Current Events > Army Facebook post featuring Nazi prompts backlash

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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/army-facebook-post-featuring-nazi-war-criminal-sparks-pushback-n1103041

An Army Facebook post about the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge sparked fierce pushback on Monday over its display of a Nazi war criminal.

The post appeared on the verified Facebook page of the XVIII Airborne Corps which fought in the monthlong battle between Allied and German forces in 1944 and featured a prominent photo of Joachim Peiper, a Nazi SS-Standartenfhrer, roughly equivalent to a colonel.

Peiper, who led thousands of men in Germany's last major offensive, was convicted of war crimes for a massacre of U.S. prisoners of war during the battle.

The post was followed by a description of Peiper's mission during the battle although it didn't mention his role in what became known as the Malmedy Massacre.

The post, its author explained, was the first in a series marking the battle's 75th anniversary.

https://twitter.com/USArmyPAO/status/1206725290992570368

Scrolling through his Facebook feed on Monday night, an Army public affairs officer based in Pennsylvania saw the same three pictures of Peiper.

The officer, Lt. Col. Brian Fickel, posted the screenshots to his personal Twitter page, adding that he was "dumbfounded by the decision to prominently display a Nazi on military social media on the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge."

Within hours, Fickel's post had received thousands of likes and hundreds of retweets. In comment threads, dozens of people echoed Fickel's criticism.

The public affairs unit at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, which is home to the Airborne Corps, did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did the administrator of the Facebook page. After an NBC News reporter contacted the page, the photo of Peiper appeared to have been removed.

In an earlier comment thread, a moderator responded to criticism by saying Peiper had been featured because it was a technique used in "effective storytelling."

"Sometimes in movies, the movie will create a sense of tension by introducing a bad guy," the moderator wrote.

In a tweet, the Airborne Corps added that Peiper was a "terrible person" but an "effective combat leader."

"A teenager when Hitler come to power, Peiper joined the SS after serving as a member of the Hitler Youth," the corps said. "He rocketed through the ranks during the war, racking up medals, & promotions."

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Man America has gone full racist under Trump sheesh hide it more people keep it to yourself

Peiper also had a habit of burning villages and massacring civilians as well as prisoners.

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Posters are saying it is an impostor account. Well for the 10th not sure about the Dod one.

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deflecting guilt eh

topic about 'x'

where 'x' = (insert topic of your choice here) prompts backlash in 2019.... evil sensitive snowflakes from the left AND right melt before the useless banter that is current year political discourse

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HairyThotter posted...

topic about 'x'

where 'x' = (insert topic of your choice here) prompts backlash in 2019.... evil sensitive snowflakes from the left AND right melt before the useless banter that is current year political discourse

Do you think the Army post highlighting a Nazi war criminal should have gone unremarked upon?
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HairyThotter posted...

topic about 'x'

where 'x' = (insert topic of your choice here) prompts backlash in 2019.... evil sensitive snowflakes from the left AND right melt before the useless banter that is current year political discourse

Imagine "le both sides"ing the US military posting literally Nazi propaganda and complaining about how other people engage in political discourse

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This is Amerika.



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Antifar posted...

Do you think the Army post highlighting a Nazi war criminal should have gone unremarked upon?

You're saving the world, keep up the good fight.

Frolex posted...

Imagine "le both sides"ing the US military posting literally Nazi propaganda and complaining about how other people engage in political discourse

Hitler is under your pillow... you just don't know it yet.


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