Wednesday Evening, December 18, 2024

MRFF VICTORY!!!

WITHIN HALF AN HOUR OF MRFF DEMAND,

WALTER REED MEDICAL CENTER CONFIRMED 

THAT NATIVITY SCENE WOULD BE MOVED — 

MOVED TO CHAPEL AN HOUR LATER!

MRFF commends the staff at Walter Reed for

swiftly and unhesitatingly doing the right thing!

Within half an hour of Mikey Weinstein contacting Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on behalf of 41 patients, staff,

and family members who wanted the large nativity scene dominating the lobby of the complex’s America Building removed, MRFF received confirmation via telephone from the

medical center’s chief of staff and other key leadership that

it would be moved yesterday afternoon.

A little over an hour later, the medical center’s chief of staff

e-mailed Mikey again, confirming that the nativity scene had

been moved to one of the facility’s chapels, the only

place where such a display belongs.

MRFF client photos of nativity scene in lobby of America Building

at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and the same

lobby this morning with nativity scene removed

MRFF Founder and President Mikey Weinstein’s

e-mail to Captain Melissa C. Austin, Director, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, demanding that the nativity scene be moved to a more appropriate location, such as one of the facility’s chapels

From: Michael L Weinstein <mikeyw4444@icloud.com>

Subject: Nativity display at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC)

Date: December 17, 2024 at 1:18:51 PM MST

To: Captain Melissa C. Austin, Director, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

Cc: Captain Juan N. Rosario, Chief of Staff, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center; Sergeant Major Dennis R. Waycaster, Command Senior Enlisted Leader, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

………Dear Capt Melissa Austin, Director, WRNMMC, the below tragically speaks for itself…

...…we at the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (mrff.org) respectfully demand that you immediately remove this unconstitutional, illicit and clearly sectarian Christian nativity scene display from your America Building facility and relocate it to a time, place and manner where it will not be viciously violating the U.S. Constitution’s/ First Amendment’s separation of church and state mandate, all of its construing Federal caselaw, innumerable DoD and Dept. of the Navy Directives, Instructions and Regulations, the UCMJ, the Core Values of the U.S. Navy and all of the other service branches!!…

…..MRFF is presently representing 41 WRNMMC patients, staff and their families on this matter…..27 of them are practitioners of the Christian faith themselves and the others are from the Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Native American faith traditions as well as some from the non-faith traditions such as Agnosticism, Atheism and Secularism and Humanism….

……The in-your-face presence of this incontrovertibly nonsecular Christian nativity scene is causing egregiously deleterious impact to the good order, morale, discipline, unit cohesion and mission accomplishment of those both under your command at WRNMMC and those honorable military members and veterans who comprise your patient constituency….

……Capt. Austin, we are standing by for your decision here to swiftly rectify this terribly unfortunate matter of unconstitutional, illicit Christian supremacy, dominance, exclusivity and exceptionalism….

……Ma’am it is just plain WRONG on SO many levels!!….please just do the right thing and relocate it right away, perhaps to one of your 2 WRNMMC chapel locations?!

…… Michael L. “Mikey” Weinstein

Founder and President

Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF)

505-250-7727

E-mail from one of MRFF’s clients at Walter Reed, sent with above e-mail to Captain Austin

From: (MRFF Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Client’s e-mail address withheld)

Subject: Nativity display at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC)

Date: December 17, 2024 at 11:46:32 AM MST

To: <info@militaryreligiousfreedom.org&gt;, "'Mikey Weinstein'" mikey@militaryreligiousfreedom.org>

Cc: <xxxxxxxxx@verizon.net>

Mr. Weinstein,

Thank you for your many efforts to protect the Constitutional guarantee of religious freedom for all members of the United States Armed Forces.

I took these pictures of a Christian Nativity scene last week on Wednesday, 11 December 2024, while at the America Building in the Walter Reed hospital complex for medical treatment. My husband is a U.S. Army veteran and we go to this hospital complex for health care. The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center provides medical care for active duty and retired members of the United States military and their families. It is run by the Navy.

I was astonished, and deeply disturbed, by this display and its implied endorsement of the Christian faith at a United States government facility. This apparent violation of the Establishment Clause is particularly egregious during this time of rising Christian Nationalism.

For the record: I hereby transfer all right, title and interest to these photos to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.

Sincerely,

(MRFF Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Client’s name, address, and phone numbers withheld)

Mikey Weinstein’s e-mail thanking Walter Reed

Chief of Staff Captain Juan N. Rosario, after phone

call with several key members of facility’s leadership, confirming that the nativity scene would be moved

From: Michael L Weinstein <mikeyw4444@icloud.com>

Subject: Resolution Phone Call on Nativity Scene

Date: December 17, 2024 at 2:23:00 PM MST

To: Captain Melissa C. Austin, Director, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

Cc: Captain Juan N. Rosario, Chief of Staff, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center; Sergeant Major Dennis R. Waycaster, Command Senior Enlisted Leader, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

….Dear Capt. Rosario, Chief of Staff, WRNMMC, thank you and your fellow WRNMMC senior staffers for the timely phone call you all just completed to me regarding the deeply appreciated resolution of the matter below regarding the Christian Xmas nativity scene display in the America Building…

…it was a pleasure speaking to all of you and receiving the requested confirmation that you all at WRNMMC would be removing that nativity scene this very afternoon from its present objectionable location, re: time, place and manner, in the America Building to a different location where it will be perfectly acceptable pursuant to well established law and regulation such as one of your 2 WRNMMC chapel facilities as requested!…

….on behalf of all 41 of MRFF’s client complainants at WRNMMC on this matter, MRFF fervently thanks WRNMMC senior leadership for, indeed, doing the right thing here expeditiously to restore good order, morale, discipline, unit cohesion and mission accomplishment!!…..as well as confidence in their WRNMMC chain of command!....most grateful sir….Mikey Weinstein/MRFF 505-250-7727

E-mail from Captain Rosario confirming that

the nativity scene had been moved

to one of the facility’s chapels

On Dec 17, 2024, at 3:46 PM, Rosario, Juan N CAPT USN DHA WALTER REED MED CTR (USA) wrote:

Mr. Weinstein,

The nativity scene and menorah that were on display in the America Building were both relocated to the temporary chapel in building 85T. 

MRFF client photos taken this morning show

nativity scene statues on cart in chapel

But there is no sign of that menorah that Captain Rosario

said was also moved there, and not a single one of MRFF’s clients recall seeing this mystery menorah in the lobby, leading us to wonder if Captain Rosario, in a misguided effort to give the impression

that the display in the lobby had been religiously inclusive,

simply added a made-up menorah to his e-mail?

E-mail from another of MRFF’s Walter Reed clients

“We are all so appreciative that the MRFF took charge here

and forced our Walter Reed leadership to get rid of that

display and move it over to one of our chapel areas

where it should have been in the first place.”

From: (MRFF Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Client/Employee’s e-mail address withheld)

Subject: Removal of nativity display at Walter Reed

Date: December 18, 2024 at 11:33:11 AM MST

To: Information Weinstein <mikey@militaryreligiousfreedom.org>

Mr. Weinstein and the MRFF,

Thank all of you for representing so many of us who are employed or are patients here at Walter Reed to get that Christmas nativity display removed from where it had been located in the America Building.

I and several colleagues are employed at Walter Reed and we knew that this display was wrong when and where it was erected. I had mentioned to my supervisor (both of us are Baptists by the way) that I knew that this was wrong. He told me that while he agreed with me it would be a black mark on my personnel record if I “made a stink” over it. I was scared and my wife also was scared if I did anything to voice my concern.

Why was I and the others upset? Because we know that our military is made up of many soldiers sailors marines and airmen who have our backs but may not celebrate Christmas or follow Christianity.

My other co-workers were also intimidated about officially objecting to the placement location of this nativity scene by their supervisors.

We are all so appreciative that the MRFF took charge here and forced our Walter Reed leadership to get rid of that display and move it over to one of our chapel areas where it should have been in the first place.

That we had to get the MRFF involved here shows how bad things are at Walter Reed with trying to keep respect for different religions among our diverse workforce and patient population.

Thank you for getting this difficult job done so fast and for keeping all of our names anonymous. 

(MRFF Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Client/Employee’s name, job title, and all related ID information withheld)

Some of MRFF’s previous successes getting Bibles

and other exclusively Christian displays removed or replaced at VA facilities and military installations

“My Deep Gratitude to You”

Dear Mr. Weinstein, 

You and all those working at the Military Religious Freedom Foundation have my deep gratitude for your vital work to protect the religious freedom and civil rights of all members of the United States Armed Forces. Your efforts are especially important during this time of deep political polarization and rising radical Christian Nationalism, a climate which poses grave threats to our democracy. Thank you, sir, for your heroic efforts to defend our freedoms, our rights, our Constitution, and our great nation. Thank you for fighting this fight for us.  

Sincerely,

(name withheld)

“There is nothing religious about

placing a wreath on a grave”

To the MRFF

Wreaths Across America is taking place today and it is a BEAUTIFUL ceremony where we honor those who unlike you have REALLY fought for freedom. There is nothing religious about placing a wreath on a grave but you just love to complain don’t you. I have taken part in two such ceremonies and am very proud to say I did. You worry about a trifle like this instead of wishing our troops and veterans a Merry Christmas especially those who can’t be home. I agree with what that other writer said you really need to get a life!

An old Soldier who DOES NOT support you

(name withheld)

To see response from

MRFF Advisory Board Member Mike Farrell:

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