Confederate Memorial to be Restored at Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington, Va. — The U.S. Army has announced that restoring a Confederate memorial, recently removed from Arlington National Cemetery, will cost around $10 million. This move aligns with the Trump administration’s commitment to preserving American history, which many conservatives believe has been unfairly targeted for revision.
The memorial, which was taken down following recommendations from Congress, is expected to be back in place within two years. An official reports that both the base and the monument will undergo refurbishing before being reinstated. Along with the memorial, contextual panels will be installed to shed light on its historical significance.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared his thoughts on social media, emphasizing that the statue should never have been removed by what he called “woke lemmings.” He stated, “Unlike the Left, we don’t believe in erasing American history — we honor it.”
Historical Background of the Memorial
Created by sculptor Moses Ezekiel, a Confederate veteran, the monument was erected in 1914. It features a classical female figure symbolizing the American South. In recent years, a commission suggested that the memorial and other Confederate symbols should be reevaluated. Brig. Gen. Ty Seidule, who served on the commission, described the monument as “problematic from top to bottom.”
The memorial includes a Latin phrase that romanticizes the South’s secession, framing it as a noble “lost cause.” This perspective, many believe, distorts the true nature of the Civil War and its implications regarding slavery and governance.
Hegseth has resisted the commission’s directives on several occasions, notably with the reassignment of army base names. For instance, he reverted Fort Bragg to honor Army Pfc. Roland L. Bragg, a WWII veteran, rather than the Confederate general it was named after.
A Broader Initiative by the Trump Administration
In March, President Trump released an executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” The order criticized the current trend of reinterpreting history, claiming it intensifies societal divisions rather than promoting unity and understanding.
The order specifically targeted the Smithsonian museums, which Trump claimed have been influenced by divisive ideologies. It directed the Interior Department to restore any removed monuments or displays that contributed to a “false reconstruction” of American history.
Recently, discussions have intensified over how history is represented in public spaces. This week, the National Park Service announced plans to return a statue of Albert Pike, a Confederate general, to its former location near the U.S. Capitol.
In another related development, the Smithsonian Museum of American History decided to revert its presidential exhibit back to a version from 2008, removing references to the impeachments of former President Trump. The museum clarified that this update was planned in advance and not due to external pressures.
The ongoing debate over how we remember and represent our history is crucial, especially as many conservatives advocate for honoring the past rather than attempting to erase it.
