Small Cracks Found in Vietnam Memorial

Hairline cracks have been discovered in the black granite walls of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, inscribed with the names of 58,022 dead and missing Americans, the National Park Service said Tuesday.

Spokeswoman Sandra Alley said the fractures pose no threat to the monument in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial, and that no repairs are planned.

The cause of the cracks is not known, but Alley said she suspects pins drilled into the walls to hold the panels to the concrete backing. The cracks, ranging from one to six inches, are on eight of the 140 sections of the memorial.