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Legislators Call for Sec Def Austin to Suspend Removal Plans

  • Writer: Defend Arlington
    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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