‘Why the Hell?’: Families of Military Vets Concerned Over Plans for Observation Deck on Trump’s Arch

Families of American veterans have expressed concern about plans to add an observation deck to President Donald Trump’s proposed arch in Washington, D.C., CNN reported on Friday.

The arch would be built at Memorial Circle, between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.

CNN’s Washington correspondent Sunlen Serfaty reported there are between 24 and 27 military funerals each week at Arlington. “So this is a significant concern to Gold Star families and veterans throughout the nation,” she added.

Gold Star families have experienced the loss of an immediate family member while they were on active duty.

Serfaty continued:

And in speaking with these families, there’s a feeling that this new observation deck that’s 166ft off the ground, the fifth floor of the president’s proposed arch. It will overlook Arlington National Cemetery, and there’s a feeling that that’s intrusive to their privacy, especially the fact that you have many funerals, multiple funerals going on every day at Arlington. And these are funerals that are highly choreographed. Every detail [is] very precise to, of course, treat the fallen veterans with utmost respect and care.

“I want to read you what one veteran told me,” she added. “He says, ‘Why the hell would somebody put an observation deck on top of this arch? What do you want, to observe people’s grief? The solemn, private nature of the ceremony is gone. If people can stand on top of this 250-foot vanity project with a pair of binoculars and look at what’s going on in Arlington.'”

Another person told Serfaty the location is “the wrong place to put a vantage point” because “this is very much seeing people on the worst day of their life.”

Notably, she said, “The White House did not respond” to questions from CNN. A White House spokesperson told Serfaty “that they believe that the arch will, quote, ‘enhance the visitor experience at Arlington National Cemetery for veterans, the families of the fallen and all Americans alike.'”

Watch the above via CNN.

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