Marines’ Nazi Flag Photo Blamed on Stupidity

A group of marines are playing the stupid card after posting a photo of a group of scout snipers posing in front of a Nazi flag. The marines’ Nazi flag photo stirred up some controversy today but the marines insist that they didn’t know the SS symbol was linked to the Nazi party.

The Global Post reports that the photo was taken in September 2010 in the Sangin province. Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Gregory Wolf said that the use of the symbol in the US military is unacceptable. Wolf told the BBC:

“Certainly, the use of the ‘SS runes’ is not acceptable and Scout Snipers have been addressed concerning this issue.”

The Atlantic Wire reports that the scout snipers found the flag and thought that the SS would be a cool symbol to represent the group. The photo was posted to the KAC blog with the caption: “Group picture is of the 1st Recon BN Charlie Co. in Sangin, Afghanistan in support of 3rd BN 5th Marines in September of 2010. The “SS” flag has been adopted and used by the Marines in reference to Scout Sniper.”

The marines later claimed that they had no idea that the SS symbol was tied to the Nazi party.

Camp Pendleton spokeswoman Maj. Gabrielle Chapin, said:

“I don’t believe that the Marines involved would have ever used any type of symbol associated the Nazi Germany military criminal organization that committed mass atrocities in WWII.”

But some people aren’t buying the marines’ story. How could they not know about the symbol? How could they find a Nazi flag and not have it turned in to a proper authority? The Military Religious Freedom Foundation in Washington is calling for a full investigation into the marines’ Nazi flag photo.

Do you think the marines knew what the symbol stood for? Did you know about the Nazi symbol?