Tomb of the Unknowns at heart of debate

ARLINGTON, Va., Nov. 7 (UPI) -- U.S. officials and preservationists say they are at odds over the future of the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

U.S. Army officials want to build a replica of the tomb filled with unidentified dead U.S. soldiers from World War I as the veterans memorial has fallen into severe disrepair, the Gannett News Service said Friday.

An Arlington National Cemetery historian, whose site houses the military memorial, said the Army approved $65,000 in repairs in August, but is still considering a replica to ensure the site lives on into the future.

"The importance of preserving that tomb as long as possible is paramount," historian Tom Sherlock said. "The decision has been made to repair as much as possible and to only ultimately replace it if that becomes a necessity in the future."

Richard Moe, National Trust for Historic Preservation president, said he and other preservationists feel any replica would be an inauthentic symbol of the fallen soldiers' memory.

"It is important to have the authentic tomb that was there when the first remains were interred," he told Gannett.