U.S. Army’s Plans to Reinstall Confederate Memorial at Arlington
Recent plans reveal the U.S. Army intends to reinstall a controversial Confederate memorial at Arlington National Cemetery. Nearly three years ago, the memorial was removed due to a congressional mandate. The Army’s final design plans were presented to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts on October 15. These maps, as reported by ABC News, outline how the bronze sculpture will be restored and returned to Section 16 of the cemetery in 2027.
Memorial’s Planned Return
The proposal details the positioning and installation of the memorial, which is part of efforts by the Trump administration to reverse its removal in December 2023. Arlington National Cemetery was contacted by Newsweek on Sunday for a comment.
Details of the Plan
The Army aims to reposition the bronze sculpture on its original site in Section 16, where many Confederate soldiers are interred. The existing granite base, left after the sculpture’s removal, will be reused. Rather than constructing a new monument, the focus will be on conservation and refurbishment before reinstallation. Interpretive material will accompany the sculpture to provide historical context for visitors.
Background on the Removal
The monument was dismantled in December 2023, following Congress’s directive to eliminate Confederate monuments from military locations. The Army adhered to the prerequisites for environmental and historic-preservation laws in removing the monument.
The Naming Commission, an independent body formed to oversee military assets honoring the Confederacy, also recommended its removal. Erected in 1914 by sculptor Moses Jacob Ezekiel, a Confederate veteran, the statue was commissioned by the United Daughters of the Confederacy and dedicated during President Woodrow Wilson’s era.
The bronze memorial features a female figure symbolizing the South, set above reliefs depicting Southern life during the Civil War. This imagery, including representations of enslaved Black Americans, has been criticized for romanticizing the Confederacy and downplaying slavery.
Reason for Reinstallation
The decision to reinstall the statue aligns with a policy shift under President Trump’s administration. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in 2025, framed its removal as an erasure of American history. Expressing his views on social media, he mentioned that the memorial’s removal was unwarranted and called the statue a piece of historical honor.
By July 2025, the Army negotiated with Virginia to loan the sculpture to Arlington’s Center for Military History, located near Ezekiel’s gravesite. The Army has announced plans for comprehensive conservation and the creation of educational content to provide clear historical context.
This restoration has ignited debates over how the U.S. commemorates the Civil War and the Confederacy. Arlington, one of the nation’s most recognized military cemeteries, remains central to this debate. Proponents of the memorial’s return argue it’s a crucial part of history, while critics are concerned that reinstalling it could honor a cause rooted in the preservation of slavery, ignoring the suffering of enslaved individuals.