ballot measure to transfer the property to the Interior Department October 7, 2005: Judge Cowett found the ballot measure unconstitutional July 2006: the Supreme Court issues a stay which stops a court order forcing imminent removal of the cross August 14, 2006: President George W. Bush signed a law that would transfer the cross to the Interior Department January 2011: the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled the transfer unconstitutional June 25, 2012: the Supreme Court denied certiorari to hear the case July 20, 2015: Mt. Soledad Memorial Association reported that it had bought the land under the cross from the Dept. of Defense September 7, 2016: the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismisses the case See also List of national memorials of the United States Salazar v. Buono, United States Supreme Court case upholding constitutionality of the transfer of the Mojave Memorial Cross to private ownership , legal challenges to the Mount Davidson Cross in San Francisco , legal challenge to the cross atop the mountain Serra Cross (Ventura, California), cross on public land in Ventura, California, which was the subject of litigation References External links Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial, website maintained by Mt. Soledad Memorial Association "An Atheist in a Foxhole", interview with Philip Paulson published by Freedom From Religion Foundation August 19, 2006 Trunk, et al v. City of San Diego, et al (2016), case docket Senate Committee on Armed Services Reach Agreement with House Counterparts Regarding the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 Culture of San Diego History of San Diego La Jolla, San Diego Christianity and politics in the United States