Mojave Cross finally finds a safe, permanent place in the San Bernardino County desert

After it was stolen in 2010 and the US Supreme Court weighed in on the ongoing controversy, the Mojave Cross, which honors the nation’s military, is finally home -- for good.

For nearly a century, a white cross atop boulders in the eastern Mojave Desert endured harsh weather, thieves and an array of lawyers.

Today the Mojave Cross, which honors the nation’s military, has a new, permanent place in the sun, safe from endless vandalism and the rancor of the courtroom.

The six-foot white cross – once missing for two years after being stolen in 2010 – is the centerpiece of a newly completed military memorial in Goffs on old Route 66. It’s on the grounds of the expansive museum of the Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association.

The original cross was put up in 1934 by miners and homesteaders in eastern San Bernardino County off Cima Road as a memorial for those who fought in World War I.

The cross on Sunrise Rock –  now within the Mojave National Preserve – was maintained for years by miner J. Riley Bembry. As he got older, desert residents Henry and Wanda Sandoz took over repairing or replacing the cross which has happened several times. The current cross now at Goffs was one built by the Sandozes in the late 1990s.

But in 1999, things changed as a former park employee joined with the American Civil Liberties Union to demand in court the cross be removed from public land as a violation of the separation of church and state. The American Legion and other groups fought the suit, led by First Amendment rights attorneys, First Liberty Institute. While the suit made its way through the legal system, the cross was ordered covered from view.

Before it could be finally resolved in court, a solution was proposed between the Sandozes and the National Parks Service. The couple offered the government five acres they owned within the Mojave preserve in exchange for the one acre surrounding the boulders on which the original cross was placed.

That land swap was also opposed by the cross’ opponents. The case was finally settled by the U.S. Supreme Court which on April 28, 2010, ruled the trade was legal. That acre was later turned over to the Veterans of Foreign Wars which now maintains it.

But the end of 11 years of legal wrangling didn’t bring peace to the desert.

“I remember giving a tour to the cross on May 9, 2010,” explained museum volunteer Debbie Miller Marschke. “The next day it was stolen.” The theft forced Henry Sandoz to fabricate yet another replacement cross for the original site along Cima Road.

It would not be until 2012 that the stolen cross was recovered in a remote area near Half Moon Bay, south of San Francisco. It had a note requesting it be returned to the Mojave Desert.

Also hidden inside was a typed letter addressed “to America,” and dated Nov. 4, 2012. It was signed,  “A simple American” who apologized to the Sandozes for the theft.

“I took the cross mainly because I wanted people to stop yelling and to start thinking,” said the letter, whose message has never before been made public. “Instead they just started yelling louder.”

The letter asked forgiveness of the Sandozes, “I will always remain sorry that your noble act to honor your promise to Mr. Bembry was of necessity so derailed by my own attempt to act honorably.”

The recovered cross was returned to Wanda Sandoz. It was kept hidden for nearly a decade in a barn because Sandoz, whose husband had died, was afraid that it would again be stolen if displayed publicly.

Marschke, who is the volunteer project manager of the new cross memorial in Goffs, met with her two years ago, and it was agreed the cross would be donated to the museum. “I said the cross could be a part of an interpretive display to help visitors understand all of its history as well as be a memorial to all who have served in our military, both living and dead,” Marschke said. And it would be protected.

Last June, a group of volunteers at the Goffs campus assembled the memorial, designed to look somewhat like the original cross site about 40 miles to the northwest. But Goffs posed a problem – it is very flat with nary a boulder anywhere.

Because rocks from public lands couldn’t be used for the memorial, Marschke contacted the Equinox Gold Corp., which operates a gold mine west of Searchlight, Nevada.

Equinox agreed to not only send three dump trucks full of boulders, but also an excavator to assist with the work. Marschke said Equinox employee Cody Benson of Nipton was especially helpful in maneuvering the boulders into just the right positions. The firm also provided desert landscaping.

The memorial was dedicated last Veterans Day in a program that included Wanda Sandoz and Riley Bembry’s son. Two months ago, the Billy Holcomb chapter of E Clampus Vitus, the fraternal organization that works to preserve the heritage of the Old West, installed a plaque near the monument in Goffs detailing the history of the Mojave Cross.

Marschke said the Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association nonprofit is seeking donations to help pay for the costs of the construction of the monument. Additionally, rows of bricks honoring individual American military members, both living and dead, can be purchased and added to the memorial. To contribute to the association or buy a veterans brick, go to www.facebook.com/MDHCA.

The Mojave Desert Historic and Cultural outdoor museum, about 30 miles west of Needles and 10 miles north of the 40 Freeway on Goffs Road, is well worth the long drive. You can view the memorial as well as get a real taste of the history of mining and homesteading in the area. Desert mining gear is on display, and there’s even two working stamp mills. They have also opened expanded campground facilities on the site.

The museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., but it would be advisable to call ahead at 760-733-4482 or check the website themojaveroad.org.

Monthly tours

The schedule of tours of historic sites of the Historical Society of Pomona Valley has been set for the next few weeks.

Tours of the Barbara Greenwood Kindergarten, 332 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona will be May 12 from 2 to 5 p.m.  Tours cost $5.

Tours of the Phillips Mansion and Currier Home, 2640 Pomona Blvd., Pomona, will be May 19 from 2 to 5:30 p.m. The cost is $15.

Tour tickets must be purchased before the day of the event at www.PomonaHistorical.org

A Historical Society of Pomona Valley work party to cut weeds and clean up the historic Spadra Cemetery, 2850 Pomona Blvd., Pomona, will be held from 8 a.m. to noon. Check www.PomonaHistorical.org or call 909-623-2198 for details.

Joe Blackstock writes on Inland Empire history. He can be reached at joe.blackstock@gmail.com or Twitter @JoeBlackstock. Check out some of our columns of the past at Inland Empire Stories on Facebook at www.facebook.com/IEHistory.