Speaking as a atheist, this protest is dumb. Assuming they also allow any reasonable form of memorial to accomodate non Christians, memorializing people with a symbol they found meaningful, be it Cross, Star of David, Crescent, or whatever, should offend no one.
Thank you.
If they were objecting to a cross being erected for an atheist Trooper, I could understand.
But apparently they are objecting because crosses erected for Christian Troopers offend them!
I have no objection to memorializing the deceased in a way meaningful to that person.
These atheists have become anti-theists. By virtue of your thoughtful post, I guess that's not the same!