I was also at the MVMVA meet this summer and spent several hours parked
in the shade next to the "Germans" under discussion. Of course I was
wondering the meet a lot of the time and probably only spent a total of
20 to 30 minutes passing through their laeger, checking out their
equipment more than their literature. I did join in a discussion between
one of the "Germans" and a retired police canine officer from Mass.
about his dog. The "German" was very interested and polite and reported
that one of their members was hoping to import a dog from Germany for
their unit.
I really didn't get the impression that these guys were a "militia".
They seemed to me to be re-enactors, as dedicated to authenticity in
their equipment as many of the military vehicle people I've met at the
MVMVA meets. I guess I would prefer to give them the benefit of the
doubt.
However, I have to admit that I didn't read their printed material
closely. Now I certainly wish I had taken a copy. It would either
exonerate their group or end up filed with the anti KKK materials I
acquired during their annual full bed sheet march in Washington, DC.
I think the issue boils down to whether they were an organization of
history buffs and re-enactors or neo-nazis. Were they focused on
historical authenticity or ideology? If the former, then the major
difference I see between them and Confederate re-enactors is that the
scars from W.W.II are fresher that the ones from the War Between the
States, and the emotional responses stronger. ( No doubt some folks will
dispute this opinion.)
If the latter, then their participation in any MV event might be
construed by some as tolerance, if not a tacit endorsement, of their
political views. I recall a letter to Military Vehicles Magazine
decrying the militia orientation of a "first annual" meet in Old Town,
Maine a few years ago. ( I haven't heard of a second meet yet.)
There's a parallel thread on the list regarding recent gains in the
perceptions of other vehicle groups for MVs and MV groups. I think there
are some sensitive issues concerning our image as well as the rights of
people to participate in events. I won't trust anyone else who claims to
have all the answers, so I won't make that mistake myself. What do
others think about this subject?
Pete Davis
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