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MRFF Demands that Marine Corps Leadership Immediately Investigate Usage of Nazi SS Flag by Marines in Afghanistan

Published On: February 9, 2012|Categories: News|34 Comments|





MilitaryReligiousFreedom.org

Fighting for our servicemembers’ rights, so they can fight for ours.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MRFF Contact: Bekki Miller
Tel. (337) 356-8696
[email protected]

MRFF Demands that Marine
Corps Leadership Immediately Investigate Usage of Nazi SS Flag
by Marines
in Afghanistan

Thursday, February 9, 2012

MRFF Statement on SS Banner Flying Alongside U.S. Flag in Afghanistan

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org) is absolutely sickened by the disgusting images of members of the U.S. Marine Corps 1st Recon Battalion, Charlie Company, proudly posing in front of the U.S. flag juxtaposed alongside a symbol associated with the unspeakable horrors of the Nazi Holocaust, the genocide of religious minorities throughout Europe, and the forces of white supremacist racial hatred.

The fact that United States service personnel were caught proudly posing with the emblem of the Nazi SS, which symbolizes the vile ideology of Hitlerian fascism, sends a menacing signal to religious minorities within the United States Armed Forces. The symbol’s usage conveys a message that the U.S. Military is an organization within which white supremacists can feel at home, free to espouse their murderous ideology and proudly don their symbols of hatred.

This brazen display of a symbol which is synonymous with death squads, gas chambers, and brutal occupation reflects a sociopathic, marauding attitude which violently jars with the supposed "nation-building" efforts which the NATO forces have embarked upon. It exacerbates the anti-Americanism felt by the people of the region who we claim to be helping in the context of a UN-mandated, NATO-led security mission.

In short, this shameful display of SS "lightning bolts" by U.S. service personnel enrages our regional allies, emboldens the extremist Islamist forces with whom we are contending, and eviscerates good order, morale, and discipline within the U.S. Marine Corps. The Military Religious Freedom Foundation immediately calls for the leadership of the United States Military to condemn this stomach-turning display without equivocation or delay and severely punish ALL of those responsible.

Michael L. "Mikey" Weinstein, Esq.
Founder & President
Military Religious Freedom Foundation


Ongoing News Coverage of this Scandalous Outrage:

CNN – Photo shows Marines posing with Nazi-like
symbol in Afghanistan

MOTHER JONES – Marines Sport Nazi SS Flag in Afghanistan

LOS ANGELES TIMES – Camp Pendleton Marines posed
with Nazi SS symbol in Afghanistan

MARINE CORPS TIMES – Marine scout snipers
used Nazi SS logo

THE DAILY MAIL (UK) – Fury from Auschwitz survivors as U.S. Marines sniper squad is seen in Afghanistan with ‘SS’ flag (but they say it refers to ‘scout sniper’ team NOT Hitler’s henchmen)

THE BLAZE – Marines Punished for Posing with
Flag
Resembling Nazi SS Symbol

MILITARY.COM – Corps Condemns Marine Units Use of SS Flag

BBC NEWS – US Marine sniper unit photographed
with ‘Nazi SS’ flag

THE AUSTRALIAN – Marine snipers probed over SS flag

NY DAILY NEWS – U.S. Marine snipers posed in
front
of Nazi flag in Afghanistan

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES – U.S. Marine
Sniper Squad Posed with Nazi SS Flag

WASHINGTON POST – US Marines snipers go unpunished
after
posing with flag bearing Nazi symbol in Afghanistan

Simon Wiesenthal Center Statement on Marine SS Flag Outrage


 

Letter from MRFF Law Firm Mathis-Donhauser

[TO:] Gen. James F. Amos Commandant of the Marine Corps.
Headquarters USMC
2 Navy Annex (CMC)
Washington, D.C. 20380-1775

RE: Military Religious Freedom
Foundation Attached Photographs

Dear Gen. Amos:

Our office represents the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org) and its founder, Mikey Weinstein.

The Foundation was contacted today by 45 of its clients who are currently active duty United States Marines concerning their discovery of several photographs, copies of which are attached to this letter.

The photograph of the two individual Marines is currently on the Internet at http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/7431/200404wu2.jpg. You will notice the Nazi SS insignia on the rifle held by the Marine on the right.

The second group of photographs is on the Internet at http://www.knightarmco.com/blog/?p=57 (photo has since been removed). The 1st picture in that series depicts what purports to be a group picture in September 2010 of the 1st Recon BN Charlie Co. in Sangin, Afghanistan. The caption under the picture indicates that the Nazi SS insignia has been adopted and used by United States Marines.

The implication of these photographs, if true, should be readily apparent. If the use of the Nazi insignia has been, in any way, condoned or tolerated by the Marine Corp., the implications are abhorrent to everything for which our country is fighting and the constitutional principles for which it stands.

On behalf of the Foundation and its clients, we ask that your office undertake an immediate investigation into the accuracy and origin of the photographs.

If these photographs are what they appear to be, we demand that you take all necessary action to see that they are removed from the Internet and that everyone associated with the matter, including anyone who condoned it, be the subject of immediate and public court-martial proceedings.

We also ask that the Military Religious Freedom Foundation be kept apprised of the status of the investigation and any subsequent proceedings.

Very truly yours,
Randal Mathis

RM:jw

cc: Leon E. Panetta , Secretary
United States Department of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon Washington, D.C. 20318-9999

Gen. Martin E. Dempsey
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
9999 Joint Staff Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20318-9999

Gen. James A. Winnefeld, Jr.
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
9999 Joint Staff Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20318-9999

Adm. Jonathan Greenert
Chief of Naval Operations
2000 Navy Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20350-2000

Michael L. "Mikey" Weinstein, Esq.
Founder and President, Military
Religious Freedom Foundation

Click here to read original
letter from Mathis Donheiser


Nightline logo
MRFF’s Inbox

We receive an enormous amount of emails at the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, both from our
supporters and detractors. "MRFF’s Inbox" allows us
to share
this correspondence with you:

SS and US Marines

Dear Mr. Weinstein!

I write this letter with outraged sadness that fine young men from United States serving their country should have been (hopefully) sufficiently ignorant of recent history to adopt the symbology of the German Nazi murderers as their own! I write this letter also as a longtime supporter of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation and, particularly, as a survivor of the Lodz ghetto, Auschwitz and Dachau concentration and extermination camps which murdered my parents, uncles cousins and friends, thus killing between 100 and 200 members of my extended family. I also write this letter as a U.S. Army mascot towards the end of World War II, and a veteran of the United States Air Force and the Colorado air National Guard.

The photographs below roil my intestines and break my heart beyond words to express! I wish I could really believe that these sniper teams innocently combined the view of the United States flag with the central symbol of the murderous SS! The use of the SS lightning bolts speaks for itself a sufficiently horrible tale.

I include some photographs below as context for those showing the US Marines stupidly and proudly displaying the symbols on the SS death machine operators!

Walter Plywaski, previously Wladyslaw Plywacki
Ex "native" of the Lodz ghetto, Auschwitz and Dachau
Colorado

Click to read letter, see images


"NO SNOWFLAKE IN AN AVALANCHE: The Military Religious Freedom Foundation, its Battle to Defend the Constitution, and One Family’s Courageous War Against Religious Extremism in High Places"
(Vireo, 2012)

The author, Mikey Weinstein, is presently giving
interviews
for the occasion of the release of this book.
To schedule an interview, journalists are strongly encouraged
to contact
Bekki Miller of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation at (337)356-8696

[email protected]

Click here to learn more

The media outlet referenced in the link above has no affiliation with the
Military Religious Freedom Foundation, nor has expressed endorsement thereof.

While we make every effort to ensure that news articles pertaining to our Foundation remain available for you to access,
we are unable to guarantee that the link above will remain online and unchanged indefinitely.

 


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34 Comments

  1. Dave February 9, 2012 at 2:01 pm

    So an organizational claiming to stand on the tenets of the religious freedoms guaranteed by the constitution (you) would “severly punish” a group of Marines for displaying a Nazi symbol?

    Freedom of religion is guaranteed but not freedom or expression or speech? Even if the Marines intended the symbol to be a message of hate (which I’m sure they did not), then who are you to call for their punishment?

  2. David Ledford February 9, 2012 at 2:05 pm

    You are idiots. Leave these Marines alone. My son is a Marine sniper and has a small ss tattooed on his arm, as does several of his sniper friends. There is nothing “Nazi” about it. SS = Scout sniper you dopes.

  3. Quinton February 9, 2012 at 3:14 pm

    I see that, as with law enforcement, people will defend the military no matter what. It’s freedom of expression to celebrate NAZI symbols in the U.S. MILITARY??!!! Dave and David, are you F’ing KIDDING ME???!!!! A NAZI SYMBOL IS NEXT TO OUR FLAG AND YOU ARE DEFENDING THEIR RIGHT TO DO SO. IN THE U.S. ARMY??? SERIOUSLY????!!!!!!!

    Read these articles:http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/07/washington/07recruit.html

    http://wikileaks.org/wiki/FBI:_White_Supremacist_Recruitment_of_Military_Personnel_2008

    Our honorable soldiers actually REPORTED this, which means most have a problem with it. Stop defending idiots, idiots…

  4. Ryan Marlett February 9, 2012 at 3:15 pm

    The SS lightning bolts are no more an original Nazi symbol than a swastika. Because a Marine unit is using it, it certainly means that is not a Nazi symbol or flag.

  5. Mark February 9, 2012 at 3:36 pm

    Are you serious? Do we have nothing better to be concerned about. It may be distasteful… & some may be offended, but I’m pretty sure that one of the freedoms they are fighting for is freedom of speech … & freedom of expression. Enough PC BS!

  6. Quinton February 9, 2012 at 3:37 pm

    Ryan,

    So it’d be cool with you if that flag was of the buddhist swastika? What is this?! I don’t even???

  7. Quinton February 9, 2012 at 3:39 pm

    Mark,

    Awesome. So I guess you’d be ok if soldiers repped a KKK symbol, or hell, a Jihadist symbol. Because, hey, it’s all free speech right? This is beyond PC. It makes our soldiers look like idiots. Plus, it violates our Armed Forces Code of Conduct.

  8. ray February 9, 2012 at 4:10 pm

    This isn’t a NAZI flag. It’s a blue flag with the longstanding scout sniper symbol on it. This has been used by all Marine Scout Snipers and many Army LRS unit Scout Snipers for decades.

    Way to destroy some of your credibility with those of us who support your cause. By going after these guys for this PC garbage, you have lost me as an ally.

    By the way there some American Indian tribes using “NAZI” symbols. Why not go after them?

  9. David February 9, 2012 at 4:19 pm

    Maybe we should demand that the band KISS be investigated as well. They used the same font style in their KISS logo. Nobody ever complained about them being nazis. I’ll say it again and others have said it. That SS symbol has been used by scout snipers for a long time.

  10. todd February 9, 2012 at 4:23 pm

    A symbol just as a word is ment to represent what the user wants it to stand for or mean.Why no action or outrage over the band KISS? They use the ss in their name? It’s the most prominent part of their band name. Oh wait they’re Jewish!!!! You people need to get the sticks out of your asses. Certain people can use this symbol but other can’t. Some can say this word but other can’t. It’s Happy Holidays not Merry Christmas.Let write a big PC rule book and hand it out in high school and make sure we are all on the same shee of music. Hmmm seems like its all cenorship to me. Kind of like the Nazi Party!

  11. todd February 9, 2012 at 4:26 pm

    Dave I was right on that one with you bud and YES snipers have been using that for decades. Being a Marine grunt I’ve seen it time and time again.

  12. Bobby February 9, 2012 at 5:05 pm

    Being a Marine myself, if any officer and or enlisted currently serving or has done so in the past states that they did not know of the SS useage by scout snipers is a liar! I’ve seen it on their PT gear on runs.Its usually incorporated into each sniper platoons own platoon symbol. Get over it! Quinton..who’d you serve with???

  13. Robert Morgan February 9, 2012 at 6:19 pm

    This is ridiculous. Having spent countless days with Scout Snipers in combat, the idea that these guys are using this symbol for hate is absurd. I suggest some of you spend some time in these guys shoes before condemning them as bigots.

    Semper Fi

  14. RobertM February 9, 2012 at 6:40 pm

    The SS Stylized in the same way has been around At least since the mid 80s. It is documented multiple times in the Chandler Brothers’ books DEATH FROM AFAR -MARINE CORPS SNIPING. VOL 1 published 1992 pages 171-175. VOL 2 published 1993 pages 28 – 29 specifically details how an investigation about MARINES branded with the SS on their chests were found not to be Nazis, but proud MARINE SNIPERS. There are many more references in Vol 2 and in Volumes 3-5, but it should be obvious to all, these are just proud Marine Scout/Snipers.

  15. Jon February 9, 2012 at 6:53 pm

    You owe these Marines an apology for your unwarranted, and very wrong, accusation. AF Academy grad? Law school? You probably should send your degree back to the Academy and get your tuition back from the law school you attended.

  16. Brian Homan February 9, 2012 at 7:01 pm

    What a great way to get your name in the news! Too bad an entire American Infantry Division beat the Marines to the punch. Seems you overlooked the fact that the 30th Infantry Division commonly referred to as “FDR’s SS” already incorporated the logo into their divisional insignia over 65 years ago. Here’s a direct quote from a news clip made, oh, back in the 1940’s – “The Joes of the 30th Div. have thrown one of “Sally’s” sallies right back in the Nazi propaganda gal’s face. Sally had been saying in her nightly English language broadcasts that the 30th boys were “F.D.R.’s SS troops.” The boys rather liked the idea. They pointed out they really were Elite Troops, a chosen few and top-notch fighters. Maj. E.L. Glaser of Palm Beach, Fla. decided to adopt the designation and make a new division patch to go with it. The result was a design now under consideration at division headquarters, which combines the O and H of the 30th’s Old Hickory with the two flashes of lightning which comprise the SS troopers insignia – and to top it off the President’s well-known initials.” Can’t you find another way to get yourselves into the news without involving a bunch of guys putting their lives on the line for our miserable spoiled souls.

  17. jeffrey rew February 9, 2012 at 7:48 pm

    I would like to be civil but your organization is really a bunch of idiots and this outrage as you call it really shows your lack understanding about the military. I could go on and on about this but it would not be worth it because you are so brain washed that any reasonable explanation would go on deaf ears.

    The flag you see does not resemble the Nazi SS, except for the two S’s that you see in the middle of the flag. That stands for scout sniper and has since about the end of the vietnam war. As you can see the majority of the team in the photo is holding various scoped sniper rifles. The only one that owes an apology is your over reacting witch hunting organization, the flag has nothing to do with the Nazi’s

  18. Corwin February 9, 2012 at 8:29 pm

    Weinstien:

    You need to change the name of your organization to Acceptable Military Religious Freedom Foundation. As of now, your org’s name is a misnomer. The true test of belief in freedom is to see something or hear something that goes against your very core beliefs and say “That person has the right to say that”.

    Philosophy aside, if you actually believe these soldiers support the Nazi SS and what it stood for, they you sir, need to seriously reevaluate your views on life.

    Marines are generally young kids sent through rigorous violent training, sent into the middle of hell, pumped full of adrenaline, for a cause they may or more probably don’t understand, treated like villains by the people they think they’re trying to liberate, and randomly shot at and killed by homemade bombs lofted by children.

    They’re going to make some mistakes.

    Get over yourself Weinstein. Take up a rifle and head out to that God forsaken desert then someone may be interested in what you have to say. The US Marine Corps does not support Nazism, nor wholesale slaughter.

    And no, I did not serve. My father was a government-ally volunteered participant with the Army in Vietnam a decade before I was born, so my relationship with the military is tenuous at best. Hence why I don’t go running my mouth off every time a soldier in the middle of chaos you couldn’t pay me enough to see, steps out of line.

  19. Connybob February 9, 2012 at 9:28 pm

    I DEMAND that the MRFF retract their insanely inaccurate and ignorant comments about the Reconnaissance Marines depicted in the photograph. The fact that a “professional” group like the MRFF has made such a blatantly absurd and incorrect assumption about this usage of the “SS” symbol should bring into question the true legitimacy and agenda of this organization. Additionally, for you, Weinstein, to comment on the Marine Corps as a whole and state “the U.S. Military is an organization within which white supremacists can feel at home, free to espouse their murderous ideology” – IS AN OUTRAGE!!! How dare you and your organization make such an erroneous, blanket statement about me (I am a veteran) and everyone else who serves the United States’ military. How dare you! I believe I speak for all veterans and active duty personnel that YOU RETRACT YOUR STATEMENT AND ISSUE A PUBLIC APOLOGY TO THE MARINES IN THE PHOTOGRAPH AND THE ENTIRE U.S. MILITARY FOR YOUR FALSE COMMENTS.

  20. KSoldier February 9, 2012 at 9:33 pm

    This is the same font used by the rock group “KISS.” A simple Google search for “KISS ARMY” will bring up several examples of the font.

    It is a more reasonable conclusion that the members of this unit used a font from a music group that was popular when they were kids (the 70s and 80s) then it would be to assume they were using a logo that was obsolete decades before they were even born.

    I hope this will be considered in any investigation.

  21. Scott February 9, 2012 at 9:48 pm

    You, and your organization are an ass. I mean that in a legal sense because you have no perspective of proportion or context. Really, such stupid stuff, (that’s a reference to Housman which you’re too stupid to get).

  22. Mike February 9, 2012 at 10:05 pm

    Mikey, get a grip and worry about stuff that matters.

  23. Mike February 9, 2012 at 11:23 pm

    You and your organization are MORONS!!! You are not worthy of the freedom that these men fight for and put their lives on the line to defend. I love how religious people like yourselves love to pick everyone apart all in the name of GOD. Have you forgotten Matthew? The same judgement that you pass on others will be passed on you. It’s time for all of you christians to stop passing judgement on others and let them live their lives. You are the ones that are truly not politically correct. You are what’s wrong with the world. I spent 5 1/2 years in the Marine Corps and I would die to protect peoples rights, would you?

  24. Jason Norton February 10, 2012 at 4:24 am

    Go find something that matters to gripe about and leave those Marines alone. Had they used the SS symbol as the Waffen SS symbol I can see it, but they adapted it as the Sniper Scout symbol. It wasn’t intentional. Thats beside the fact that it ISNT a Waffen SS flag. Their flags were black and white. Those men have been over there fighting for their country, waking up every morning not knowing if its going to be their last day on earth, away from friends and family and your going to hassle them about a damn flag. You suck.

  25. MRFF YDontYouGoFuckYourself February 10, 2012 at 7:16 am

    That flag and symbol doesn’t look the same as the Nazi Symbol you bunch of fucking retards just trying to respect the men that protect your sorry fucking asses!

  26. Nicole Green February 10, 2012 at 7:24 am

    Mikey, I am truly shocked, and deeply disappointed by MRFF’s response to this photograph. As a fellow military veteran and Air Force Academy graduate, I expected more of you. You are trained as a lawyer, what happened to fact-checking? The SS in this image has been used by Marine scout snipers for a long time and has nothing to do with Nazis. Both of my grandparents were labor camp survivors. Claiming this picture is associated with Nazi Germany reinforces a stereotype of Jewish hysteria that only serves to undermine true cases of anti-Semitism when they occur. It also supports the perception that the Air Force has no understanding of or respect for other branches of service. Finally, and most importantly, it is a tremendous discredit to several Marine snipers I have worked with, all of whom have been men of tremendous and exceptional personal integrity and moral courage.
    Sincerely,
    Nicole Green
    USAFA ’02\OIF Veteran

  27. S Hudson February 10, 2012 at 8:35 am

    Mikey,

    The SS flag the marines used was certainly an unfortunate mistake on their part. But for you to call for their Court Martial reveals your intolerance and stupidity. At most this mistake calls an investigation to assure these soldiers are not advocating the policies of Hitler’s regime and for a verbal reprimand and counseling on appropriate design of a unit flag.

  28. John February 10, 2012 at 10:51 am

    Which flag is the symbol of the oppressive fascist regime? The one on top or the one on bottom? I can’t tell.

    Oh yeah, lemme add:
    ’05 OIF ’09 OEF Veteran.

  29. terrence clark February 10, 2012 at 11:00 am

    Never heard of your organization, never needed someone to defend my belief in God and his Son our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Spent 32 years in the Marine Corps and a Veteran. Never wrote a letter to an organization until I saw your comments about the Marine Recon photo. It would appear from your “outrageous” remarks about a service unit in the military that you are supposed to be defending, that you have never been in the military and never made a mistake in your life. In that case, this message is going to the right person. The next time you go on record as “outraged” at people who you are supposed to be defending from religious persecution, remember what Jesus said to those who were getting ready to stone the woman for “outrageous” moral conduct, Sir.
    I for one would ask you to resign for failure to understand and do some research before you open your mouth.

    Terrence J. Clark
    CWO-5 USMC (Ret.)

  30. Tom February 10, 2012 at 11:44 am

    Maybe saying the ‘young’ Marines acted unknowingly because they were either stoopid or naive, but saying the same about their officers just doesn’t fly. I would be ashamed to serve with any organization which even remotely condones, excuses, justifies, rationalizes or winks at any connection with anything as vile as the ‘SS’. Any school child should have a pretty good idea of what the ‘SS’ was about. The Corps has a leadership problem if actions of snipers a few weeks ago indicate anything. The actions of the MC has been worth more to our enemies at home and abroad than a billion $ of placement. No matter if our enemies chop heads, the world prefers to dwell on MC snipers displaying a resemblance to ‘SS’. Square away Marines!!

  31. Roger Cooke February 10, 2012 at 12:57 pm

    Mr. Weinstein,

    Aside from all of the other posts and obvious tensions concerning the topic, please consider my position on the matter as I am a former Marine Corps Sniper. First, to say that numerous people could be outraged by the use of the “SS Runes” in the American military is a given. I understand the position that you have taken in that the usage of the Runes can be taken out of context and furthermore, the feelings of ingrained disgust that you and countless others (be they followers of the Jewish faith, or not) may internalize whenever they come across Nazi-related symbols. However, I am of the belief, due to my past personal experiences with this very issue, that these young Marines did not intend for Nazism to be portrayed in any form or fashion into their line of work. To us, the SS symbol does indeed signify “Scout Sniper” and is not meant to portray any linkages to the murderous group of men under Hitler’s dominion. The Marine Snipers’ introduction to the runes is often in Basic Sniper School when students are introduced to Nazi Sniper techniques through old training films as a way to show various techniques associated with cover and concealment (not to glorify Nazi acts or political ideologies). Though the Nazis were a detestable example of fascist, racist, authoritarian rule…I doubt that anyone can dispute the technical military genious that came out of Germany during that time period and would have assisted Hitler in summarily handing the Americans and Russians their posteriors, had some of their projects come to fruition earlier (i.e. — the atomic bomb, the jet engine, precursors to the birth of stealth technology, etc.) I sincerely believe that these Marines intend for that symbol to represent “Scout Sniper” NOT “Schutzstaffel.” God bless our troops, especially the 8541s/0317s. R/S Roger Cooke.

  32. RthrX February 10, 2012 at 1:52 pm

    The degree of whiplash coming back about this is completely absurd.

    I agree that it’s reasonable to assume none of the people in the photo associate what they do with Naziism, and further are probably even unaware of the ‘SS’ connection. The old phrase “never attribute to malice what can be explained with ignorance” is probably in effect here. Should those Marines be treated as criminals? Most likely not.

    HOWEVER. That doesn’t excuse the powers that be (the officers) for allowing that symbolism to have been used in the first place. I mean, just google ‘lightning bolt ss’ and it’s pretty clear what you’re looking at. Somebody should have made that connection in the past and made some changes.

    So it’s a “Scout/Sniper” symbol with benign (well, for snipers) meaning. That’s fine. But let’s think about this:

    One hundred years ago, some pilots (and others) wore sanskrit ‘good luck’ pins. I could agree that a little luck in a rickety aircraft would be a good thing – so why shouldn’t our Air Force fighter pilots wear the same thing? It’s an ancient, time-honoured symbol of luck, dating back THOUSANDS of years. It’s a quaint little cross with bent arms. In sanskrit it was call “svastika”.

    Do you honestly think that a photo of USAF pilots wearing quaint swastika pins on their uniforms, or etched into their helmets, would be glossed over as “benign tradition” ? Hardly.

    The marines in the photo are doubtlessly innocent of this whole affair, but surely SOMEBODY would have made the connection and realised it was a VERY BAD IDEA.

    And for the record, I’m in the USAF myself, sixteen years service thus far, more to come.

  33. Uncle Petey February 10, 2012 at 4:20 pm

    Mr. Weinstein,

    Sir you are way off the reservation on this one. It is not a religious issue. The symbol has been used for years unofficially by Scout Snipers. Versions of it or variations of the initials SS have been popular among snipers for obvious reasons. A lightening bolt out of nowhere is akin to being shot by a well aimed sniper shot. The SS has been used as part of the military employment symbol as well. Please keep us free from the theocratic morons, but stay out of unit level issues. The men in question fought valiantly for 7 months last year in Afghanistan. I know several men in that unit they are not racists or anti-Semites, let the Marine Corps do what it does best. The Battalion Commander, reviewed the situation and decided it required no further action. That’s what commanding officers do.

  34. Mike February 11, 2012 at 7:24 pm

    @RthrX

    Thanks for your service and anyone else that may have served that has an opinion here. That being said “STOP TALKING” and this goes for anyone else that may support action being brought against these Marines. If you are not a Marine you never were and you will never understand the things that Marines do. There is more tradition in the Corps then all other branches combined and there is a reason for our tradition, “WE WIN WARS.” Do not stand back and peer in from the outside and pass judgement on that which you do not understand. Jack Nickelson said it best in A Few Good Men “I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it.”

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