In a fitting, but not perfect ending, veterans yesterday, on Veterans Day, erected a new war memorial cross in the Mojave Desert.
The original cross, which was erected in the 1930′s by Henry Sandoz has been under controversy since 2001, when the private land it sat on was taken over by the National Park Service.
This Cross controversy has been in the court system for over 10 years, SCOTUS Justice Kennedy intervened in 2006 ruling for a stay after Congressional legislation and the voters of San Diego made their feelings known positively after the ACLU filed suit on behalf of an atheist who was apparently “offended” by the cross.
The San Diego Attorney’s office claimed the cross would have to be removed if the 9th Circuit or SCOTUS didn’t intervene. In April of 2010 SCOTUS ruled the cross could stay after a land-swap deal to place the cross on private land was put into place but several days after the ruling a park ranger discovered the cross had been stolen. The cross was found earlier this month tied to a fence post in the San Francisco Bay area and the San Mateo County sheriff’s office says the cross would be returned.
But veterans decided to start fresh and yesterday erected and dedicated a new cross with a ceremony with speeches and the Pledge of Allegiance.
What a wonderful event to have on Veterans Day. God Bless you one and all for your service to America.
