Statue Of Liberty Is Hiding Something Underneath Her Foot

Getting Some Help

His heart began to beat like an Olympic runner going for gold. He was looking at the big letter in front of them that he had missed before.

He couldn’t believe that he hadn’t seen them before this. They must have been alluding him the entire time. But the next step was to get some help. The only number he thought to call was 911. (Ambien)

Great Job

For more than a decade Larry McDern worked security at the Statue of Liberty.

A lot of people may think that it’s a boring job looking after the oxidizing statue every day. But Larry felt very different, he got a few perks and insights with the job.

Like Any Other Day

It started like any other day, it was just a Wednesday afternoon.

It was around autumn, which meant that it was easier for Larry to make his rounds. He loved looking up at the beautiful lady that he protected. He remembered hearing what the child the day earlier had said about the statue. He loved the attention she got.

Common Favorites

The key features of the statue that everyone noticed the most were the book, the torch, and the crown.

But if only they knew about the secrets hidden in the base. One foot symbolized breaking free from slavery and service while the other held much more important secrets.

So Much More

The foot was raised slightly as if the lady was about to take a huge step forwards.

But there was more to this than just a symbolic gesture. There was something very special in her step. When Larry was admiring her like he always did, he suddenly noticed something he hadn’t seen before.

Something New

The raised heel looked a little different from the rest of the statue. It was very subtle but Larry noticed it.

After working there for ten years he was so surprised that he hadn’t noticed it before. He felt excited, but he was also very nervous, what was it?

New Message?

Could this really be possible?

Larry started theorized who could have left this symbol or message. Perhaps the engineer that had built the Eiffel Tower – Alexander Gustaf Eiffel – had left this for him to discover.

Looking Closer

It was lettering!

The different shade of green was actually a word hidden on the foot. He could make out an “A” and then an “M”. He needed to consult an expert immediately.

Quite Angry

“Ken, get your stuff ready. We need you at one of the feet.”

A voice crackled on the other end. “Why. What happened?” Larry squinted down at the letters. “The cops will have to tell us that. Don’t go up there until they arrive.” He knew that someone would have to answer to this.

Faint Hope, Gone

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” said Ken. “How did they managed to get up here?!”

Larry shrugged, feeling the same frustration as they stared at it up-close. It had been an intense moment of child-like hope – that there was something new to be found within the monument. But the truth left a sour taste in his mouth.

Graffiti

The message had been left with spray paint – “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves – Abraham Lincoln. – From, your French neighbors.”

At the bottom a dripping peace sign capped off the act of vandalism. It wasn’t just the mess that was the problem.

Sneaky Painter

Someone had managed to sneak up to the foot and leave the note – all without ever been spotted by cameras or staff.

It was a huge breach of security. But the message itself had a gaping problem that would fall apart after a quick internet search.

Wrong Person

Historians have all agreed that although the former President had mentioned similar sentiments throughout many of his speeches, he hadn’t actually said those words.

The misquote had been going for decades. For Larry, it was infuriating.

Why The Foot?

There was nothing to stop whoever had done this from just writing a sign and sitting on the grass in peaceful protest.

It was his right. Hiding it like that not only made sure no one would see it, but gave the cleaning specialists extra, frustrating work.

Still An Amazing Lady

In the end, it would be a matter for the police.

All he and his team could do was adjust their cameras and be more vigilant. It was disappointing that there was nothing new to be found, but he could take solace in the fact there were still many other wonderful secrets hiding in Lady Liberty.

Sleepless Night

Larry couldn’t forget about his discovery, That night he played detective and gathered as many clues as he could about the vandalism. He took a few of his own pictures and some video clips just to make sure that he caught every angle.

He took his job very seriously and he felt violated too, not just the statue.

Self-Appointed Detective

The next day at work he decided to go through the camera footage himself. Although he had reported the incident to the police, they took their own time to bring results. He took it upon himself to scour the footage for any hidden clues.

Whoever the vandal was, he was smart. It wasn’t just anybody.

Movie Day

He started the video from earlier in the day, he watched dozens of tourists walk by. Nothing seemed unusual. He fast-forwarded to the evening time just before they suspected the vandalism took place. At that precise moment, something covered that particular camera.

The police discovered that it was simply chewing gum stuck to the camera lens.

Request

Larry requested that they do DNA tests and they assured him that they would do everything possible to find the culprit/s. A few more days passed and there was no news or progress. Larry was getting anxious now.

The police had no leads and nobody had come forward to report any information. They were stuck.

Impatient Work

Larry grew more frustrated with the passing days, He took the vandalism attack as a personal vendetta against his occupation. He loved his job. He took pride in his work and he hated the person who trespassed against him.

His frustration turned to anger, he wanted answers. There was nothing else he could do about the situation. He was a sitting duck.

A Better Plan

Larry took his job more seriously over the coming days. He made a tighter schedule of his rounds so he would always be walking passed the quiet spots tourists were known to linger in.

He hadn’t noticed anything unusual except one thing. 

Tight Shift

Every day around 4:40 PM when he was about to do his last round for the afternoon, he would find a piece of candy wrapper on the floor near where the foot was vandalized.

He didn’t think anything of it, there was often litter laying around even though there were tight rules about food and drink on the premises.

A Good Eye

It was only on the fourth day that something really got him thinking. The candy wrapper was stuck to the foot with a piece of gum. Someone would have had to put it there and press it down hard.

Larry was furious. Was the vandal back? How did he get past him again? Was he mocking him? 

Fast Action

Larry immediately took a picture and ran up the stairs to the security office.

He told the security officer to check the footage around 4 PM. There were 5 people walking around the spot where the wrapper was found. It was impossible to tell who it was. The camera angle was all wrong and the people were moving too quickly.

A Sharp Crook

The security guard was also dumbfounded. Larry’s blood was boiling. This was it. He had to come up with a plan to catch the sneaky culprits.

As though there was some divine intervention, at that moment Larry received a phone call. They had the lab results back from the gum on the camera.

Results

They didn’t find any human DNA, because they assume the vandal softened the gum with water and his fingers. But they did discover the exact make and brand of the gum which was only sold in one store in the area.

Larry breathed a sigh of relief. Was this the lead they had been waiting for?

Quick Thinking

Larry told the police detective about what he had just seen on the foot. The detective told him to record the evidence but not to touch anything. Larry agreed and waited for the detective’s arrival. He told the security guard to keep watching the video footage just to make sure they hadn’t missed anything. 

Hope

Larry was finally feeling hopeful. After the last few weeks of him feeling incompetent, there was a ray of light that the truth would be revealed. He hardly slept since the incident. He lay awake almost every night thinking about who the vandal was.

Was it somebody that knew him? Was it personal revenge? He wasn’t the friendliest guy around and knew that he had stepped on a few tails in the past. Comes with the territory.

A Serious Matter

The incident had made it into the newspapers and the vandal was seen as somewhat of a street performance artist. Larry scoffed at the idea that anybody could praise such work.

He told the security officer that the general public was a bunch of idiots and accepted rubbish as art. This was no laughing matter as his reputation was on the line.

Another Clue

The detective had arrived in record time. Larry was surprised by his efficacy. He had his forensic team scour the area and bag the evidence. This time they were up to speed and they were going to act quickly. “Thanks for your service,” the detective said as he looked at the bagged evidence, “I’m sure we are on the closing end of this case now.”

 Larry looked skeptical but he was eager to find the truth.

Disclaimer: To protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.