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A gravestone for a German POW in the San Antonio VA cemetery. The stone is engraved with a swastika and an inscription that references Adolf Hitler.
Officials at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery have removed the headstones of two German prisoners of war. The headstones bore swastikas and other Nazi references, the Express-News reported.
The Department of Veterans Affairs originally refused to remove the headstones, arguing the VA had a responsibility to preserve historic resources, including those that recognize divisive historical figures or events.” The VA reversed its opinion in June.
A cemetery in Fort Douglas in Utah also houses a German POW grave with a swastika-engraved headstone. Both cemeteries were under the control of the Army when the interments occurred in the 1940s and were subsequently transferred to VA s National Cemetery Administration.