Mojave Desert Cross To Rise Again As Veterans Memorial

The Mojave Desert Cross which was originally erected in 1934 by the VFW to honor World War I
veterans; will once again be raised on Veterans Day Nov. 11 at 11AM and will be re-dedicated
in a ceremony at 1PM.

The Liberty Institute which represented several major veterans groups as a friend of the court
in the Supreme Court case, made the announcement today.

The Memorial is located in the Mojave National Preserve, Cima Road, Cima, CA 92364.

The Mojave Desert Veterans Memorial is the only WWI Memorial that has been designated by
Congress as a National Memorial. It stood in place for over 60 peaceful years as a time honored tribute,
until 2001 when the ACLU filed a lawsuit claiming that the Cross stood on public land; and violated
the Constitution.

So for almost 13 years the legal battle has dragged on, during this time the Memorial was
bagged, torn down,  put in a box and stolen by vandals.

In April U.S. District Judge Robert J. Timlin signed an order ending the ACLU lawsuit and thus
paving the way for original 1 acre site on Sunrise Rock to be transferred to the VFW to allow them
to restore the Memorial. In 2003 the United States Congress had authorized the land transfer.

In 2010 the U.S. Supreme Court had ruled in favor of the Memorial and had sent the case back
to the district court to decide the land transfer.

We Thank the Liberty Institute for their help in this cause. The Institute is also representing the
Mt. Soledad Memorial Association in a similar case over the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial
that includes a cross on public land.  Also the institute is involved in another case, the Memorial
Peace Cross in Blandensburg, Maryland; a forty foot memorial that has stood for 85 years.


---- Jerald Terwilliger Former Chairman American Cold War Veterans "We Remember" ---------------- "And so the greatest of American triumphs... became a peculiarly joyless victory. We had won the Cold War, but there would be no parades." -- Robert M. Gates, 1996

May 8th Victory in Europe(VE) Day

Yesterday, May 8 has come and gone, unnoticed. And what a shame that is. This year it just
happened to fall on Mothers Day, which made it ever more special.

How many people remember that May 8th is Victory in Europe (VE) Day. It is no longer celebrated,
in fact it is not even placed on calendars, and it has not been for several years.

As the number of WWII veterans grows smaller by the day, we should take special note of this day,
and give our thanks and prayers for those brave men.

The Instrument of Surrender ordered all German military to surrender
and cease all operations at 23:01 Central Europe Time on May 8th, 1945.

This was the end of the war in Europe, and we should never forget this date, we should never forget
those who fought so valiantly and through such hardships. Never forget those who gave their
lives to protect our country and our freedom.

 I am so proud that so many towns and cities across our great land are remembering the
WWII veterans by giving the veterans free trips to Washington, DC to visit the WWII memorial,
which is a very beautiful and inspiring monument to all who fought in that horrific struggle.

I hope that the Freedom Flights will continue long enough to allow every WWII veteran the chance
to see this wonderful memorial.

Jerald Terwilliger
National Chairman
American Cold War Veterans
"We Remember"

---------------- "And so the greatest of American triumphs... became a peculiarly joyless victory. We had won the Cold War, but there would be no parades." -- Robert M. Gates, 1996