Hegseth reinstated a Confederate monument at Arlington that was removed by the Biden Administration

Pete Hegseth announced the return of a monument to Confederate soldiers to Arlington National Cemetery. It is the Reconciliation Monument, which was removed during the Biden Administration. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin accepted the Secretary of Defense's proposal and finalized the agreement with the Center for Military History.

Lloyd Austin, Hegseth's predecessor at the Pentagon, had ordered the piece removed, which was stored in a warehouse at Old Dominion. A year and a half later, the Trump Administration decided to return it to Arlington. 

"I’m proud to announce that Moses Ezekiel’s beautiful and historic sculpture—often referred to as 'The Reconciliation Monument'—will 'rightfully be returned to Arlington National Cemetery near his burial site," celebrated the defense secretary on his X account.

"It never should have been taken down by woke lemmings. Unlike the Left, we don’t believe in erasing American history—we honor it," he added.

The monument in question is by Moses Jacob Ezekiel, a Richmond-born Jewish sculptor who served as a Confederate cadet in the Civil War. It was unveiled in 1914 by President Woodrow Wilson, who described it as a "symbol of national reconciliation." Ezekiel asked to be buried at the foot of the monument, and indeed he was.

The sculpture includes 14 shields, representing the eleven Confederate states and the border states of Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri. It also shows soldiers, southern civilians, and mythological figures.

In turn, at its base it has a direct reference to the biblical passage Isaiah 2:4. This verse is part of the central message of the monument, since it sought to project an image of national reconciliation after the Civil War.

Over the years, several presidents sent flowers to the memorial on Memorial Day, including Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.

"After a full refurbishment, the sculpture will be displayed at Arlington in 2027. We are grateful for the care being taken to preserve and display this statue, which allows us to better understand the complex history of the United States," Governor Youngkin said in a statement.