Army Plans $9M Confederate Memorial Restoration
PHOTO CAPTION: The Confederate Memorial stands in Section 16 of Arlington National Cemetery in a July 13, 2020, photograph. The monument was removed in December 2023. The Army now estimates it will cost approximately $9 million to restore and reinstall the sculpture, with the project expected to be completed in 2027. (U.S. Army photo by Elizabeth Fraser / Arlington National Cemetery)
The U.S. Army plans to spend approximately $9 million in taxpayer funding to restore and reinstall a Confederate memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, even though ownership of the sculpture was transferred to a private nonprofit earlier this year.
Arlington National Cemetery officials confirmed the estimated cost to Task & Purpose in an investigation published Tuesday, October 20.
The restoration was directed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and the Army expects to return the sculpture to Arlington in 2027.
The new cost estimate has added a financial dimension to a dispute over the monument, which Congress previously directed the Pentagon to remove.
Army Estimates $9 Million in Restoration Costs
According to Arlington National Cemetery officials, the projected $9 million will cover conservation of the sculpture, replacement of its internal support structure and installation at the cemetery.
The money is expected to come from Army Operations and Maintenance funds, which support military activities, facilities and other operating requirements.
The figure is an estimate, not a confirmed final expenditure.
Cemetery officials also confirmed that the sculpture was transferred to the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation, a private nonprofit organization, in January 2026.
Despite that ownership transfer, the Army intends to use federal funds to restore and display it at Arlington.
The existing loan agreement for the sculpture remains in place.
Monument Was Removed Under Congressional Mandate
The Confederate Memorial was unveiled in 1914 and created by Moses Jacob Ezekiel, a Confederate veteran and sculptor.
Standing approximately 32 feet tall, the monument depicts Confederate soldiers and civilians, including representations of enslaved Black Americans.
It was commissioned by the United Daughters of the Confederacy and originally presented as a symbol of reconciliation following the Civil War.
In 2021, Congress established the Naming Commission to identify Confederate commemorations on Defense Department property.
The commission subsequently recommended removing the Arlington monument, and Congress required the Pentagon to implement the commission's recommendations by January 2024.
The Army dismantled and removed the bronze sculpture in December 2023. The original granite base and foundation remained in place to avoid disturbing surrounding graves.
The sculpture was placed in storage at a Defense Department facility in Virginia.
Hegseth Directs Army to Return Sculpture
In 2025, Hegseth directed the Army to pursue returning the sculpture to Arlington.
The Army subsequently entered an agreement with Virginia officials concerning its display near Ezekiel's burial site in Section 16 of the cemetery.
The Army now expects the restored sculpture to be displayed in 2027 and says it will develop historical information to help visitors understand its significance.
Supporters of the restoration argue that the monument is an important historical artifact and that its original purpose included remembering Confederate dead and promoting national reconciliation.
More than 40 Republican members of Congress had opposed the monument's removal in 2023, arguing that its historical meaning extended beyond honoring the Confederacy.
Veterans Groups Question Use of Taxpayer Money
The restoration has also drawn criticism from veterans who oppose using federal funds to commemorate the Confederacy.
Kyle Bibby, a former Marine infantry officer and co-founder of the Black Veterans Project, questioned the decision to spend public money on a monument honoring Confederate soldiers.
Bibby also challenged the sculpture's portrayal of enslaved people, arguing that it presents a historically misleading depiction of slavery.
The dispute concerns both the memorial's symbolism and the use of federal resources for a sculpture now owned by a private organization.
Task & Purpose asked the Pentagon whether the restoration could affect military morale and unit cohesion.
Hegseth's office did not directly answer those questions, instead referring inquiries to the Army and Arlington National Cemetery.
Restoration Expected in 2027
The Army has not announced that the restoration is complete or that the full $9 million has already been spent.
The cemetery's publicly stated timeline calls for conservation work followed by installation in 2027.
The latest disclosure establishes the estimated public cost and funding source for a project whose broader restoration decision was already known.
It also raises questions about the financial arrangements surrounding the repair and installation of a privately owned sculpture at one of the country's most prominent military cemeteries.
(Source: OAF Nation)
