A Replacement Tomb?
by Sarah Heffern on September 13th, 2007What happens to memorials of national significance when their marble starts to crack? In the cases of monuments like the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, any cracks are repaired by re-grouting. But instead of going down this well-known preservation road, officials at Arlington National Cemetery want to replace the authentic Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with a replica — in spite of the fact that experts say the replacement stone is likely to crack in the same way.
Here at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, we naturally favor fixing the tomb rather than constructing a new one. Click here to learn more and to find out how to contact the superintendent of the cemetery to share your views.
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September 19th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
My father, William F. Hennessey, was one of the tomb guards during WWII. I would hope that the tomb be repaired to remain the place of honor for our fallen soldiers. A replacement does not mean the same no matter how one paints the picture!
December 26th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
“Do not replace the Tomb Of the Unknown Soldier”. Fix it, restore it but “do not replace it”.