Two German WWII graves with Nazi swastikas have been removed from Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery and replaced with new headstones
SAN ANTONIO – Two German WWII graves with Nazi swastikas have been removed from Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery and replaced with new headstones.
The pair of headstones had become a longstanding controversy over whether they were historical artifacts worth preserving or emblems of hatred to be destroyed, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
The cemetery director, Aubrey David, led several workers to the graves of German prisoners of war Alfred P. Kafka and Georg Forst on Wednesday around 8:15 am.
“Obviously it took a long time for this to happen, and it is clear that it was done right,” said Michael L. “Mikey” Weinstein, founder and president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, which advocates against unwanted religious conversion. in the armed forces.
After hearing about the gravestones last May, the foundation demanded that Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilke order them to be removed. The group also wanted Wilke to “offer an immediate and heartfelt apology to all United States veterans and their families.”
The VA declined, saying it has a responsibility to preserve “ historical sources, ” even if they acknowledge historical figures or divisive events. But members of Congress, including Texas Senator Ted Cruz and representatives. Will Hurd of San Antonio and Kay Granger of Fort Worth responded by demanding the removal of the headstones.
“I’m glad the headstones have been replaced,” Rep. Joaquin Castro. “It is shocking to think that symbols of the Third Reich and the Nazi regime would be in an American military cemetery.”
It is unclear whether a third headstone that also bears Nazi symbols at Fort Douglas Post Cemetery in Utah has also been removed.