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Replace Tomb of the Unknown Soldier?

Preservationists in northern Virginia are organizing to protest a plan to replace the marble-cracked Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Arlington Heritage Alliance insists the old monument can be saved.

In an email to HNN the group argues:

It's hard to believe, but officials at Arlington National Cemetery plan to replace the original Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with a new replica solely because of easily reparable cosmetic imperfections. This 1932 monument is nationally significant and eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. I hope you will consider reporting on and/or blog-posting about this.

The 48-ton marble block has two nonstructural cracks which pose no threat to visitors or the historic structure. Surprisingly, federal bureaucrats want the replica carved from new stone that experts agree will likely again crack along its grain just as marble does naturally when exposed to the elements. Repair and proper care of the Tomb (re-grouting the cracks and using only gentle cleaning methods instead of high-pressure power-washing) is possible and is the preferred method for fixing the existing cracks, as other marble monuments such as the Lincoln Memorial were repaired.

Our group, the Arlington Heritage Alliance, is working closely with the National Trust for Historic Preservation on this issue. As part of our advocacy, we have sent letters to the Virginia Congressional delegation and to the Virginia State Historic Preservation Officer to advocate against replacement of the Tomb and to enlist the help of our politicians.

A decision to determine the fate of the Tomb Monument is expected by September 30th. We're asking concerned citizens to contact their elected representatives and ask them and the Senate Committee on Armed Services to explore alternatives to replacing the memorial; and to contact John Metzler, superintendent of Arlington National Cemetery and ask him to repair rather than replace the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Read entire article at Press Release-- Arlington Heritage Alliance