Group Threatens to Sue VA over Nazi Symbols in National Veterans Cemeteries

[pauldun170]

Group Threatens to Sue VA over Nazi Symbols in National Veterans Cemeteries

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation is preparing to sue unless the VA removes headstones bearing Nazi symbols.

www.military.com

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.

Enemies in war now rest together for an eternity

German, Italian and Japanese prisoners of war are among those buried at cemetery.

www.mysanantonio.com

I'm going to go against popular opinion and say that those graves should be left alone.
They were POWs in our care who served their country and died for their country. The graves should reflect their uniform and allegiance at the time they died in our care.

 

[MomentsofSanity]

I don’t know that your opinion would be that unpopular. I agree. These aren’t monuments to enemies of the United States. It’s three soldier‘s headstones who served their country and were laid to rest. If we can unite in death what chance do we have in life?

 

[darkswordsman17]

I don't know, I find those gravestones to be somewhat bizarre. I could see how it might be pertinent to be that specific in some instances (where they change the official name of the country), but they easily could have just put their names and "they served their country, the German Reich" and remark about them being POW. I think that'd be respectful. Putting Nazi symbols and "he served the Fuhrer..." is just...weird. They can remark about him being a Nazi in official records, there's no reason they need to put it on the gravestone.

 

[Starbuck1975]

Leave the gravestones but remove the Nazi symbols, or put up signage that provides context. Most of the US bases in Germany were on former Nazi installations, and you could see remnants of where all the Nazi symbols got removed.