Remember when officials at Arlington National Cemetery were trying to replace the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with a brand new, replica tomb? Well it looks like the the National Trust for Historic Preservation was successful in its campaign to save the original monument, at least for a while.

A press release from the non-profit says that the National Defense Authorization Bill, signed into law Monday by President Bush, includes an amendment, sponsored by Senators Daniel Akaka (D-HI) and Jim Webb (D-VA), which prevents replacement of the Monument pending a report to Congress about repair options. The tomb has two large cracks and is in need of a series of repairs.

“Since World War I, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier has served to commemorate and immortalize those who never returned from the battlefield,” said Webb in a written statement. “Though cracked, this monument represents the patriotic spirit of all of the brave unidentified men and women who have fought and died in America’s wars. I am pleased that, with the President’s signature today, the decision to replace this memorial has been postponed. I look forward to reviewing a full assessment of the memorial’s damage and recommendations for moving forward judiciously.”

In a DCist reader poll back in September, you overwhelmingly agreed that national monuments should be preserved and repaired whenever possible, instead of replaced. Now we’ll just have to wait and see what the repair options report to Congress determines can be done to save the original tomb.