Veterans Sue to Block Approved 250-Foot Arch Near Arlington Cemetery

Vietnam veteran Shaun Byrnes and two other veterans sued the Trump administration to stop a proposed 250-foot triumphal arch that would stand in a traffic circle at the base of Arlington National Cemetery across the Potomac River. Byrnes said the project would affect burial decisions for himself and colleagues. "I'm entitled to be buried there, and so are my colleagues.

But we're all reconsidering. It's gonna depend on whether this arch goes up," he stated. " President Trump has denied making that comment. The Commission of Fine Arts approved the arch in May. Rodney Mims Cook, chair of the commission, said he first proposed the idea as a private citizen 26 years ago because the current entrance to Arlington is insufficient.

The same commission, now composed entirely of Trump appointees, approved a 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom in less than two months. Cook stated that the White House footprint is insufficient for the presidency and presents security concerns.

The arch forms part of a broader set of projects that include resurfacing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool under a $14.7 million no-bid contract, plans to overhaul the public golf course along the Potomac River, a proposed Garden of Heroes with 250 sculptures, demolition of the East Wing of the White House last year, and the temporary addition of President Trump's name to the Kennedy Center, which a judge later ordered removed.

Trump's face now appears on multiple government buildings. Total costs for the beautification and restoration work have exceeded $100 million and are projected to reach nearly $1 billion, with at least $80 million diverted from national parks. The D.C.

Preservation League has filed six lawsuits against the administration over the projects. Byrnes noted that monuments to Washington, Lincoln, and Jefferson were built after those presidents had died, unlike the current proposals.