An atheist group is demanding that a cross at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton be removed.

On Veterans Day, several Marines erected a 13-foot cross in honor of the Marines killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Marines were replacing the original cross put up in 2003 that was burned down in a brush fire in 2007.

Staff Sgt. Justin Rettenberger said the cross is dedicated to the memory of four Marines killed in battle, according to the LA Times. "We wanted them all to know that they'll always be in our hearts, that they'll never be forgotten," he said. "All great warriors."

The Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers (MAAF) said the cross is unconstitutional. In a blog post, the MAAF said, "we still have continuing exploitation of military service and veterans to promote Christian privilege." The placement of the cross, the MAAF contends, "sends a message of exclusion rather than inclusion on this secular holiday