A religious display was removed from outside the Out Patient Mental Health Clinic building at the Central Iowa VA Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa, following a letter from FFRF.
FFRF Legal Director Rebecca Markert wrote to the director of the VA Central Iowa Health Care System after a concerned complainant reported a religious memorial that included a soldier kneeling before a Latin cross.
“FFRF has no objection to veterans’ memorials. Our objection is to the message of endorsement of religion over nonreligion,” Markert wrote in her July 16 letter. “Additionally, this memorial sends a message that the government mainly cares about the deaths of Christian soldiers, not other non-Christian and nonreligious soldiers.”
FFRF received a response from Director Gail Graham stating that the display was carved by a Central Iowa Veteran and the family of the deceased veteran has modified the display to cover the cross.
