is unusual. But it has happened on at least one other occasion in recent years.

Volunteers have always made sure the memorial remains a fitting tribute to our men and women who have served.

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