Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers is Safe for the Moment

[Darrin Dickey]

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers is suffering non-structural cracks in the marble facing. Last year, preservationists were irate when Arlington National Cemetery announced plans to replace the nation's premiere shrine to its fallen soldiers with a replica. An angry public took their concerns to Congress, who mandated that a report listing all of the options available, including repairing the existing Tomb. This past August, a report was delivered from the Department of the Army, the Department of Veterans Affairs and Arlington National Cemetery. In the report, all three agencies agreed to work together to repair the damaged Tomb... for now.
However, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has warned that preservationists need to remain vigilant. Decision-makers continue to seriously promote the idea of eventually replacing the Tomb with a replica, despite the fact that the National Trust says replacement will cost nearly 40 times more than repair in addition to damaging the historical significance of Arlington National Cemetery.

You can read more about the Tomb on the National Trust for Historic Preservation website at http://www.preservationnation.org/tomb. You can also send an e-mail to the Armed Services Committee thanking them for requesting the report by going to https://secure2.convio.net/nthp/site/Advocacy?JServSessionIdr011=73....