Confederate Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery to be Removed This Week, Confirms Officials
Arlington National Cemetery spokesperson Kerry Meeker informed CNN via email that the monument's removal is expected to conclude by Dec. 22.
This step aligns with the Department of Defense's directive issued in October to eliminate Confederate symbols from US military sites. The Army, overseeing the cemetery, confirmed the completion of necessary preparations, including an environmental assessment conducted last Saturday. Officials stated that the removal will not yield significant environmental impacts.
Base and Foundation of Confederate Statue to Remain at Cemetery Site, Protecting Surrounding Graves
Arlington Cemetery's website notes that Confederate interments were prohibited until 1900, with a dedicated Section 16 established by 1902, now housing over 400 remains.
The statue, crafted by sculptor Moses Jacob Ezekiel and revealed in 1914, portrays a bronze woman atop a 32-foot pedestal adorned with a crown of olive leaves. She holds a laurel wreath, a plow stock, and a pruning hook, while a Biblical inscription at her feet reads, 'They have beat their swords into plough-shares and their spears into pruning hooks,' as per the cemetery.
Confederate Monument Features Depictions of a 'Mammy' Black Woman and a Man Following his Owner to War, Notes Cemetery
Controversy Surrounds Removal of Statue with Governor Glenn Youngkin Opposing Decision
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, expresses disappointment over the statue's removal and aims to relocate it to the New Market Battlefield State Historical Park in the Shenandoah Valley, citing its significance to sculptor Ezekiel's legacy.
Congressional Naming Commission's Recommendation Leads to Confederate Statue Removal at Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery's Actions Follow West Point's Removal of Robert E. Lee Items a Year Prior
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