Random Design Questions

Time's cover story this week, on the sorry history of Delaware County's own V-22 Osprey, is certainly worth reading, but I'm still kind of perplexed by the cover. That cross-shaped shadow in the bottom right hand corner had to have been an intentional design choice, but why? Is it in reference to the Marines killed in Osprey crashes, or perhaps to the phrase "flying on a wing and a prayer?" Time has done some nicely designed covers since they switched to their Friday publishing schedule, but that one shadow is really nagging at me.