There Were American Nazi Summer Camps Across the US in the 1930s
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
During the latter half of the 1930s, a surprising number of Nazi-themed summer camps sprouted across the United States. Organized locally and without the support of Germany, these summer outings bore a startling resemblance to the Hitler Youth. Here’s what these camps were like—and how, for a short time, the Third Reich came to America.
Parents lining up to give the Hitler salute. Children wearing uniforms adorned with swastikas. The stars and stripes raised alongside the Nazi flag. Looking back with hindsight, these images of summer camps appear ludicrous and deeply offensive. Yet, in the late 1930s, a small minority of Americans were subsumed by the same fascist fervor that had swept Nazi Germany.
While these retreats had obvious appeal to Nazi sympathizers, they were also part of a larger plan to awaken fascistic sensibilities in America and to foster the transition of the US into a Nazi stronghold. ( Read it all)
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Parents lining up to give the Hitler salute. Children wearing uniforms adorned with swastikas. The stars and stripes raised alongside the Nazi flag. Looking back with hindsight, these images of summer camps appear ludicrous and deeply offensive. Yet, in the late 1930s, a small minority of Americans were subsumed by the same fascist fervor that had swept Nazi Germany. While these retreats had obvious appeal to Nazi sympathizers, they were also part of a larger plan to awaken fascistic sensibilities in America and to foster the transition of the US into a Nazi stronghold
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Welcome to Nazi Camp, USA
These summer camps, organized by a grassroots organization called the Deutsche-Amerikanische Berufsgemeinschaft, or German American Bund (“bund” meaning “alliance” in German), were established in the US during the latter half of the 1930s.
By the time they were shut down at the onset of the Second World War, some 16 of these camps and family retreats had emerged, including Camp Siegfried in Yaphank, New York, Camp Hindenburg in Grafton, Wisconsin, Camp Nordland in Andover, New Jersey, the Deutschhorst Country Club in Sellersville, Pennsylvania, Camp Bergwald in Bloomingdale, New Jersey, and Camp Sutter near Los Angeles.
The campers consisted of boys and girls aged eight to 18, most of them the children or grandchildren of German immigrants.
The purpose of these camps, says Suffolk County Community College curator Steven Klipstein , was to keep the United States out of the looming European war and bring the Hitlerian idea of racial politics to America.
“Anti-Semitism was at its absolute peak at this time,” he says. “Jews were excluded, beaten and on the defense. Suffolk County was at the center of right wing politics then.”
Pretty damn sad situation.
There were Nazi's working for the US Government as well. Like the achievements of NASA? Thank the Nazi's and Operation Paperclip.
Henry Ford was a Nazi sympathizer:
Henry Ford receiving the Grand Cross of the German Eagle from Nazi officials, 1938
At a ceremony in Dearborn, Michigan, Henry Ford is presented with the Grand Cross of the Supreme Order of the German Eagle on his 75th birthday. Henry Ford was the first American recipient of this order, an honor created in 1937 by Adolf Hitler. This was the highest honor Nazi Germany could give to any foreigner and represented Adolf Hitler’s personal admiration and indebtedness to Henry Ford. The presentation was made by Karl Kapp, German consul in Cleveland, and Fritz Heller, German consular representative in Detroit.
[...]
In 1918, Ford’s closest aide and private secretary, Ernest G. Liebold, purchased an obscure weekly newspaper for Ford, The Dearborn Independent. The Independent ran for eight years, from 1920 until 1927. In Germany, Ford’s antisemitic articles from The Dearborn Independent were issued in four volumes, cumulatively titled The International Jew, the World’s Foremost Problem published by Theodor Fritsch, founder of several antisemitic parties and a member of the Reichstag.
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In a letter written in 1924, Heinrich Himmler described Ford as “one of our most valuable, important, and witty fighters”. Ford is the only American mentioned favorably in Mein Kampf, although he is only mentioned once: Adolf Hitler wrote: “only a single great man, Ford, [who], to [the Jews’] fury, still maintains full independence…[from] the controlling masters of the producers in a nation of one hundred and twenty millions”.
Speaking in 1931 to a Detroit News reporter, Hitler said he regarded Ford as his “inspiration”, explaining his reason for keeping Ford’s life-size portrait next to his desk. Steven Watts wrote that Hitler “revered” Ford, proclaiming that “I shall do my best to put his theories into practice in Germany”, and modeling the Volkswagen, the people’s car, on the Model T.
(Read it all)
Of course Ford's anti-Semitism, displayed in many of his publications, wasn't considered by him to breed hate.
Not knowing of Ford's anti-Semitism at the time, the first car I ever owned was a 1950 Ford. Never again would I buy a Ford product.
Yeah, also don't forget, Ford's subsidiary in Germany, was named Opel, and the German army drove to war on Opel trucks amongst others......
All of which Ford received payment for until open war was declared....
Ford was a great man and a practical genius, Built most of the GP's (jeeps) our troops drove in WWII, a lot of halftracks and light armored cars also on top of building thousands of airplanes. WWII made Ford a fortune five times what he had before the war started. But he was also a Nazi sympathizer and notorious anti-semite.
His dealings with Nazi Germany? just business....
Senator Prescott Bush too, at least until war was declared.
Related Seed: A Leading Holocaust Historian Just Seriously Compared The US To Nazi Germany
Breaking News, 2/15/2019:
Fox News Bans Ad For Documentary About American Nazi Rally In 1939
Are we currently moving in that direction again?