Since the early 1900s, the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial Cross has played an integral part in the life of the Village. Even before the first wooden cross was erected in 1913, a World War I veteran flew his mail-order glider from the top of the hill. In 1930, Anne Lindbergh also used the area to launch her glider. The old wooden cross was burned in 1923. The replacement cross, erected in 1934, was a tribute to veterans of World War I. The present memorial, built in 1954, stands 29 feet high and is surrounded by walkways and walls bearing photographs of veterans. It would be an insult to thousands of war veterans if the cross were to be removed.
For several decades, however, a group has been actively trying to remove the cross. The federal Justice Department has now joined the Mt. Soledad Memorial Association in appealing a ruling that ordered the cross removal because of an opposing group that continues to say the cross is unconstitutional because it is an endorsement of Christianity held on federal property. Does the assault on the cross constitute an attack on our constitutional right to freedom of speech and religion?
The preservation of the park and memorial is largely due to the efforts of dedicated members of the Mt. Soledad Memorial Association.
Soaring into the sky, the cross imparts a sense of goodwill, peace and hope for mankind. Losing the cross would be like losing a bit of the heartbeat of La Jolla, where I’ve lived since 1953.
Patricia Weber
La Jolla