Uncomfortable Truths, Happy Lies

This is going to be a departure from the norm, but I feel that this needs to be discussed in an open forum. I’ve been a reenactor and living historian for over 15 years now, not as long as some of you, but long enough to sniff out bullshit. I’ve done everything from 17th century to Falklands and a whole lotta stuff in between and the one thing I have seen is that people will start to believe their own propaganda. How many times did I have to listen to how the Civil War was not about slavery or that WE (the US) always did the right thing and so on.

But the one thing that I will fight tooth and nail over is these assholes that don German uniforms and have the pills to say that either the Holocaust was a myth or that is was not as bad as reported. So what’s bad? Only 3 million killed instead of 6 million? Would that be better? Okay, here’s the bottom line. The Germans were the bad guys…..period…….they were not some poor innocent soldiers fighting for their country while being manipulated by the command staff. The Wermacht as a matter of policy routinely killed prisoners, civilians and participated in genocide. (Yeah, the Japanese did too, but that’s another rant). The German military along with the civilians knew what those strange camps were for….they saw the smoke stacks belching black smoke and grey ash from the murdered victims, they saw the ghettos that were emptied over the span of 24 hours…..they fucking knew what was going on. There is a reason why Germany today is known to be a great pacifist country that embraces diversity and equality….because for them to be any different would be a blight on the memory of the Holocaust. Historical preservationists have long voiced opposition to the destruction of the numerous Third Reich era buildings that are historically important. Particularly the demolition of the Berghof and the Goering and Bormann houses, but this was done to prevent these sites from turning into a shrine for the Nazi-loving assholes out there who would flock to these areas like flies to carrion.

Yet, there are those out there who would simply like to gloss over these inconvenient truths because the thought of their “heroes” doing something loathsome and inhumane may cause them a sleepless night or two……or maybe not. Don’t even get me started on the SS………assholes every last one of them. The SS were the elite dirtballs of the entire criminal organization of the 3rd Reich and yet thousands of reenactors, collectors and wannabe Nazis think they are the coolest thing since the invention of internet porn. I have seen these folks with my own eyes and they scare the shit out of me. Most of these folks are also the same crew who refer to people of color as “niggers”……you get the picture. Hate is hate, no matter how it’s served.

More from Battle Road

The latest saga in the Battle Road Love-Fest is a change of plans about allowing sutlers or not. My good friend Steve just let me know about his experience in dealing with intricacies of the Park Service. After a long delay, the Park Service sent out sutler registration forms with a $50 processing fee. Last week, the NPS told all the sutlers that the forms were no longer acceptable and that there would be no sutlers allowed this year. Just yesterday he was told that there is a new form to fill out with a $250 fee! So don't look for sutlers at Battle Road this year.....there won't be any.
This seems to be the path of the course for this event with their super exclusive Praetorian Guard at the entrance gates waiting to turn away reenactors without the proper stitching in their coats and their farcical policies and guidlines on what is forbidden and what is deemed acceptable by Those In Charge. So fuck you all very much and have a nice event.