Pausing during Veterans Day to Support Military Chaplains and Updating of Chaplains Hill Monuments

ARLINGTON, Va. - Nov. 9, 2024 - PRLog -- "There is a special esteem that military families attribute to military chaplains," notes Rabbi Harold Robinson, Ch, RADM, USN, (Ret.), a long term and former military chaplain. "We believe that as part of Joe Biden's legacy, he would appreciate the completion of the tribute to military chaplains as planned for Arlington National Cemetery. We encourage support to get this done."

As we celebrate Veterans Day, it is a worthy time to mention that the project is an effort to add the 81 names of the Protestant and Catholic Memorials on Chaplains Hill on Section 2 of Arlington National Cemetery. This would honor and include the chaplains who died in service from Korea to Iraq and Afghanistan.

The National Conference on Ministry to the Armed Forces (NCMAF), NCMAF's membership is comprised of nearly 150 religious organizations who endorse military and Veterans Affairs hospital chaplains.

The enhancement of the Memorials has been endorsed by the American Legion Executive Committee, the Association of the US Army, the Vietnam Veterans of America, the Navy League Council of NY.

Approved by two acts of Congress, with staunch support from both sides of the aisle, and signed by President Biden, the National Defense Authorization Acts of 2021 and 20222 contained a passage providing the NCMAF authority to upgrade this monument.  The office of the Secretary of the Army, which has oversight of Arlington Cemetery, has not implemented the directives of Congress and the approval of the President.

In 2011, the National Conference on Ministry to the Armed Forces (NCMAF) led the effort to donate a monument to Jewish chaplains on Arlington Cemetery section two. The committee then proposed to upgrade the Protestant Memorial with a granite headstone, replacing the crumbling concrete headstone and making a new bronze plaque that included the missing chaplain's names. This committee has diligently, respectfully, and repeatedly sought to upgrade the memorial at no cost to the taxpayers.  Yet, no action has been taken to update the monuments.

NCMAF has the financing and materials to update the monument at no cost to the Government or Arlington Cemetery. It would replace the aging concrete Protestant Chaplains Monument with a new granite piece in the same shape and size as the current one. The Dignity Memorial Company has agreed to donate the new granite monument and provide installation.

Three military religious leaders call for action.

To urge your congressperson to take action, visit https://tinyurl.com/5n6u87v6.

Read full press release: https://www.prpocket.com/2024/11/pausing-during-veterans-...