Cross Put in Mojave Veterans Memorial Site: National Park Service Investigates Appearance of Mystery Cross

PLANO, Texas, May 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Sometime overnight, a cross was placed on Sunrise Rock, the original location of the Mojave Desert War Memorial which was torn down last week, in the Mojave National Preserve.  No information is known yet about whether this cross is the original war memorial, or if someone put up a replica; the National Park Service is investigating.  In light of these developments, Kelly Shackelford, president/CEO of Liberty Institute released the following statement:

"We are watching this closely.  Every day the memorial does not go back up is a day too long and a disgrace.  It disrespects the memory of the WWI veterans who put it up, every fallen soldier, and every veteran in this country."

If the mystery cross installed is actually the original memorial, the Park Service has indicated its intent to let it remain.  If not, NPS has stated it will tear it down.

The Mojave Desert War Memorial, which was saved temporarily by a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling, was torn down by vandals last week.  Liberty Institute, which represents longtime memorial caretakers Henry and Wanda Sandoz, the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW), The American Legion, Military Order of the Purple Heart, and the American Ex-Prisoners of War, is offering a reward of $125,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the removal of VFW property.  Henry Sandoz has built and is ready to erect an exact replica of the original WWI memorial, but the only delay has been the approval of the National Park Service.

Liberty Institute works to uphold Constitutional and First Amendment religious and speech freedoms in the courts.  Liberty Institute represented all major veterans groups as amici in the Supreme Court case of Salazar v. Buono involving this 76-year-old war memorial. The Institute continues to represent them as the case returns to District Court, where the ACLU is still asking that the Memorial be torn down and banned.

For more information or to leave a tip about those who tore down the memorial, visit www.donttearmedown.com.

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SOURCE Liberty Institute