Mojave Cross, Stolen and Returned: A Saga of Lawsuits and Church-State Battles

Erected in 1934, the Mojave Memorial Cross, a monument to World War I veterans, was stolen in 2010. It remained missing for six years, until 2016 when it mysteriously resurfaced. However, this story is not just about theft and recovery; it's about the ongoing disputes regarding the separation of church and state and the preservation of a historic monument. It's also about the legal battles, including a Supreme Court case. This cross towers at Sunrise Rock, a granite outcrop along Cima Road in the Mojave Desert, California.

The path to Teutonia Peak is situated 1,300 feet (400 meters) north of the cross, nestled between Cima Dome and the Ivanpah Mountains. The cross was initially put up by veterans, including medic John Riley Bembry, who served in WWI. Over the years, it was destroyed, rebuilt after legal hurdles, and then rededicated following a land exchange approval in 2012. However, on the night of May 9-10, 2010, it was cut down and stolen. A $125,000 reward was offered for information leading to its recovery, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) vowed to rebuild it.

The recovery efforts captured national attention, as people from across the country followed the progress. In 2016, the cross was found and returned to its place at Sunrise Rock.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons