US President Donald Trump has said his proposed 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery will also serve as a military complex to store and deploy drones, snipers and ammunition.
Trump made the announcement in a post on Truth Social, saying he had agreed to change the plan at the “strong request” of the US military and for “National Security purposes”. He said the structure would be a combination of a “Military Complex/Triumphal Arch”.
According to Trump, the facility will be designed to “house, store” and quickly deploy large numbers of drones. He also said snipers could operate from the roof and plaza areas, while large quantities of sniper ammunition would be kept in storage.
Trump described the proposed facility as something that would be unlike any other in the world. “There will be no facility like this anywhere in the World,” he wrote in his post.
The president also claimed that Washington, DC is the only one among what he called the “59 top cities and Capitals” that does not have a triumphal arch. He did not specify which 59 cities and capitals he was referring to.
The proposed arch is planned near the Arlington Memorial Bridge, across the Potomac River from Washington, DC, and close to Arlington National Cemetery.
At 250 feet, the arch would be much taller than the nearby 99-foot Lincoln Memorial, though it would be about half the height of the Washington Monument.
Earlier designs for the arch showed a large golden, winged Lady Liberty statue at the top, flanked by two golden eagles. The structure was also shown with the phrases “One Nation Under God” and “Liberty and Justice for All” inscribed in gold.
The announcement of the military function comes as veterans groups, historic preservationists and others are opposing the project, according to The Washington Post.
The Pentagon and the Interior Department, which oversees the federal parkland where the arch is planned, have not provided details on Trump’s announcement. The administration has indicated that construction could begin as early as November.
