Americans resist Pentagon’s directive to remove significant Confederate memorial.
Americans Rally to Preserve Confederate Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery’s plans to remove the Confederate Memorial have sparked outrage among Americans who see it as a symbol of unity and reconciliation. During a public comment session on Wednesday evening, dozens of respondents, including veterans with both Union and Confederate heritage, passionately argued for the preservation of the memorial.
The Army sought public feedback as part of a legal process to determine the memorial’s historic significance and the best approach for its dismantling. A congressionally mandated study found the structure troublesome, according to the removal page on the cemetery’s website.
Many commenters emphasized the artistic value of the memorial and its role in representing restoration. One commenter, Brett Gregory, expressed concern that removing the monument would erase the message of reconciliation advocated by historical figures like Lincoln, Grant, McKinley, Taft, and Roosevelt. He argued that its removal would only further divide the nation.
How you can tell Arlington National Cemetery what you think about removing the Confederate Memorial https://t.co/yu58bsuurt#FreeDixie #DeoVindice #FJB pic.twitter.com/DAGZ1Zn6l4
— Dixie Drudge – Southern Nation News (@CptPeeWee) August 17, 2023
In 2021, Congress established the Naming Commission with the task of identifying and removing names, bases, and other Department of Defense assets honoring the Confederate States of America or any person who served voluntarily for the Confederacy.
The Pentagon’s final report recommended removing the bronze upper portion of the memorial while leaving the granite base intact to avoid disturbing graves. However, commenters argued that the memorial represents a movement towards reunification rather than a celebration of the Confederacy.
Concerns were raised about the precedent set by dismantling a monument that symbolizes peace, harmony, and reconciliation. Commenter Joseph Judson Smith III described it as a paradoxical act of destroying a monument with such a message.
Not everyone agreed with preserving the memorial. Bob Heister expressed his belief that there should be no memorials to those who took up arms against the United States, stating that reconciliation should not be pursued in this manner.
The memorial was commissioned by former President William McKinley, a Union veteran, in 1898. Congress allowed for the reinterment of over 400 Confederate veterans in graves surrounding the memorial, forming concentric circles as a means of fostering healing from the Civil War that had occurred half a century earlier.
The memorial features a statue of a woman representing the “American South,” holding a laurel wreath, plow stock, and pruning hook. Fourteen shields encircle her, representing the 11 Confederate states and the border states of Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri. The pedestal includes 32 engraved figures, two of which depict slaves, and an inscription that pays tribute to the idea of the Southern states’ war as a “lost cause.”
Arlington Cemetery sought alternatives to the removal of the memorial that would minimize adverse effects. However, commenters argued that removing the memorial would not only be illegal but also disrespectful to those buried at Arlington.
Moses Ezekiel, a Jewish-American Confederate veteran and renowned sculptor, designed the memorial and is buried at its base. Some commenters raised accusations of antisemitism based on Ezekiel’s Jewish heritage.
Commenter Jennifer London proposed that the country should memorialize its present reality and leave monuments of the past to tell the story of history following the Civil War.
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