MRFF Intervention Leads to Immediate Removal of Well-Recognized Christian Nationalist Flag from ‘Heritage Display’ at U.S. Military Installation HQ Bldg.

July 31, 2024

As noted in our last achievement, MRFF President/Founder Mikey Weinstein’s warning regarding the devastating impact ‘Project 2025’ would have on unit strength and cohesion within the U.S. Military (“It’s Project 2025, Stupid”, Op-Ed, Wednesday, April 10, 2024) continues to be eerily foreshadowed in real-time by MRFF’s ongoing day-to-day client centered actions. 

Mikey, working with MRFF Installation Representatives at a major military installation, recently assisted numerous clients representing diverse religious heritages challenge the sectarian religious branding of a ‘Heritage Display’ at the installation’s Headquarters Building.  The nature of this unconstitutional religious branding of a taxpayer funding military facility (and its ‘blessing’ by both the Command Chaplain and Commander), and the immediate corrective action taken after MRFF’s involvement, is detailed in the following email on July 31, 2024 from a senior active duty officer and MRFF client in this matter:

From: (Senior Active Duty Officer/MRFF Client’s E-mail Address Withheld)
Subject: Christian American Flag Removed by the MRFF’s Intervention: Long overdue thank you
Date: July 31, 2024 at 7:34:21 AM MDT
To: Information Weinstein <[email protected]>

Mr. Weinstein and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation,

I apologize for not writing sooner with an expression of sincerest gratitude for the swift action of the MRFF Reps at our military installation and Mr. Mikey Weinstein for effectuating the removal of a large, framed “Christian American flag” from our unit’s so-called “Heritage Display” in our HQ building facility.

Because we are in a highly secure area it was not possible to get a “before and after” photo which I know the MRFF wanted here.

I am a senior officer in our unit and for the record am a Christian myself. I was the initial individual of many who reached out to our MRFF Reps and Mr. Weinstein for help. This framed Christian American flag looked like the regular American flag but had a red Christian cross over a dark blue background where the stars are normally located on the American flag we are all used to seeing. It was horrifying to see this as an integral part of this military heritage official display. We have troops of many faiths in our unit and also those who follow no faiths at all.

It had been placed there in the midst of a display of the history of our unit’s storied combat history through the years. Our Command Chaplain had the idea which was enthusiastically endorsed by our Commander. 

As soon as it had been erected there was huge disapproval in our ranks about it. I and some others personally spoke with our Commander as to how wrong this display was but he had been convinced by our Command Chaplain and his own lackey Staff Judge Advocate (both extremely conservative, evangelical Christians) that the display was “completely legal’ as it was “only part of a historical representation” of our unit’s combat record through many years of military service. I tried to push back that it violated a number of regulations and the Constitution but got nowhere. You can push your Commander only so far. We needed help.

Within 24 hours of asking for help from the MRFF, this framed “Christian American flag” was removed from the otherwise non-objectionable heritage display in the lobby of our HQ building facility.

I had given our MRFF Reps the contact info to pass onto Mr. Weinstein for our Commander’s senior command chain. Mr. Weinstein had several direct conversations with them and the unconstitutional display was then removed immediately with no explanation at all by our Commander or his Command Chaplain nor SJA legal staff. 

This all went down a few months ago and I should have sent in a proper thank you note but most of us who reached out to the MRFF were expecting retaliation from our unit’s leaders. And, well, we just waited and probably too long. I got the silent treatment myself from the Commander for several weeks but things seemed to have settled down now. I guess I’ll have to await to see my fitness evaluation/report before I know for sure.

(Senior Active Duty Officer/MRFF Client’s ID Info All Withheld)