Politics
For a group of Vietnam vets, opposing Trump's arch is about being "loyal to the country"
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Updated on: May 25, 2026 / 7:13 AM EDT / CBS News
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Washington — Shaun Byrnes and Jon Gundersen have served multiple presidents throughout their decades in the military and State Department. Now, as retirees, they're taking on the commander-in-chief in a court of law.
In February, Gundersen and Byrnes, alongside another Vietnam veteran and a historian, sued to stop construction of the 250-foot arch that is set to be built in a currently empty traffic circle between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial.
They argue the project has been rushed and the administration hasn't gotten proper congressional approval. The arch, they say, would disrupt the symbolic connection between the Lincoln Memorial and the Robert E. Lee Memorial, a carefully considered sightline meant to convey unity after the Civil War.
According to
recent renderings, the arch would be more than double the height of the Lincoln Memorial.
Gundersen and Byrnes say their lawsuit challenging President Trump's triumphal arch at the entrance to Arlington Cemetery isn't a partisan quest.
"I think what we're doing is being loyal to the country. And loyalty can be measured in different ways," Gundersen, a retired Army Special Forces officer, told CBS News in an interview.
Byrnes said he joined the suit, which is led by the Public Citizen Litigation Group, out of respect for fallen soldiers buried in Arlington.
"I think it's just disrespectful to those that I served with who didn't come back," a veteran suing to stop construction of the arch told CBS News.
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