Restoring the Reconciliation Monument: Respecting History, Not Erasing It

Liberals are devolving into a fit of hysteria over Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s decision to re-install a memorial known as the “Reconciliation Monument” in Arlington National Cemetery that was removed in 2023. Once again, however, the leftist outrage mob misses the critical importance of respecting and remembering American history – the good, the bad, and the ugly.

A recent MSNBC opinion article from “The Rachel Maddow Show” producer Steven Benen is indicative of the misinformed and misguided protest on the left. After confusing the Reconciliation Monument with a statue of Albert Pike, Benen accuses Hegseth and the Trump administration of being “eager in recent months to restore symbols related to Confederate forces.” Benen also notes that the removal of the monument was endorsed by retired U.S. Army Brigadier General Ty Seidule, who calls it “a pro-slavery, pro-segregation, anti-United States monument.” Seidule also says “it’s the will of the American people that Secretary Hegseth is going against” by re-installing it.

But that narrative misses the point and risks erasing a critical moment in our nation’s past. Restoring the Reconciliation Monument isn’t about romanticizing the Confederacy – it’s about preserving a complex chapter of American history, fostering true national unity, and rejecting the impulse to sanitize our story. Far from wrong, this move is a principled stand against historical amnesia.

Erected in 1914, the Reconciliation Monument was commissioned as a deliberate symbol of healing after the Civil War. President William Howard Taft approved its placement in Arlington, where nearly 500 Confederate soldiers, sailors, and civilians are buried in Section 16.

Its designer, Moses Jacob Ezekiel, a Jewish Confederate veteran, intended it to represent the reunification of a divided nation. The frieze depicts scenes of Southern life, including Black figures, which detractors interpret as glorifying slavery.

Yet, in context, these elements reflect the era’s attempt at inclusivity, however imperfect. The monument’s inscription calls for “peace” and “reconciliation,” echoing President Abraham Lincoln’s vision of binding the nation’s wounds “with malice toward none.”

Destroying the monument doesn’t erase racism; it erases the story of how America moved forward from its bloodiest conflict, whether 600,000 Americans died in a horrific struggle of brother against brother, father against son, family against family. As Hegseth aptly stated, “Unlike the Left, we don’t believe in erasing American history – we honor it.”

Like the monument itself, the Civil War was incredibly complex. While it was ultimately a conflict that eradicated slavery, many rank-and-file Confederate soldiers felt they were fighting for their homes, not explicitly for the bondage of other human beings. The vast majority of Confederates did not own slaves. Similarly, many Union soldiers weren’t abolitionists.

Honoring the Confederate dead doesn’t endorse their cause. It acknowledges the tragic consequences of division and teaches future generations the steep price that America paid to rid the nation of a great evil.

Arlington itself embodies this message as well: It’s built on land confiscated from Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s family, yet it houses graves from every American war, including Confederates granted burial rights by President William McKinley in 1900 to promote reconciliation.

Restoring the monument restores balance to this sacred ground, reminding visitors that unity requires confronting, not concealing, our flaws. The $10 million cost, spread over two years, has drawn ire as a taxpayer burden. But if we are willing to spend billions on military hardware, investing in historical preservation is a pittance – and an important one. Far from “culture war” posturing, Hegseth’s actions are a rejection of historical revisionism.

Critics like Seidule claim it’s “the will of the American people” to keep the monument down. Yet polls show a solid majority of Americans oppose removing monuments: A 2021 Pew survey found 56 percent oppose removing Confederate statues, viewing them as important historical reminders.

The sad truth that the reaction to Hegseth’s actions clearly reveals is that many on the left don’t want reconciliation. Race-baiting liberals maintain their cultural relevance and political power by stoking tensions and actively trying to keep the wounds of division fresh. Their opposition to restoring a monument to reconciliation is a stark and fitting reminder of which side of the political spectrum is really driven by hate and racial animus.

Moreover, contrary to liberal cries that restoring the monument doesn’t aid military readiness, ensuring this historical artifact remains in place bolsters America’s warfighting ability by instilling respect for history in our troops. It reminds them that America endures through reconciliation, not division. Confederate soldiers were Americans too – traitors to some, kin to others.

The Reconciliation Monument stands as a testament to forgiveness, urging us to bridge divides rather than widen them. As we face modern threats, let’s honor our past to strengthen our future. Anything less is not progress, it’s erasure.

Rob Maness is a retired Air Force Colonel, a former wing and squadron commander, veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, a survivor of the 9/11 Pentagon Attack, Graduate of the U.S. Navy War College and Harvard Kennedy School, a former U.S. Senate Candidate, Chairman of GatorPAC, CEO and Owner of Iron Liberty Group LLC, and Host of the Rob Maness Show on WorldViewTube.