The Mojave Cross, a memorial to World War I veterans, which has stood in various forms for more than 75 years was torn down and stolen by vandals sometime late Sunday or early Monday morning:
The 7-foot-tall metal cross in a 75-year-old war memorial that withstood the heat of the Mojave Desert and a blazing battle in the Supreme Court over its legality was ripped down and stolen Sunday night, according to federal officials.
“This is an outrage, akin to desecrating people’s graves,” said Kelly Shackelford, president of the Liberty Institute, which represents the caretakers of the Mojave Desert War Memorial. “It’s a disgraceful attack on the selfless sacrifice of our veterans. We will not rest until this memorial is re-installed.”
The National Park Service says someone cut the metal bolts holding the metal-pipe cross to the top of the memorial’s Sunrise Rock and made off with it Sunday night or before dawn on Monday.
Authorities had no immediate motive for the theft but National Park Service officials are considering a range of ideas from scrap metal scavengers to people “with an interest in the case,” said Park Service spokeswoman Linda Slater.
I’m really at a loss for words here, whoever did this, whatever their motivations, is a despicable rat bastard.
That said I can’t help but think this cowardly act was perpetrated by some politically motivated ideologue… you would have to have been freeze dried for the last decade not to know the significance of the Mojave Cross, I can’t imagine even the sleaziest of scrap metal scavengers would be foolish enough to steal it.
Related
- WWI memorial cross stolen from Mojave National Preserve – Stars and Stripes
- Mojave cross theft shows planning; veterans groups vow to rebuild – The Christian Science Monitor
- WWI memorial cross stolen from Mojave National Preserve – Jonn Lilyea, This Ain’t Hell
- Mojave desert cross stolen by vandals – Allahpundit, Hot Air
- Mojave Cross Torn Down and Stolen! – Riding and Ranting
- Mojave Cross Gone. Don’t read if you are afraid of expressions of outrage – morongobills backporch