Philip Kevin Paulson (1947 – October 25, 2006) was a U.S. Army combat veteran of the Vietnam War who, as an atheist, was the lead plaintiff in a series of lawsuits to remove a Christian cross from a prominent summit in the city of San Diego.

He spent seventeen years, starting with a pro se action against the city, then as lead plaintiff, in multiple successful federal court challenges to remove the 43-foot (13 m) high cross from this government owned land.

Paulson enlisted in the U.S. Army aged 18 in 1966, becoming a paratrooper, and served two tours of duty in Vietnam, including on Hill 875 in the Battle of Dak To, where his platoon was ambushed and he and a fellow soldier were the only survivors.

His detractors, led by the only daily newspaper in the city, The San Diego Union Tribune, depicted him as a man on a mission to deny the expression of the majority's religious preference.

[citation needed] In numerous articles and letters to the editor he was invariably referred to as "Atheist Philip Paulson", with rarely a mention of his veteran status, having served two combat tours in Viet Nam.