Overview

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that Moses Ezekiel’s 32-foot bronze Reconciliation Monument, removed in December 2023, will return to Arlington National Cemetery by 2027 after a complete refurbishment.
• Restoration will feature interpretive panels on the statue’s base explaining its 1914 commissioning and will address structural wear from its removal.
• The Army estimates the project will cost about $10 million, covering conservation work and educational displays.
• The announcement implements President Trump’s March executive order “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” which directs the reinstatement of public monuments removed since January 2020.
• Supporters frame the move as preserving a reconciliation symbol while critics, including retired Brig. Gen. Ty Seidule, contend the memorial glorifies slavery and segregation.