Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Tuesday that the Confederate memorial known as “The Reconciliation Monument” will be returning to Arlington National Cemetery. Hegseth expressed pride in the decision, stating that the sculpture by Moses Ezekiel will be rightfully returned to its place near his burial site.
The monument was initially removed in 2023 as part of efforts to remove statues and rename military installations honoring Confederate figures. It was then moved to a Defense Department storage facility in Virginia.
Hegseth criticized the decision to remove the monument, stating that unlike the Left, they do not believe in erasing American history but rather honor it. The monument, unveiled in 1914 by President Woodrow Wilson, was commissioned by the United Daughters of the Confederacy to commemorate reconciliation and national unity.
Moses Ezekiel, a Jewish American sculptor who fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War, was encouraged by General Robert E. Lee to pursue a career in sculpting after the war. He is buried with honors at Arlington National Cemetery.
