Marine Corps says snipers posted with Nazi SS symbol in Afghanistan

Fox News ^ | February 10th, 2012 | Fox News

[2ndamendmentpa]

You sound like your thinking of the swastika - more commonly known and associated with the Nazis. This is a different symbol.

[WayneS]

I have hardcover editions of The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book which were published in 1898. Both books have left-facing swastikas on the cover, and on the fly-leaf.

Kipling apparently used the swastika because it was an Indian sun symbol believed to confer good luck and spiritual well-being.

[WayneS]

Is there ANYTHING AT ALL over which some dweeb SOMEWHERE won’t take offense these days?

No. No there is not.

[ottbmare]

I was initially horrified when I heard this story, but after seeing the photo you posted, I can certainly understand that these young men did not know this was a Nazi flag. Those just look like stylized letters to most people. For young people who have received a public-school education and haven’t seen a lot of Nazi graphic art, it wouldn’t have registered as anything but a cool way of using the letters for “sniper scouts.”

[ExTxMarine]

That is my point. We have gotten so damn PC that anything that remotely seems like or could possibly be considered or some how, some way offends people is not acceptable is just getting to be STUPID!

I went through Marine Sniper school in the early 90's and we had "SS" on the buildings and the logos and several other items. NOTHING was associated with Nazis it was associated with SNIPER SCHOOL!

For someone to suggest that these guys should be court martialed over the perceived look and the uneasy way people feel about two letters is beyond reasonable!

Solution: you point out that some people might take offense, you tell them to change the font to Comic Sans or Arnprior or Forte or some other font and then, you move on!

[2ndamendmentpa]

Take a look at the image in post 52 - suggests that this symbol is more widely known, and not something these guys came up with themselves.

[wtc911]

A stretch???

Yeah, we always write our "S" like a lightening strike.

This was plain dumb but I cut guys in the field miles of slack.

Anybody here though who tries to pretend it's anything other than the notorious SS runic symbols is full of crap.

[Ratman83]

Mississippi does not like your idea

[WayneS]

Perhaps you misinterpreted what I wrote.

I wrote that it seems entirely feasible to me that the young men were unaware of the evil with which THOSE LETTERS are associated when depicted using that style/font.

I never, not once, not EVER, even IMPLIED that any of those young Marines are Nazis.

[2ndamendmentpa]

I dont think its being suggested this is an actual Nazi flag - just the symbol.

[ExTxMarine]

You sound like your thinking of the swastika - more commonly known and associated with the Nazis.

I have seen the "SS" symbol in the red on black, I have seen it in white on black (which was the most common color combination), etc...

No, I know exactly what I was talking about.

[sniper63]

This is a Nazi ss flag, the one in the picture is not! Note the color scheme.......

[ExTxMarine]

Mississippi does not like your idea

I know. I got family there and I keep telling them the best thing about having family in Mississippi, is that I live in Texas! LOL!

[RFEngineer]

“I never, not once, not EVER, even IMPLIED that any of those young Marines are Nazis.”

“entirely feasible” is a diminutive, wimpy phrase not applicable to these men in any way when it is 100% certain that they are nothing but true red-blooded Americans who kill the enemy.

If “SS matters” completely out of context then your choice of words matter too.

Anyone who is not certain that these men are honorable men serving their country should take their “SS” implications and choke on them.

[Bigg Red]

I, too, am skeptical, but, considering the state of our public education, perhaps they really never actually learned about the Nazi reign.

[Bigg Red]

OMW! Someone has posted the photo at 11. I think it is a stretch to call in a Nazi flag.

[Ratman83]

Bada bing bada boom

[stevie_d_64]

Well Dan Lemothe, since you wrote this article for the ARMY times...It doesn’t surprise me...

Yer keen, historical military intellect, is second to none.../sarc

My nephews goal is to qualify to be a Marine Corp Scout Sniper...His uncle (me) taught him well!!! Then the Marine Corp will make him a force multiplier that will save lives!!!

Just my opinion...

[ottbmare]

I’m really not sure my son or his buddies would recognize this as being associated with Nazis. I’m trying to figure out how to send this image to his cell phone so he can tell me if he recognizes it. Because I’m not even sure they’d recognize the real Nazi symbol.

[petitfour]

I cannot recall seeing that symbol before today. I guess I’m just too young. (old enough to have children in college) I don’t remember seeing the symbol in college though it’s possible I did without comprehending it. Our oldest children have each studied the Holocaust at various times in their public schooling. Did they study Nazi symbols? I don’t know. I’ll ask them. I’ll start with the one who was studying WWII before Christmas. It seems to me that Nazi symbols were by and large wiped out during my growing up years because no one I knew wanted to be associated with anything that resembled Nazism. It’s semi-understandable that a young sniper squad would have not seen the symbol before. Since there was an investigation with a conclusion that the symbol was used in ignorance, we should let it go and be happy someone noticed and took care of the ignorance.