the SS flag

Dear Mr. Weinstein,

I am appalled at the display of the Nazi SS flag by US marines in a photo taken in Afghanistan in September, 2010. Now I have also come to understand that the SS symbol was known to have been used by marines as far back as 2004.

As the story has so far developed, we are being told that the use of the SS symbol was simply naiveté on the part of those who displayed it. We are told that its use was just a happenstance since it might only be a “homegrown” logo for the marines’ scout snipers, and nothing else. The suggestion is also made that these scout snipers are unaware of the real story of 20th century American History, the story in which my father’s generation defeated Nazism, defeated fascism, and defeated militarism.

I don’t buy any of this! I believe that what is going on is an example of a plan of systematic infiltration of our armed services by fascist and right-wing social forces, enemies of the Constitution and the American people. And just what might they be planning?

My father was in the Battle of the Bulge, and honored some years ago for his wartime service by the governor of Florida. His cousin was there on Utah Beach, his brother was in the Pacific Theater. My other uncle was a flight trainer for the Naval Air Corps. Yes, they and hundreds of thousands of others fought to protect our way of life and our rights. They did not fight for fascist indoctrination in the US armed forces. They did not fight for right-wing evangelizing in the armed forces.

Supposedly, the SS display issue was resolved at the “unit level.” That would suggest to me that no deeper probe was or is in the works. That should not be the case.

I believe that, to the extent that any superior officer(s) knew of the SS display, even as far back as 2004 and did nothing, let it ride, or kept it at the unit level alone, they must be stripped of rank, and drummed out of the armed forces. May the commander-in-chief do that? I certainly hope so. Those in the armed forces displaying or found to have displayed any fascist logo of any sort ought immediately to be court-martialed, with the courts-martial seeking to strip them of rank and immediately separate them from service. But there is deeper question.

Just look white supremacy’s legitimation within CPAC. Are military fascists their armed and uniformed echo? How far into the ranks of our armed forces have these right-wing and fascist elements burrowed? For the sake of America, this must be determined. And they must all be rooted out.

Thank you for considering my concerns.

Sincerely,

(name withheld)