Giant cross at veteran memorial to stay standing with game-changing agreement made

The 29-foot high cross has been standing since 1954.

Legal battle over the issue of a giant cross standing over a veterans' memorial has been a long and tedious fight, but an agreement may now put it all to rest, keeping the monument on the land. Atheists and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have filed legal charges against the huge monument because of the government control over the memorial's land. However, if the court favored selling it to a private organization, the battle would be over, with a victory for the cross' supporters.

MUNTINLUPA, PHILIPPINES (Catholic Online) - "The Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial Cross has stood since 1954 as a symbol of the selfless sacrifice of our nation's veterans. Such a sacred memorial should receive our highest honor and protection," said Atty. Hiram Sasser at the Liberty Institute, through a statement.

The 29-foot cross' retention on the memorial in San Diego, California is being defended by various individuals and organizations, including a group called the Mt. Soledad Memorial Association.

The nonprofit organization, that also manages and maintains the memorial, is the group that wants to buy the land, costing $1.4 million, said Atty. Sasser. The "ultimate victory," if ruled allowed, will ensure the memorial to stand and continuously honor the lives and sacrifices of the veterans.

The legal battle was started by the late Vietnam War veteran Philip Paulson, an atheist, in 1988, when the land was still under the control of San Diego. Another organization, the Jewish War Veterans of the United States, moved to pursue the battle, tying up with the ACLU in 2006. The more recent battle is because the transfer of the land's jurisdiction to the U.S. Department of Defense this year.

Although the case was on the brink of being lost and the cross being removed, this new development may turn everything around.

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