Tomb of the Unknown Soldier cracked / Repair vs. Replacement

[Bonny Blue Flag]

24 hours a day, 365 days a year, an impeccably dressed guard from the 3rd U.S. Infantry paces to and from in measured steps, keeping watch over one of the most revered and visited sites in Arlington National Cemetery, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Engraved on the west side of the monument is a simple epitaph: "Here Rests in Honored Glory an American Soldier Known Only to God."(1) The monument measures 14ft x 8ft wide x 11ft tall and is comprised of 7 pieces of marble(2).

The original 48-ton monument, carved out of Yule marble in 1931, has since cracked along it's natural grain, down it's sides(1). The dark cracks were first documented in 1963, upkeep has been irregular, with the most recent repairs made in 1990. In 2006 inspectors determined there was no threat of the tomb's collapsing, and that with regular repair, it could be maintained indefinitely(2).

"A block of marble this size is not easy to obtain", says cemetery superintendant John Metzler. He is leading the tomb replacement project. The quarry where the marble for the original monument was procured, has a slab of stone large enough to replicate the monument. "When a headstone is damaged or is considered no longer serviceable, we replace it."(2)

"It's a very simple monument and I think it still conveys the message and spirit was meant to", says Dennis Montagna, director of the National Park Service Monument Research Program. "The tomb is eminently conservable, but it's a difference of perception. The resource for the cememtery isn't the monument, it is the remains underneath."(1)

New repairs are imperative to address any concerns and to stem further deterioration due to water infiltration where old repairs have failed(1). In the report of August 11th, 2008, the Arlington National Cemetery anticipates the repairs--the first to be done on the 2 cosmetic and non-structural cracks, since 1989--will last 12 years and cost $65,000 as compared to a replica made of the same marble at a cost of $2.2 million(1).

"It is not just a piece of art that can somehow be replicated. It is a cultural icon", says Robert Niewig, director of the National Trust's southern field office(2).

The decision was made to repair the monument.

National Trust of Historic Preservation commended Arlington National Cemetery, the Department of the Army and the Department of Veteran Affairs for agreeing to conduct much-needed repairs to, rather than replacement of, the authentic monument at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery(1).

"This is a victory for all Americans who cherish the authentic Monument at the Tomb, just as we love the tattered Star-Spangled Banner and the cracked Liberty Bell", says Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Places(2).

Arlington National Cemetery will turn to the technical advice of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources and the National Park Service's National Center for Preservation Technology and Training(2).

The long term goal to replace the Tomb Monument with a replica from the original quarry and from the same marble vein has not been abandoned by the Arlington National Cemetery (1).

Let's hope this "Plan B" is a very long time coming to fruition.

--BBF

References:

(1) National Trust for Historic Preservation, webpage; August 21, 2008.

(2) Tomb with an uknown future, by Krista Walton from Preservation Magazine, October 31st, 2007 / National Trust for Historic Preservation, webpage; February 14th, 2008.

[ole]

Thanks for that, BBF. The Gardens of Stone merit eternal preservation.

ole