Legislators Call for Sec Def Austin to Suspend Removal Plans
- Defend Arlington
- Dec 11, 2023
- 2 min read
Defend Arlington announces today it has received a letter signed by 44 Members
of Congress addressed to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin demanding he halt
the removal of the Reconciliation Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery
scheduled for Monday, December 18th, 2023. Read HERE
The eight-page letter cited concerns over spending citing H.R. 4365 which would
prevent the Department of Defense from using FY24 funds to administer,
implement, or enforce the removal of the Memorial at Arlington. The memorial
was included in the Naming Commission recommendations that were adopted by
Secretary Austin last year.
The letter also cited concerns over the desecration of grave sites that will be
affected by the removal as a “clear violation of Congress’ enacted statue and
legislative intent”.
The letter included two prominent House leaders including Mike Rogers,
Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, and Ken Calvert, Chairman of
the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and was signed by Members from
California, Wyoming, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, as well as states who have
military personnel whose graves are marked by the Memorial.
The memorial was designed by Moses Ezekiel a world-renowned Jewish-American
artist, who was himself a veteran. Upon is death Ezekiel was buried at the
memorial. A member of the Ezekiel family who opposes removal expressed
appreciation to the 44 and encouraged other lawmakers to join the effort to
prevent desecration of his family member’s grave site.
Defend Arlington is encouraging supporters to thank the members who signed
the letter and to ask those who did not, why they did not and to add their names
to the letter.
Defend Arlington reminds the pubic that if the US Military can be weaponized
against the dead in our Nation’s most hallowed historic military burial ground, no
veteran’s grave is safe anywhere.
Defend Arlington, a group that has been spearheading the effort to halt Secretary
Lloyd Austin's decision to accept the recommendation in the Naming
Commission's 3rd report, and has filed litigation to protect and preserve the
endangered memorial and grave marker.
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