Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Location: Virginia
Current Status: Endangered
Threat: Demolition
Last fall, we declared a "reprieve" for the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington Cemetery. But today, its fate is far from certain. When the National Trust for Historic Preservation sounded the alarm about plans to replace the original Tomb with a replica solely because of repairable cosmetic imperfections, there was a huge public outcry. Thousands of Members and supporters emailed Congress and the Superintendent of the Cemetery, asking that all options for the 1932 monument – which is nationally significant and eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places – be considered, including repair.
Preservationists raised awareness that the two nonstructural cracks in the 48-ton marble block pose no threat to visitors or the historic structure. They also successfully raised the point that replacement propopents want the replica carved from new stone that will almost inevitably crack along its grain as all marble does naturally when exposed to the elements. Repair and proper care of the Tomb (re-grouting the cracks and using only gentle cleaning methods instead of high-pressure power-washing) is possible and is the preferred method for fixing the existing cracks, as other marble monuments such as the Lincoln Memorial were repaired.
In testimony before Senate Armed Services Committee staff last September, stone preservation expert Mary Oehrlein explained this method of restoration saying, "The existing monument can easily be repaired, as was done 17 years ago, using conventional conservation methods to re-grout the cracks. Once repaired, the fault lines would be virtually invisible from the public viewing areas." (Read more of Ms. Oerhlein's comments to the committee staff here.)
Thanks in no small part to efforts of preservationists, on January 29th the President signed the Defense Authorization Bill that included an amendment introduced by Senators Daniel Akaka (D-HI) and James Webb (D-VA), requiring the Department of the Army and the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) to produce a written report outlining ALL the options for the Tomb – including repair. That report is due to Congress at the end of July.
Learn More
Tomb of the Unknowns Update: Study Requires “Highly Experienced Specialists”
Shortly before Congress and President Bush enacted the temporary reprieve for the historic monument, the Army announced that it had “decided to pause” its effort to replace and discard the historic Tomb Monument “until … Congress has the opportunity to review the report.” The report is due at the end of July 2008.
In the [...]
Preservationists Win Temporary Reprieve for Historic Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery
I’m happy to report that, on January 29th, President Bush signed into law a temporary reprieve for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which federal officials want to replace with a replica because of repairable cosmetic imperfections.
Thanks to the advocacy of 4,000 National Trust for Historic Preservation members and friends who asked Congress and the [...]
Press Coverage Raises Awareness of Threat to Tomb
Here at the National Trust, we are very pleased that the Army’s plan to discard the Tomb Monument has received considerable recent attention from the media.
National Public Radio covered the threatened Tomb on November 11, interviewing Bob Loftur-Thun, a former Sentinel guard at the Tomb who strongly supports restoration rather than replacement.
The New York Times [...]
Update
In March, we cautioned the Army and the DVA that it is imperative that the personnel tasked with conducting the new study of the Tomb Monument be highly experienced specialists in the conservation of marble. For example, this expert must conduct technically sophisticated tests to assess the structural integrity of the monument, evaluate the feasibility of repairing the monument, and prepare cost estimates for repair versus replacement.
But sadly, it is clear that the Army and the DVA have no intention of conducting any new studies at all, but are instead planning on simply repackaging old reports designed to buttress arguments to replace the Tomb.
We cannot let this come to pass. We must continue to be vigilant in our efforts to keep the pressure on the Army, the DVA and the Superintendent of Arlington National Cemetery to seriously study options for repairing the authentic Tomb of the Unknown Soldier – the only national monument to soldiers who fought in World War I.
Support Our Efforts
Make a donation in honor or memory of a friend or family member who has served in the U.S. military or in support of our efforts to save the Tomb.
Our Partners
Arlington, Virginia County Government; Arlington Heritage Alliance; APVA - Preservation Virginia; American Institute for Conservation; Advisory Council on Historic Preservation; and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources.
