❓WHAT HAPPENED: Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and the Center of Military History reached an agreement to install Moses Jacob Ezekiel’s gravesite sculpture in Arlington National Cemetery.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Governor Glenn Youngkin, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Moses Jacob Ezekiel’s family, and the Center of Military History.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The return of the statue was announced late Tuesday, August 5, 20225. After a complete restoration, the statue will be displayed at Arlington National Cemetery in 2027.
💬KEY QUOTE: “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.” – Glenn Youngkin
🎯IMPACT: The statue’s return marks a step toward preserving historical context and reconciliation after years of controversial removals.
An agreement between the United States Army Center of Military History and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) has been finalized to return Moses Jacob Ezekiel‘s gravesite sculpture—known as “The Reconciliation Monument”—to Arlington National Cemetery. The statue, which was removed and warehoused under the former Biden government, will be restored and displayed near the artist’s burial site as part of a 50-year loan from the Commonwealth of Virginia.
“I’m proud to announce that Moses Ezekiel’s beautiful and historic sculpture—often referred to as ‘The Reconciliation Monument’—will be rightfully be returned to Arlington National Cemetery near his burial site,” Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) announcing the sculpture’s restoration. He added, “It never should have been taken down by woke lemmings. Unlike the Left, we don’t believe in erasing American history—we honor it.”
The sculpture, which was originally commissioned by President William McKinley and dedicated by President Woodrow Wilson, depicts the Roman goddess Virtus and commemorates the sacrifices of Ezekiel’s classmates from the Virginia Military Institute during the Civil War. It holds significant historical and artistic value, as Ezekiel was the first Jewish-American sculptor to achieve international acclaim.
“At the request of Moses Ezekiel’s family and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Moses Ezekiel’s sculpture will be returned to Arlington National Cemetery,” Governor Youngkin said. “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.” The statue’s removal in 2021 was part of a wave of actions targeting Confederate-linked memorials, which critics argue often lacked proper historical context.
The restoration and reinstallation of the 32-foot sculpture are expected to take approximately two years, with interpretive panels planned to provide a nuanced explanation of its history. The display will serve as a reminder of the nation’s complex journey toward reconciliation and unity, reflecting Ezekiel’s own inspiration from the biblical prophecy: “And they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.”
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