What Would Those Who Are Buried There Think?

My father is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. If you want to check the veracity the statement his name is Charles S. Sapp, CDR, USN (Ret). He was a helicopter pilot and did two tours in Vietnam. A native of North Carolina he was proud of his service, and he loved his country.

I have been to Arlington National Cemetery four times. Once as a kid, once with my son and nephew during a trip to DC, when my dad was buried, and once to visit his grave. I don’t recall ever seeing the Confederate Monument at Arlington National. To be honest, until recently it would not have occurred to me to visit it.

To me the Civil War was history. Fascinating history with more twists than any mere mortal could keep track of. One of the better known being that Arlington National was on property that Robert E. Lee and his wife owned. What a country! I would have thought it quite normal that there were Confederate graves and a memorial in the cemetery.

“We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.”

Until recently, I imagined that Lincoln’s speech was reconciliatory. That he was speaking about both sides in the bloodletting that created a new Republic. I know it is ahistorical now, but it was my mindset. I don’t think I am unique either.

I have been wondering what all the service members buried in Arlington National Cemetery would think about removing the Confederate Monument. What would Presidents Lincoln and Grant think? What would those veterans from WWI to Vietnam who fought and died with Southerners think?

I know what my dad would think. The answer is clear and it should matter more than what a woke, retired brigadier general and a Naming Commission recommend.