The military affairs journal Task & Purpose writes that Arlington Cemetery has made changes to its website in recent weeks. Webpages that were devoted to the Civil War, Black, Hispanic, and Women were delinked so that visitors can no longer find them. Below is an archive illustration from the cemetery’s website on the left and a recently screenshotted page screenshotted by Task and Purpose. The names surrounded framed by red have been removed.
These pages allow visitors to learn about the history of the cemetery and to see biographies of the service members buried there. Many people visit Arlington not because they have relatives buried there, but to have an immediate experience of American history. It is also used by families to impress on children the terrible sacrifice Americans have made in these wars.
The fact that the Civil War page no longer appears in the home directory is particularly serious. The cemetery was started during the Civil War by President Lincoln. It is on land that had been formerly owned by General Robert E. Lee. In fact, Lee’s house, Arlington House, still stands at the property’s highest point.
The land the cemetery is on also served another purpose during and immediately after the Civil War that the cemetery’s website explained. It was used as a refugee camp by African Americans escaping slavery and it became one of the earliest freedmen’s villages in the United States.
The section on African American History included members of the United States Colored Troops who were buried at Arlington as well as where their graves are located.
The site also deleted the guide to Medal of Honor winners. We don’t know why that was delinked. It may be because it included Civil War honorees or because it included Black soldiers. But, there has been a lack of transparency that needs to be cleared up.
Without the guidance of the website, many visitors will be unable to learn about our American military history.
You may be interested in: List of Civil War Sites Where Staff Have Been Fired In Last Month
New Talking Points Issued to National Park Staff After Mass Firings
How will the active military members ferl about this? Will this be “swept under the rug” or will people be made aware of this disgusting act?
Keep spreading the word.
This is Racism to the Core. This so called Traitor Racist administration have got to go. Trump is a POS that has to go. Bone spurs fake ass wanna be Dictator. Will not let us forget our history.
I am disgusted by this. The current administration is trying to rewrite history and we cannot allow it. This goes in tandem with the removal of 26,000 images being removed as well. The Enola Gay was accidentally eliminated because Gay was in the name. I am disgusted
YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED. YOU ARE NOT PART OF THE AMERICAN GOVT. YOU ARE YOUR OWN LITTLE ENTITY TRYING TO TEAR OUR COUNTRY APART BY RACIST DECISIONS ONLY YOU VOTED ON. I SERVE AND LOVE MY LORD, MY COUNTRY, MY FREEOM, OUR EQUALITY AND ONE NATION UNDER GOD. YOU MAY BE PAID BY THE GOVT. BUT YOU ARE NOT CHRISTIANS.
What is the matter with this administration?! There is absolutely zero benefit from these actions, and actually took time and effort to do. Sickening!
A man who was a coward with so called “bone spurs” has no business eliminating those shed blood for this country! He is enabled by a GOP that are cowards and who will not stand up to his racism! This is an administration of racism, oligarchs and wannabes mini dictators! I agree Americans stand up for what what is right in this country not for a Russian puppet!!
Oh, I also served in the military by choice and so did my Dad and Uncle who was KIA!
While confederate graves shouldn’t be honored (literally an attempt at insurrection and fighting to be allowed to keep Black people as slaves), erasing that war alone while leaving WWII up shows that this move is outright racist, not to mention sexist.
Now come on! Those are surely not your views about the Confederates!
Disagreeing and disliking the Confederate war effort is one thing but those views you said are just wrong.
I agree with Noelle. It’s what known as a subjective opinion. I have no respect for any enlisted Confederate.
Interesting that this is the only comment you make on this reporting though.
How long will we stand for this King and his puppets .Every day there is an assault on our Democracy and we allow it . Our founders who fled this very kind of rule and fought and died in a revolution against such treatment would be rolling over in their graves .
I’m prepared to be outraged, but I found Thurgood Marshall, Ginsburg, etc under notable graves-supreme court. Did they put them back?
The categories are still removed.
Also, this page for an African-American Medal of Honor recipient is gone:
https://www.defense.gov/News/Feature-Stories/Story/Article/2824721/deimedal-of-honor-monday-army-maj-gen-charles-calvin-rogers/
I was at the cemetary when I was about 16..I am a war orphan of wyou are out of line and truly disgusting! What on n earth does thos do for anyone!!!we need to get rid of this whole administration..up to and including the co pres, vp, and speaker jojnson..so no one can pick up andvgobwith govt after! Rediculous! I mean, really?