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Justice Department Blamed for U.S. Marines’ Joining Neo-nazi Groups

June 3, 1960
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Marine Corps sources indicated today that the Corps stands willing to issue dishonorable discharges to Marines belonging to neo-Nazi groups, but the U.S. Justice Department has advised that such affiliation is legal.

The Department of Justice is said to have explained that Communist groups are dangerous because of a world Communist conspiracy centered in the Soviet Union, Since there is allegedly no Nazi nation or world-wide conspiracy, neo-Nazi organizations are not considered as objectionable, according to the Department.

The Marine Corps was informed that the Justice Department has not designated Lincoln Rockwell’s American Nazi Party as “subversive.” It was explained that the Marine Corps seeks to avoid interference in the personal political views of Marines as long as such views are neither Communist nor “dangerously leftist. “

The office of Sen. Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson, Texas Democrat, was studying today reports of participation of members of the U.S. Marine Corps in neo-Nazi activities in the Washington area. Senator Johnson is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The Jewish War Veterans today made representations to the Marine Corps against participation of Marines in Lincoln Rockwell’s Nazi “storm troops.” The JWV is also seeking to determine why the U.S. Department of Justice has not designated Rockwell’s group as a subversive organization.

The veterans announced today that a national policy committee meeting has been summoned to meet in New York on June 11, to discuss counter-measures against the Nazi activities in Washington and the Nazi rally scheduled to be held in New York on July 4.

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