Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial

Appeals Court Declines to Re-Hear Appeal

admin — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 16:45:43 +0000

FIVE COURT OF APPEALS JUDGES SAY NINTH CIRCUIT DECISION WRONG

Mt. Soledad Cross Should Not Be Torn Down
Overseers of War Memorial Plan Appeal to U.S. Supreme Court

SAN DIEGO, October 17, 2011 – The full Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals declined to review or reverse the Ninth Circuit panel decision calling for the removal of the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial cross, a monument that has stood in San Diego honoring American soldiers for more than 56 years.

“Although we are disappointed that the Ninth Circuit denied requests to have the full court rehear this case, we are encouraged that five of the judges agree with us and believe the cross should stay,” said Kelly Shackelford, Esq., president of Liberty Institute and attorney for the Mount Soledad Memorial Association which oversees the monument. “With this encouragement and the recent ruling in favor of the Mojave Veterans Memorial, we plan to appeal to The Supreme Court.”

Represented by Liberty Institute and Morgan Lewis, the Mt. Soledad Memorial Association filed a motion in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals last April asking the full court to rehear the case following a panel ruling in January that declared the veterans memorial unconstitutional. The U.S. Department of Justice also filed a request for rehearing.

“People want this veterans memorial to remain as it is, from the thousands who visit it each month to honor our nation’s veterans, to the 76 percent of San Diegans who voted to give it to the Federal Government as a national veterans’ memorial,” said Col. Bruce S. Bailey, USAF (Ret), president of the Mt. Soledad Memorial Association, which oversees the memorial. “The Mt. Soledad Memorial Association is committed to preserving this veterans memorial so that future generations will also know the cost of freedom.”

The Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial consists of six concentric walls with plaques honoring more than 2,800 veterans, brick steps, and a cross, which has been the target of litigation for the past 22 years because it sits upon government property.

Liberty Institute is a non-profit legal firm and policy organization dedicated to protecting First Amendment freedoms. The group also represented 4 million veterans of Veterans of Foreign Wars, The American Legion, and the Military Order of the Purple Heart in an effort to protect the Mojave Desert War Memorial from being torn down by the ACLU, which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled should stand. Visit www.LibertyInstite.org for more information.

Media Advisory: Veterans Ceremony 2011

admin — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 01:03:01 +0000

Media Advisory RE: Veterans Week Ceremony 2011

Mt. Soledad Veterans Week Ceremony

“If You Love Freedom, Thank A Veteran And The Active Military”

WHEN

Saturday, November 5, 2011 – 12:00 noon to 1:15 pm

WHERE

Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial (Soledad Natural Park)
6905 La Jolla Scenic Drive South, La Jolla, CA 92037.

The Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial is owned by the Federal Government and is managed by Navy Region Southwest here in San Diego.

PROGRAM

Special Plaque Special plaque presentation honoring Captain Louis Zamperini, WWII U.S. Air Corps hero. Zamperini is the subject of the biography, “Unbroken,” written by Laura Hillenbrand, author of Seabiscuit. The book has been on The New York Times’ Non-fiction Best Seller list for over a year.

KEYNOTE

Brigadier General Daniel Yoo, Commanding General, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego and Western Recruiting Region. General Yoo assumed Command of MCRD in June, 2011.

ATTENDANCE

The Mt. Soledad Memorial Day ceremony typically draws 800 to 1,000 attendees including City, State and National officials, officers of the veterans organizations in San Diego County, Medal of Honor recipients and the general public.

ACTIVITIES

Music by Navy Band Southwest Brass Quintet. Aircraft Fly-Over by 12 T-34 Aircraft at the end of the Ceremony

OTHER

The Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial is now considered one of the most unique in America. It is the only one honoring veterans, living and deceased, from the Revolutionary War to the current conflicts in the Middle East. Plaques include a picture of the veteran with a brief summary of their military experience.

Currently there are over 3,000 black granite plaques on the Memorial Walls including Presidents, Medal of Honor recipients, Admirals, Generals, Hollywood heroes and 3,000 others who have proudly served their country helping to preserve the freedoms we enjoy as Americans.

For additional information about the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial and the Association activities, visit the web site at http://www.soledadmemorial.com.

MEDIA

We encourage arrival by 11:30 am for Media Reserved Parking.

CONTACT

Bob Phillips
(619) 787-6633 Cell
(619) 226-7788 Office
bob@philmark.net

Joanie Miyashiro-Brennan
(619) 666-4537 Cell
(858) 459-2314 Office

Letter From the Chairman

admin — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 00:56:12 +0000

Letter from the Chairman regarding financial resources.

Dear Friends of Mt. Soledad

I am pleased to share with you some very good news. We now have the financial resources needed to complete the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial in accordance with the original architectural plans approved by the Navy and consistent with the Memorandum of Understanding between our two organizations. The work that remains to be accomplished this year includes capping the Memorial Walls, providing power to the site, which will allow lighting the walls, walkways and flag and installing an Electronic Information Center. In addition, We will also make repairs to the walkways, steps and railings.

The new Information Center will be a wonderful source of information for those who come to the site. It will allow visitors to view a specific plaque and see its exact location on the Memorial Walls. It will also provide current and historical information about the Memorial, upcoming events, how to purchase a plaque or brick paver, benefits of membership in the Association and much more.

Sincerely,

William J. Kellogg
Chairman and CEO
Board of Trustees