Veterans sue to block 250-foot arch near Arlington National Cemetery

Shaun Byrnes and Jon Gundersen, both Vietnam veterans, have gone to federal court to block a 250-foot triumphal arch planned for a traffic circle between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial. Byrnes said the project was “just disrespectful to those that I served with who didn't come back,” and said he had once hoped to be buried in Arlington but would “reconsider” that if the arch is built. The lawsuit, filed in February with another Vietnam veteran and a historian, is being led by the Public Citizen Litigation Group.

The veterans say the arch would do more than change the skyline. They argue it would break a carefully considered sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House, also known as the Robert E. Lee Memorial, a visual axis meant to express national unity after the Civil War. The proposed structure would stand on Memorial Circle, a National Park Service-managed island on the Virginia side of the Potomac River at the end of Memorial Bridge, and would rise well above the Lincoln Memorial’s 99 feet. The design now includes a Lady Liberty-like winged figure holding a torch, gilded eagles, gold-lettered phrases reading “One Nation Under God” and “Liberty and Justice for All,” and a public observation deck with 360-degree views.

The legal fight has already moved through several fronts. The Justice Department has asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing the plaintiffs lack standing. Last month, a federal judge denied an emergency request to temporarily halt construction, although no building has begun. On May 21, 2026, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts approved the design after first reviewing it in April, and the National Capital Planning Commission is scheduled to take up the project at its June meeting. Preliminary surveys and testing at the site began the same week the design won approval.

Donald J. Trump has tied the arch to the country’s 250th anniversary and argued that Washington is the only major world capital without a triumphal arch. He has said the capital first sought such a monument 200 years ago and that “It was interrupted by a thing called the Civil War, and so it never got built.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has said the 250-foot height is meant to honor America’s 250 years of existence. Critics, including the plaintiffs, say the project reads differently: as a monument to Trump himself, built in a place meant to honor military service, sacrifice and remembrance. Public opposition has been overwhelming, with nearly all comments against the project and one tally showing 99.5 percent opposition among 600 written comments.