Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reversed his 2023 decision to remove the Confederate memorial known as ‘The Reconciliation Monument’ from Arlington National Cemetery. In a recent announcement, Hegseth declared the sculpture, created by Jewish American artist Moses Ezekiel, will be returned to its original location near Ezekiel’s burial site. The monument, which was removed in 2023 as part of broader efforts to remove Confederate statues, is now set to be reinstated following a decision by the National Park Service.
Hegseth emphasized that the monument is historically significant and should not be removed, contrasting his stance with what he calls the ‘woke lemmings’ who erode American history.