Foreword
In 1925, the American Legion completed construction of an imposing, 40-foot-tall Roman cross on land it owned in Bladensburg, Maryland. The “Peace Cross” was dedicated as a memorial to those from Prince George’s County that had died in World War I. Carved on the concrete and granite were the names of 49 men who had died in the war, the words “valor,” “endurance,” “courage,” and “devotion,” as well as the American Legion seal. The area where the cross was erected was originally relatively rural, but as the Washington, D.C., suburbs expanded, the area became more developed, with a major road…
