Trump’s arch observation deck alarms military families over intrusive view to Arlington National Cemetery funerals

Kent Nishimura/Getty Images/File

President Donald Trump’s proposed triumphal arch did not originally include the idea for an open-air observation deck that would tower 161 feet above the surrounding landscape.

The feature, which would give tourists a 360-degree panoramic view of the surrounding landscape, was only added to the design later when the Trump administration revealed the plans to the public, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN.

Now that addition is bringing fresh concern to military families, who are contending with a distressing thought: Will visitors get a bird’s-eye view to their pain as their loved ones are buried at Arlington National Cemetery just across the river from the looming edifice?

“It’s just the wrong place to put a vantage point because this is very much seeing people on the worst day of their life,” said Laurie Laplante, from Poland, Ohio, who buried her father-in-law, a Navy veteran, at Arlington Cemetery last year.

With memories of his burial still fresh, Laplante said she would be “sick to her stomach” if tourists were watching, and potentially even recording, any part of his funeral from the observation deck.

“I can’t imagine if some observers were behind us doing a phone video of this or thinking that this might be up on somebody’s social media somewhere at some point – it’s just awful.”

The further development that Trump envisions the arch doubling as a “military complex” has only compounded concerns about the project.

“It’s getting a little ridiculous, honestly,” said Frank Stolba, a veteran who oversaw more than 50 funerals when he was in the Navy as a petty officer.

One Gold Star family member, who asked not to be named citing privacy concerns, noted that this “wasn’t part of the original plans, that wasn’t approved, that wasn’t commented on.”

“We just want to see a baseline of respect, and, you know, wild changes and things like this detract from what’s important to actual surviving families,” the person said.

A White House official told CNN that Trump’s announced change of the arch for military use will not alter the tourism plans.

US Commission of Fine Arts

Gold Star families and veterans who spoke to CNN say they find the deck intrusive, as it would give observers intimate views of the grounds, potentially allowing tourists to witness the over two dozen funerals that are conducted each weekday.

Andrea Nachman, whose husband is buried at Arlington, said: “It’s not what we in the military families would want – it’s very private, we’re not a sideshow.”

Davis Ingle, a spokesperson for the White House, told CNN the arch “will enhance the visitor experience at Arlington National Cemetery for veterans, the families of the fallen, and all Americans alike.”

But the White House did not answer CNN’s questions about whether there would be protocol changes for military funerals at Arlington to protect families’ privacy.

According to documents obtained by CNN, the administration has suggested a series of short-term steps that can be taken to alleviate disruptions to ceremonies during the arch’s construction, including controlling temporary construction lighting, a goal to coordinate with Arlington to avoid construction during funerals, and restricting work hours with high noise during services.

The cemetery is expansive, with rolling hills and trees that are hundreds of years old providing shade and cover.

Funerals at the cemetery are highly choreographed, Each movement is executed with precision as a final way to honor those who have given the ultimate sacrifice. The cemetery itself is already a tourist destination, with visitors able to talk a formal walking tour or a self-guided one.

Aaron Schwartz/Reuters

It is already common to see a funeral at the cemetery but those familiar with the grounds say that visitors to Arlington approach the space with decorum, understanding its purpose as a place of rest for the fallen as they stand amid the gravestones.

However, that same attitude may not translate from a vantage point.

“An observation deck sends the message that these funerals are a spectacle,” said Ashley Bernardi, a Gold Star daughter. “What guidelines are going to be put in place on the observation deck to ensure that these are very sacred?” she wondered.

“Why the hell would somebody put an observation deck on top of this arch?” asked Vietnam War veteran Ronn Easton, who has criticized the Trump administration in the past. “The solemn private nature of that ceremony is gone if people can stand on the top of this 250-foot vanity project with a pair of binoculars and look at what’s going on in Arlington.”

The latest renderings of the arch’s plans show the observation level on the 5th floor. The floors below have areas for security, a ticketing lobby, restrooms and spaces for a potential gift shop and cafe.

In late August, the administration began referring to it as a “ military observation deck,” a shift in rhetoric that gave a first indication of the president’s new justification for building the arch.

Earlier this month, when the National Parks Service official who is overseeing the administration’s proposal was asked at a meeting evaluating the arch’s potential impact on historical sites whether the language adjustment indicated a change in its intended purpose or use, she replied: “Not that I’m aware.”

Days later, Trump announced his new plans for the structure, which would including allowing drones to be launched and snipers to be positioned atop the arch.

Kent Nishimura/Getty Images/文件

唐纳德·特朗普总统最初提出的凯旋门方案并没有包含建造一个露天观景台的想法，该观景台将高出周围景观 161 英尺。

据 CNN 报道，两名知情人士透露，这项可以让游客 360 度全方位欣赏周围景观的功能，是在特朗普政府向公众公布计划后才添加到设计中的。

如今，这一新增设施给军属带来了新的担忧，他们心中充满痛苦：当他们的亲人被埋葬在河对岸的阿灵顿国家公墓时，来访者是否会从高处俯瞰他们的痛苦？

“这里根本不是合适的观赏地点，因为这里看到的是人们生命中最糟糕的一天，”来自俄亥俄州波兰镇的劳里·拉普兰特说道。她去年在阿灵顿国家公墓埋葬了她的公公，一位海军退伍军人。

拉普兰特说，由于葬礼的记忆仍然历历在目，如果游客在观景台上观看甚至可能录制葬礼的任何部分，她都会“感到恶心”。

“我无法想象，如果当时有人在我们身后用手机拍摄这一幕，或者担心这段视频会在某个时候被上传到某个人的社交媒体上——这太可怕了。”

特朗普设想将这座拱门进一步发展为“军事综合体”，这只会加剧人们对该项目的担忧。

“说实话，这有点荒谬了，”弗兰克·斯托尔巴说道，他是一名退伍老兵，曾在海军担任士官，主持过 50 多场葬礼。

一位因隐私问题要求匿名的阵亡将士家属指出，这“并非最初计划的一部分，没有获得批准，也没有人对此发表过评论”。

“我们只是希望看到基本的尊重，你知道，这种剧烈的变化和事情会分散人们对真正幸存家庭的注意力，”该人士说道。

一位白宫官员告诉 CNN，特朗普宣布将拱门改为军事用途不会改变其旅游计划。

美国美术委员会

接受 CNN 采访的阵亡将士家属和退​​伍军人表示，他们认为这个观景台令人感到不适，因为它可以让观察者近距离观察场地，可能会让游客目睹每个工作日举行的二十多场葬礼。

安德里亚·纳赫曼的丈夫葬在阿灵顿国家公墓，她说：“这不是我们军属想要的——这是非常私密的，我们不想成为旁观者。”

白宫发言人戴维斯·英格尔告诉 CNN，这座拱门“将提升退伍军人、阵亡将士家属以及所有美国人在阿灵顿国家公墓的参观体验”。

但白宫没有回答 CNN 关于阿灵顿国家公墓的军人葬礼是否会改变规程以保护家属隐私的问题。

据 CNN 获取的文件显示，政府已提出一系列短期措施，以减轻拱门施工期间对仪式的干扰，包括控制临时施工照明、与阿灵顿协调以避免在葬礼期间施工，以及限制在仪式期间噪音较大的施工时间。

墓园面积广阔，丘陵起伏，数百年树龄的树木提供了荫凉和掩护。

墓园的葬礼仪式经过精心编排，每一个动作都一丝不苟，以此作为对那些为国捐躯者的最终敬意。墓园本身已成为一处旅游景点，游客可以选择参加正式的导览团或自行参观。

Aaron Schwartz/路透社

在墓地举行葬礼已经很常见了，但熟悉墓地的人说，来阿灵顿的访客都举止得体，他们站在墓碑之间，理解这里是逝者安息之地的意义。

然而，从另一个角度来看，这种态度可能就不成立了。

“观景台传递的信息是，这些葬礼只是一场表演，”阵亡将士家属阿什利·伯纳迪说道。“观景台上将采取哪些措施来确保葬礼的神圣性呢？”她质疑道。

“到底是谁想在这座拱门顶上建个观景台？”越战老兵罗恩·伊斯顿问道，他过去曾批评过特朗普政府。“如果人们可以站在这座250英尺高的华而不实的建筑顶上，拿着望远镜就能看到阿灵顿那边的情况，那么这场仪式的庄严肃穆和私密性就荡然无存了。”

拱门设计图的最新效果图显示，观景台位于五楼。下方楼层设有安保区域、售票大厅、洗手间以及可能开设礼品店和咖啡馆的空间。

8 月下旬，政府开始称其为“军事观察台”，这种措辞上的转变首次表明了总统为建造拱门提出的新理由。

本月初，在一次评估拱门对历史遗址潜在影响的会议上，当被问及语言调整是否意味着其预期用途或目的发生了变化时，负责监督政府提案的国家公园管理局官员回答说：“据我所知，并非如此。”

几天后，特朗普宣布了他对该建筑的新计划，其中包括允许发射无人机和在拱门顶部部署狙击手。