Reinstallation Plans for Confederate Memorial
New maps reveal the plan for reinstalling a controversial Confederate memorial at Arlington National Cemetery. Nearly three years after it was removed, the U.S. Army aims to restore the bronze sculpture to Section 16 of the cemetery. The memorial is expected to return in 2027. The Army presented its final design plans to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts on October 15, as reported by ABC News. These plans outline the restoration and placement details, including proposed elevation and installation.
The Trump administration is driving the reversal of the memorial’s removal, initially executed in December 2023 under a congressional mandate. Newsweek reached out to Arlington National Cemetery for further comment on this development.
Location and Restoration Details
According to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, the Army intends to return the bronze sculpture to Section 16, its original site, where numerous Confederate soldiers are interred. The sculpture will be reinstalled on the existing granite base that remained post the dismantling of bronze elements in December 2023. The Army does not plan to reconstruct the monument entirely.
Conservation and refurbishment work are included in the design plans. Additionally, interpretive materials will accompany the memorial, providing visitors with historical context and significance information.
Background on Removal
The memorial was dismantled following a congressional mandate to remove Confederate monuments from military properties. The Army complied with this directive and completed environmental and historic-preservation processes.
Initially installed in 1914, the memorial was created by Moses Jacob Ezekiel, a sculptor and Confederate veteran, and commissioned by the United Daughters of the Confederacy during Woodrow Wilson’s presidency. It features a bronze female figure representing the South amidst reliefs depicting Southern life during the Civil War. Critics of the memorial highlight imagery involving enslaved Black Americans, arguing that it romanticizes the Confederacy and diminishes the gravity of slavery.
Reasons for Reinstallation
The decision to restore the sculpture aligns with a shift in policy under President Trump’s administration. In 2025, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth advocated for the restoration, viewing the initial removal as an attempt to erase American history.
Hegseth publicly criticized the removal, stating that the Arlington statue should not have been dismantled, emphasizing the importance of honoring American history over erasing it. Subsequently, in July 2025, the Army agreed with the Commonwealth of Virginia to loan the sculpture to the Center for Military History, near Ezekiel’s burial site.
Supporters of the reinstallation argue that preserving the monument is key to acknowledging the nation’s history. Conversely, critics warn that its return could inadvertently honor a cause rooted in maintaining slavery, overshadowing the experiences of those enslaved.