The American Legion Granted Right To Intervene In Bladensburg World War I Veterans Memorial Lawsuit

BLADENSBURG, Md., Sept. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland granted the motion by The American Legion, The American Legion Department of Maryland, and The American Legion Post 131 of Colmar Manor, Md., to intervene in a lawsuit that challenges the constitutionality of a time-honored veterans memorial that sits in the heart of historic Bladensburg.  The court's order granting the motion permits the Legion to become a party in the lawsuit to defend the World War I memorial it erected almost one hundred years ago.  To view the Court's order online, visit: https://libertyinstitute.org/file/order-and-memo-granting-intervention.pdf

"We are grateful the Court granted our client, The American Legion, the right to intervene in this lawsuit to protect its interests in the historic Bladensburg World War I Veterans Memorial, which it erected almost a century ago to honor the county's fallen," said Jeff Mateer, General Counsel for Liberty Institute.  The law firms of Jones Day and Liberty Institute represent the Legion in this matter.

In 1925, The American Legion, the largest veterans service organization in the nation, erected the Bladensburg World War I Veterans Memorial in honor of 49 men of Prince George's County, Md., who gave their lives in the First World War while serving in the U.S. armed forces.  It sits in the immediate vicinity of other veterans memorials honoring those who served in the War of 1812, World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam, as well as a memorial to the fallen of September 11, 2001. 

The American Legion seeks to protect its interests in the Bladensburg World War I Veterans Memorial and to ensure that the memorial and others like it may continue to honor American veterans.  American Legion posts have participated in patriotic events at the Bladensburg World War I Veterans Memorial since its inception, including on Veterans Day.

"We are thankful for the right to intervene in this matter and committed to ensuring this time-honored veterans memorial stands for another hundred years," said Roger Byron, Liberty Institute Senior Counsel. "The men it honors, all others who have served, and those in uniform today deserve no less."

The lawsuit began on February 25 when a humanist group filed a complaint alleging that the public ownership, maintenance, and display of the memorial violated the Establishment Clause. The Bladensburg World War I Veterans Memorial joins a growing list of veterans memorials across the country that have come under similar attack.

Liberty Institute is a nonprofit legal group dedicated to defending and restoring religious liberty across America — in our schools, for our churches, in the military and throughout the public arena. Liberty's vision is to reestablish religious liberty in accordance with the principles of our Founding Fathers. For information, visit www.LibertyInstitute.org.

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SOURCE Liberty Institute