Wirraway, this is gonna be a long answer… I and other Soldaten get the “Why a Nazi?” question from folks at living history events all the time and this is how I explain it. We’re simply a group of amature military historians trying to accurately portray what the German Soldier looked like and what he was equipped with. Many of them have seen “Band of Brothers” and I use the scene in the movie (when the British troops were dressed as Germans, wandering around the airfield, giving the American paratroopers a good look at what German troops looked like, since even in June 1944, most American troops taking part in Overlord had never seen a German other than in black & white photos) to describe what we’re doing, that it’s all about educating, not idolizing or being political. It’s simply the way it was…
I can tell you that you can’t help feeling a greater sense of self-consciousness when you are at an event dressed as a “Nazi” because the majority of the people in the world view you as just that - a Nazi… the embodiment of evil in the 20th century. But, for those of us who study the subject, we know that the average German soldier was not unlike his Allied counterpart. The German soldier was a man called about to do a job. He had not made this war come about, nor was he a political fanatic. He was well disciplined, obeyed his orders and fought bravely. Toward the end of the war he became disillusioned, but nevertheless he did his duty well. If displeased, the German soldier was not inclined to revolt. In defeat, the German soldier retained his pride and self esteem. Even when his country lay in ruin, every man a prisoner and the people of his nation refugees, and he knew that he had belonged to what was once considered the best armed forces in the world.
In the end, the German soldier realized that he had fought for the wrong ideals and the wrong causes. He was misled by the leaders into which he had placed his trust. He was ashamed of the atrocities. He was trapped in history as an instrument of war. Nevertheless, he remained true to his sworn oath, “For Fuhrer and Fatherland”.
I think Bill Mauldin said it best (during the war). He said, "Folks back home will say, “It’s not the Germans, it’s the Nazis! You’ll never hear a Dogface say, ‘Those dirty Nazis!’ when he’s talking about Germans. He’ll say, ‘Godd*mn Krauts…’. You may hear a GI call a German a skunk, but you’ll never hear him say he’s not good.”…
I also explain that Swastika was not the symbol of the Wehrmacht, but rather the German national symbol and that the German soldier had no more control over that than an American GI has over the US Great Seal. EDIT: I misspoke in this thread about the Oath to Adoph Hitler. The Wehrmacht troops did swear aligiance to Hitler as well as the Fatherland, much the same way that the US Oath of enlistment states that you “will obey the orders of the Commander-in-Chief”.- HvH
As for the German units that are portrayed, we’re very selective about who joins. If we get even a wiff that an individual wants to do it because he’s some kind of Skinhead, white supremist, “militia”, Neo-Nazi dirtbag, it’s, "thanks for your interest, now “Raus mit Dich!”… Even if some sneak in, they get found out rather quickly. (If you got a Swastika tattoo, you can forget it, but we do allow Waffen-SS actors to have temporary tattoos of blood-type inside the left upper arm for authenticity) We don’t allow any SS units (other the Waffen-SS) either… Allgemeine-SS, SS-Polizei, SS-Verfügungstruppe, SS Ordnertruppen, SS-Totenkopfverbände, party (brownshirts), Hitler Jugend and Gestapo uniforms may be displayed, but not worn. Same goes for the Nazi Party flag. Battle flags may be displayed, but not flown, and all battle flags must be used only for ID on vehicles, tied down on the top-side of them for recognition flags. Our unit flags have the Balkenkreuze in place of the Swastika.
For the battles, we do have both public and private events. In the WW2 HRS by-laws, Germans MUST “lose” every battle that’s open to the public (After a good fight, of course). In the private, members-only events, that restriction doesn’t apply. (Since air superiority doesn’t apply, the Germans actually can whip some butt) I recall one time that for a battle out in Nebraska, our assembly area was several miles from the battlefield at Camp Ashton, Nebraska and we had to get transported to the area, and it took us through town. We got some funny looks from folks, and there were a couple of elderly gents that REALLY gave us the eye when we were stopped at a light in town… 'Course, we were in full German uniform, riding in a Blitz with full tactical markings, but that’s another story…
On a side-note, my late father-in-law was captured in France in 1944 (He was in a Luftwaffe flak unit) and spent the rest of the war in Camp Swift, Texas. He returned to the States in 1958 and passed away in 1997 in San Antonio. At the same time, my father was a fighter pilot (55th FG, 343rd FS) so it was plausible that my father-in-law shot at my Dad… (They got along quite well even so)
Overall though, most folks “get” what we’re doing, those that don’t we try to help understand… At least the ones that will talk with us, that is…