A mayor has come to the defense of a war memorial that features religious symbols and prayers after a national group called for the cross to be removed.

“The Firefighter’s Prayer” is a 91-year-old memorial in a Rhode Island city that honors hometown soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice defending their country during World War I and II, MyFoxBoston.com reports.

It has stood in the parking lot of the Woonsocket fire station for decades with no complaints, until earlier this year when the Freedom from Religion Foundation called for it to be stripped of the cross, claiming it violates the First Amendment’s freedom of religion clause.

The group also wants the Woonsocket Fire Department to remove “The Firefighter’s Prayer” and a picture of an angel from its website.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/08/04/mayor-defends-war-memorial-after-group-calls-for-removal-cross/?test=latestnews#ixzz22ccIUn47