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PRESS RELEASE FROM
THE AMERICAN LEGION DEPARTMENT OF CALIFORNIA
S. WAYNE PARRISH, COMMANDER
May 23, 2006 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT REES LLOYD, ATTORNEY
DIRECTOR, DEFENSE OF VETERANS MEMORIAL PROJECT
(951) 849-8676; cel: (951) 867-1551; Rees@ReesLloyd.net
___________________________________________

THE AMERICAN LEGION DEPARTMENT OF CALIFORNIA
TO LAUNCH STATEWIDE DEFENSE OF VETERANS MEMORIALS
AT MT. SOLEDAD, MAY 25, 2006

SAN DIEGO — The American Legion Department of California will hold a press conference on Thursday, May 25, at 2 p.m., at the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial in San Diego to announce initiation of an unprecedented statewide Defense of Veterans Memorials Project of the California Department of The American Legion, including its support of efforts to preserve the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial.

“America’s veterans memorials have become a casualty of litigation wars as atheists and special interest organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union pursue their fanatical secular cleansing agendas. We wartime veterans in the American Legion Department of California are fed up with legal attacks on veterans memorials, like the cross memorial at Mt. Soledad, and we intend to fight back through our new California Defense of Veterans Memorials Project,” said American Legion California Department Commander Wayne Parrish.

The Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial became the center of nationwide controversy after a federal district judge, in a lawsuit filed by an atheist, ordered the City of San Diego to tear down a cross at the memorial or face a $5,000 per day fine, payable by taxpayers, until it is destroyed. (Historical timeline available at www.telladf.org/UserDocs/MtSoledadHistory.pdf

.)
The California Legion’s Defense of Veterans Memorials Project will include involvement in litigation through a cooperative relationship with the Alliance Defense Fund, a public interest legal alliance with more than 850 allied attorneys. Details on the project will be presented at the press conference.

“The California Defense of Veterans Project represents a new dimension in the effort to protect our veterans memorials. We are grateful to the Alliance Defense Fund in coming forward on the legal front to aid veterans in this cause. The American Legion Department of California believes that there ought to be a decent respect for what so many millions of veterans view as sacred--places set aside to honor and remember the service and sacrifice of our fallen comrades in defense of American freedom. We are giving notice today that The American Legion, Department of California, intends to stand and fight in defense of memorials to those who defended America against the courtroom attacks of those offended by America.”

The American Legion Department of California has some 130,000 wartime veteran members. The Defense of Veterans Memorials Project was adopted by unanimous vote of the California Department Executive Committee, involving delegates from some 31 Districts from throughout California, according to Rees Lloyd, Legionnaire and former ACLU staff attorney who has been named Director of the California Defense of Veterans Memorials Project by Commander Parrish.

The national American Legion is the largest wartime veterans in the world with some 2.7 million members. American Legion National Commander Thomas Bock has joined Rep. Duncan Hunter and San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders in calling on President George Bush to use his legitimate powers to make the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial part of the federal park system (www.telladf.org/UserDocs/BockHunterLetters.pdf). Before the court issued its order to tear down the cross, 76 percent of San Diego voters voted in favor of saving the memorial by transferring it to the federal government.

On the legislative front, The American Legion, pursuant to its Resolution 326, Preserve Mojave Desert Veterans Memorial, sponsored by the Department of California and adopted at the 2004 National Convention, has called on Congress to amend the Civil Rights Attorney Fees Act, 42 U.S. Code Section 1988, to eliminate the authority of judges to award attorney fees, or damages, in lawsuits brought under the Establishment Clause against veterans memorials, the Boy Scouts, or the public displays of symbols of America’s history which have a religious aspect.

The Public Expression of Religion Act, HR 2679, sponsored by Rep. John Hostettler (R-Ind) and some 46 co-sponsors would do so. It is pending before the House Judiciary Committee.

Similar legislation supported by the California Department of the American Legion, the “Defense of Veterans Memorials Act,” SB 1499 (sponsored by Sen. James Battin) and AB 2545(sponsored by Assemblyman Ray Haynes) did not pass their respective judiciary committees for a floor vote.

Participants in Thursday’s press conference will include a representative of the American Legion Department of California; other veterans; representatives from the Office of Rep. Duncan Hunter and Mayor Jerry Sanders; Joe Infranco, senior counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund; and Charles S. LiMandri, regional attorney for the Thomas More Law Center.

For more information, contact Rees Lloyd, Attorney, Director of the Defense of Veterans Memorials Project, American Legion Dept. of California, at (951) 849-8676, cel: (951) 867-1551); Rees@ReesLloyd.net.