ANC Starts Interagency and Public Consultation Process for Removal of the Confederate Memorial

3/21/2023

As required by Congress and implemented by the Secretary of Defense, Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) is required to remove the Confederate Memorial at ANC and has initiated a process to prepare for the careful removal and relocation of its Confederate Memorial, located in Section 16 of the cemetery. All bronze elements of the memorial will be relocated.  

Public engagement is a critical part of this process. The public will be asked to share its perspectives to determine the location of the memorial’s bronze elements and to mitigate any adverse effects that could be caused by the removal of the memorial. The granite base and foundation will remain in place to avoid disturbing surrounding graves. Later this spring, updates on the public comment process will be publicized via the Federal Register, the ANC website, and social media platforms.  

In order to remove the Confederate Memorial, ANC must comply with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. On Feb. 9, ANC initiated the Section 106 process by submitting a notification to the Virginia State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) regarding its intent to remove the memorial in compliance with the DoD mandate.  

ANC will continue to follow this process. In the coming weeks, ANC will initiate meetings with interagency partners to develop a consultation plan, including outreach to the public and consulting parties. This stage of the process has two objectives: 1) To determine the ultimate permanent location for the memorial’s bronze elements once they are removed, and 2) To mitigate potential adverse effects resulting from removal of the memorial from ANC. ANC welcomes input from all interested parties during the public comment process. 

Background: As mandated by the FY 2021 NDAA, the Congressional “Naming Commission” provided naming, renaming and removal directives for DoD items that commemorate the Confederate States of America (CSA) or any person who voluntarily served with the CSA. This category included the Confederate Memorial at ANC. The Naming Commission completed its analysis on Sept. 21, 2022, and the Secretary of Defense subsequently concurred with all of the Naming Commission’s recommendations, which became law in December of 2022.  

For more information, please see: 

•  Public Notices related to the Confederate Memorial 

•  Final Report to Congress, Part III: Remaining Department of Defense Assets