"Standing on our property means it stands in defiance of those forces attempting to destroy it," Slomka said. "Otherwise, a cross on church property doesn't mean anything."
In November the city once again asked voters to allow the sale of the land to the highest bidder, who would decide whether to destroy, keep or move the cross. The memorial association, worried the proposition could result in the cross and the memorial being destroyed, campaigned against the ballot measure, which was defeated.
The cross, now chipped and cracked, has held on. The city has spent millions in defending the lawsuit and ballot measures involving the land. New locations have been suggested for the cross, but some see moving it from its current location as a defeat.
"This is part of a cultural war. It's a matter of which direction this country is going to go in, and we think it's worth fighting for," said Charles LiMandri, a lawyer with the Thomas More Law Center fighting to preserve the cross.
Churches around San Diego are urging their congregations to pray for the cross to be saved. Rallies have been held. Some church members are even fasting to show their support for keeping the cross where it is.
Many examples of religious symbols exist on public land, including the Capitol Rotunda, Gettysburg National Cemetery and Arlington National Cemetery, LiMandri said.
Jordan Budd, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of San Diego and Imperial Counties, said there is no recent precedent for allowing Latin crosses on federal land.
In June, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit upheld a federal district court decision that a cross on the Mojave National Preserve is a religious symbol that violates the U.S. Constitution and should be removed.
Atop Mount Soledad, the strong wind whips the American flag to attention. A blue ribbon on a heart-shaped wreath of red and white carnations reads, "Loving father, friend and Marine."
"It honors all the veterans. It should stay right where it is," said Greg Yontz, 49, a salesman from nearby Lakeside.
