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Veterans Affairs to remove Nazi headstones in Texas, Utah
Associated Press ^ | June 2, 2020

Posted on 06/02/2020 10:08:48 PM PDT by Olog-hai

The process to remove grave headstones of German prisoners of war that display swastikas and markings related to the Nazi regime at cemeteries in Texas and Utah will begin later this month, Veterans Affairs announced.

The VA said Monday in a statement that it has decided to replace the headstones on gravesites of three German POWs. Two are located at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas, and one is at Fort Douglas Post Cemetery in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“Americans must always remember the horror of the Nazi regime and why so many Americans sacrificed so much to free the world from its reign of terror,” VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said in a statement. “It is understandably upsetting to our veterans and their families to see Nazi inscriptions near those who gave their lives for this nation.” […]

One of the headstones shows that a prisoner was awarded the Iron Cross, a German military decoration for valor. The other two show a modified Iron Cross, which depicts a swastika within a cross. Also carved on two headstones is the inscription, “He died far from his home for the Führer, people and fatherland.” …

(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...


TOPICS: History; Local News; Military/Veterans; Society
KEYWORDS: fortdouglas; fortsamhouston; germany; headstones; nazi; pow; saltlakecity; sanantonio; secondworldwar; texas; thirdreich; utah; va; veteransaffairs; worldwar2; ww2
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To: Olog-hai
Are there any hammer and sickles or communist stars on graves in the United States? I know a Soviet statute to Lenin was moved to the United States.
21 posted on 06/03/2020 12:27:36 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (Joe Biden- "First thing I'd do is repeal those Trump tax cuts." (May 4th, 2019))
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To: Lurkinanloomin

If they are no longer identified as Nazis does that mean they were improperly imprisoned and reviled during the war?


22 posted on 06/03/2020 12:28:54 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (Joe Biden- "First thing I'd do is repeal those Trump tax cuts." (May 4th, 2019))
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To: TigersEye

In the Democrat and main stream media is revisionist history, Bill Ayres is wonderful academic and was never a terrorist wanted by the FBI for bombing the Pentagon and working on bombs for an armory to kill men and women at a dance.


23 posted on 06/03/2020 12:30:04 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (Joe Biden- "First thing I'd do is repeal those Trump tax cuts." (May 4th, 2019))
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To: a fool in paradise

Years ago I used the tagline “This is the age of the death of reason!”

It continues to devolve.


24 posted on 06/03/2020 12:38:49 AM PDT by TigersEye (Covid is over. Rioting in giant crowds is in.)
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To: Lurkinanloomin

1) ISIS raided Libyan cemeteries in Tripoli and Benghazi, and destroyed the headstones of Allied WWII heroes. (Not to mention erasing history all over the ME).

2) When the Wehrmacht was reconstituted after WWII, German officers were allowed to keep, wear, and display their WWII medals.


25 posted on 06/03/2020 1:28:54 AM PDT by Does so (George Floyd a CO-poisoning victim?)
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To: Ouchthatonehurt

Exactly!


26 posted on 06/03/2020 1:32:31 AM PDT by Does so (George Floyd a CO-poisoning victim?)
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To: Does so

2) When the Wehrmacht was reconstituted after WWII, German officers were allowed to keep, wear, and display their WWII medals.
___________________________________________________________

This is not entirely true. The Knight’s crosses, Iron crosses etc... changed the swastika to a three leaf oak cluster. The wearing of medals with a swastika is strictly verboden!


27 posted on 06/03/2020 2:45:33 AM PDT by HenpeckedCon
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To: Olog-hai

just sad


28 posted on 06/03/2020 4:09:33 AM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
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To: Kenny Bania

Back to the fatherland with em...


29 posted on 06/03/2020 4:47:00 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (Baseball players, gangsters and musicians are remembered. But journalists are forgotten.)
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To: Olog-hai

I’m flabbergasted....why were they ever allowed in the first place!!!!


30 posted on 06/03/2020 6:31:31 AM PDT by ontap
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To: Olog-hai

If there were no Nazis that would mean that there was no Holocaust, so we can stop being subject to the continuous Holocaust references, movies, etc. The same for the removal of Confederate memorials, we should be spared all the crying and whining about slavery.


31 posted on 06/03/2020 6:58:39 AM PDT by euram
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To: Olog-hai

Why would anyone want to remove these headstones? They are absolute symbols of the greatness of America. The are reminders of history regardless of how horrible that part of history was. They remind us that the enemy was Nazi Germany and that our brave military defeated that evil. These headstones also remind us of the compassion of the American people and what we should represent. These Germans were our hated and feared enemy yet when they expired they were interred with respect and dignity as human beings. This is what America should be about. Evil cannot be removed by erasing the symbols. Let the headstones remain to always remind us and our posterior that we were greater in every respect then the evil that the German veterans represented.


32 posted on 06/03/2020 7:07:34 AM PDT by Saltmeat (69)
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To: Does so

2) When the Wehrmacht was reconstituted after WWII, German officers were allowed to keep, wear, and display their WWII medals.


After they were “denazified.” No swastikas. If do anything here removing the swastika should be enough.


33 posted on 06/03/2020 7:13:32 AM PDT by lodi90
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To: Saltmeat

“Let the headstones remain to always remind us and our posterior that we were greater in every respect then the evil that the German veterans represented.”

While I agree, reminding those in the rear has me confused.


34 posted on 06/03/2020 11:34:19 AM PDT by Does so (George Floyd a CO-poisoning victim?)
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To: Olog-hai

In general, the German POW’s in Texas were amazed by the warm friendly treatment which the received from the locals. Many became friends, and many elected to remain in Texas after the war to become farmers and merchants. I suspect that there is a (mostly) forgotten backstory explaining why these individuals were given the respect of burial in our national cemeteries.


35 posted on 06/03/2020 1:10:10 PM PDT by daifu
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To: Olog-hai

Why not dig up the dead while you are at it!


36 posted on 06/03/2020 2:07:04 PM PDT by minnesota_bound (homeless guy. He just has more money....He the master will plant more cotton for the democrat party)
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