I'd rather see Marines p!ssing on dead enemies

Centurion40 · February 10, 2012, 09:18:50 PM

http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/10/us/marines-nazi-symbol/index.html?hpt=hp_c3

Really???!!! Common sense???!!! Hello???!!!

Quote"Racist and anti-Semitic symbols have absolutely no place alongside the men and women of America's armed forces," Little said in a statement.

Then the Marine Corps Commandant, Gen. James Amos, weighed in, apologizing to "all offended by this regrettable incident."

"I want to be clear that the Marine Corps unequivocally does not condone the use of any such symbols to represent our units or Marines," Amos said.

Marine Corps Scout Snipers from the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion are seen in the photo standing and kneeling with their sniper rifles in front of a blue flag with white Nazi "SS" runes. The picture was taken in 2010 in Afghanistan and the photo's description says the "SS" flag had been "adopted and used by the Marines in reference to Scout Sniper."

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation was alerted to the photo by Marines who expressed their concern, said group founder Mikey Weinstein. MRFF then distributed it to news organizations.

The Marine Corps said it became aware of the photo last November and the local command investigated, but found it not to be racially motivated, according to a statement released by a Marine Corps spokesman, Lt. Col. Stewart Upton.

The unit's commander decided not to proceed with disciplinary action, it said, but all Marines in the unit were reminded that such behavior will not be tolerated and any further display could result in punishment.

LongBlade · February 10, 2012, 09:22:06 PM

I think we're seeing the fading of memory.

I don't think most young kids look at World War II like we do. I strongly suspect that these guys think (thought) of the SS as an elite German unit. No more, no less.

They're wrong, of course, but I think that's what we're seeing here.

Jarhead0331 · February 10, 2012, 09:32:24 PM

Okult13 over at wargamer has actually made that photograph his signature...the guy is a total Nazi.

LongBlade · February 10, 2012, 09:40:10 PM

Well, I could always be wrong.

If Okult - or any other neonazi - shows up here and starts foaming at the mouth it'll be a race to see who tosses him out the door faster.

mirth · February 10, 2012, 10:16:22 PM

Usually I'm not one to get overly hung up on symbols (for example I don't freak out if a Swastika appears on a cardboard game counter), but seeing SS lightning bolts under the American flag with Marines to either side is pretty damned offensive. If the guys in the photo didn't get it, they need to be educated pronto. And if kids in this country are growing up thinking that the SS were an elite branch like SEALs or Green Berets, then we are seriously dropping the ball in our educational system.

LongBlade · February 10, 2012, 10:22:28 PM

Quote from: mirth on February 10, 2012, 10:16:22 PM
And if kids in this country are growing up thinking that the SS were an elite branch like SEALs or Green Berets, then we are seriously dropping the ball in our educational system.

I don't have any solid evidence, but this is what my gut tells me.

I could be wrong. I sometimes am.

son_of_montfort · February 10, 2012, 10:36:38 PM

QuoteOkult13 over at wargamer has actually made that photograph his signature...the guy is a total Nazi.

WTF!?! That's all I have to say about that.

QuoteAnd if kids in this country are growing up thinking that the SS were an elite branch like SEALs or Green Berets, then we are seriously dropping the ball in our educational system.

Having educated the youth of the country, I have to agree with LB's assessment. A lot of kids out of high school, if not properly corrected, have the impression that the SS were the equivalent of special forces - or "stormtroopers" if you will. That may be all they know about German forces during WWII. I wish I could say that the Holocaust was something they readily could identify and understand what it was and who perpetrated it - many can, but many cannot.

I suppose it is accurate to say that the SS were a "special" type of force, but what they were meant for was strictly not something that should ever be honored.

That picture is awful. Worse, it reinforces how disconnected we are from history. As a historian, that frightens me.

mirth · February 10, 2012, 10:38:12 PM

Quote from: LongBlade on February 10, 2012, 10:22:28 PM
Quote from: mirth on February 10, 2012, 10:16:22 PM
And if kids in this country are growing up thinking that the SS were an elite branch like SEALs or Green Berets, then we are seriously dropping the ball in our educational system.

I don't have any solid evidence, but this is what my gut tells me.

I could be wrong. I sometimes am.

You're probably right, LB about how kids perceive it these days. If so, it's something that we need to address within our educational system and society.

Smuckatelli · February 10, 2012, 10:45:43 PM

This is not meant to be an excuse nor am I saying the 'SS' symbol is okay, this is just a Smuck public service announcement.

The picture with the flag has the school trained Scout Snipers.

The Scout Sniper 'SS' has been used since the early 80's, this I know from personal experience. To the best of my recollection it was taken from the group KISS, Love gun was the song that was a 'favorite' of the school trained community. The STA Platoon's song was from The Clash, Should I stay or should I go.

Hidden messages with the 'SS' symbol, could be but after 30 some odd years?

The other thing that the Snipers get are tattoos, two of which raise eyebrows; the meat tag, and the SS. I remember having to tell one of our Marines in Spain to keep his tats covered while attending a NATO school....Every Sniper has his Hogs Tooth that he is awarded when he completes school....

I never got the SS tattoo but I do have the meat tag and I have no idea where my hog's tooth is.

mirth · February 10, 2012, 10:53:59 PM

It may stand for 'Scout Snipers' and come from the KISS logo, but we're talking about an SS flag being displayed right under a US flag by our guys. I don't think the guys in the photo were really looking to show admiration for the SS, but even it comes out of ignorance it still needs to be addressed.

son_of_montfort · February 10, 2012, 10:55:04 PM

I'll give it to you Smuck, the KISS logo does look like Sig runes...

But that's still a bit on the edge to have a flag like that.

Smuckatelli · February 10, 2012, 11:06:10 PM

Like I said guys....it was a Smuck public service announcement. Not excusing it.....we didn't use that symbol in my Platoon.

MikeGER · February 11, 2012, 05:20:00 AM

btw,
what's offending about a meat tag tattoo? ...its a picture of your own dog tag / ID, right ?

well, in the context of this thread, Waffen SS was known to have a blood type tattoo on the left inner-arm above the elbow so...

(the snipers should put a smaller text under the 'KISS runes' printing 'scout snipers' or 'class y of 20xx' to avoid most of the PC fire raining down on them...)

Centurion40 · February 11, 2012, 07:55:29 AM

Quote from: LongBlade on February 10, 2012, 09:40:10 PM
Well, I could always be wrong.

If Okult - or any other neonazi - shows up here and starts foaming at the mouth it'll be a race to see who tosses him out the door faster.

I like to think that you are occassionally misinformed, but never wrong! ::) :P

Centurion40 · February 11, 2012, 07:58:04 AM

Quote from: son_of_montfort on February 10, 2012, 10:55:04 PM
I'll give it to you Smuck, the KISS logo does look like Sig runes...

But that's still a bit on the edge to have a flag like that.

Weren't the founding guys in Kiss all, or mostly Jewish? Am I making too big a deal over all of this?