ASSOCIATED PRESS
The 71-year-old Tomb of the Unknowns is cracked on all four sides and Arlington National Cemetery officials have decided to replace it.
The fissure cuts through Greek figures representing Peace, Victory and Valor, said Arlington Superintendent John Metzler Jr.
Miners are searching for matching marble, returning to the old Colorado Yule Quarry site in the central part of the state where the original marble was found.
It should take a year to complete the work after the mining operation is finished, Kerry Sullivan, a spokeswoman for the cemetery, said yesterday .
The crack was discovered during the Truman administration. A stopgap repair was made in 1989, but the crack has now become even more visible.
The blemish may be unsightly, but it does not diminish the emotional experience for visitors, said Sgt. Paul Basso of the 3rd U.S. Infantry “Old Guard” Regiment that provides security at the tomb.
Sgt. Basso said he’s never had anyone ask specifically about the crack.
The rectangular memorial, sitting on a Virginia hill overlooking Washington, solemnly tells visitors, “Here Rests in Honored Glory An American Soldier Known But to God.”
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