5/29/20 – VA Secretary Reaffirms Vow to Preserve Nazi Headstones in Defiance of MRFF and Congressional Demands

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3 Comments

1. RONALD MEAD

   Posted May 30, 2020 at 4:53 PM

   This was a soldier who fought for his country and died in a foreign land. Not all German military was Nazis. The Germany military still use the Iron Cross on there vehicles. By removing it just think what other countries will do that our veterans are buired in. Think all the WW 2 cemeteries that are over seas. How would you feel if another country said they want the markers of American dead taken down.. I bet you would not feel very good about it. It will not change history by removing the Iron Cross from his grave. It has been 75 years since the war. Time to get over this PC crap and leave things alone.

2. Gerald Santomassimo

   Posted May 30, 2020 at 5:13 PM

   The United States, just like every country, has a duty to preserve the gravesites of foreign soldiers that die in our custody, as specified in the Geneva Conventions.
   “Geneva Convention (1929)
   Article 4, fifth paragraph, of the 1929 Geneva Convention provides:
   [Belligerents] shall further ensure that the dead are honourably interred, that their graves are respected and marked so that they may always be found.
   Geneva POW Convention
   Article 76, third paragraph, of the 1929 Geneva POW Convention provides that belligerents shall ensure that the graves of prisoners of war are “treated with respect and suitably maintained”.
   Geneva Convention I
   Article 17, third paragraph, of the 1949 Geneva Convention I provides:
   [Parties to the conflict] shall further ensure that the dead are honourably interred, if possible according to the rites of the religion to which they belonged, that their graves are respected, grouped if possible according to the nationality of the deceased, properly maintained and marked so that they may always be found.
   Geneva Convention III
   Article 120, fourth paragraph, of the 1949 Geneva Convention III provides:
   The detaining authorities shall ensure that prisoners of war who have died in captivity are honourably buried, if possible according to the rites of the religion to which they belonged, and that their graves are respected, suitably maintained and marked so as to be found at any time.”
   There are more, but this should give you the general idea.

3. Rob Fraser

   Posted June 8, 2020 at 8:59 AM

   PC wanting to remove the Nazi symbol from the grave stone? What if the Soldier worked in a concentration camp just following orders, should we honor him and his service to the fatherland ! Wake up!