Quote:
Originally Posted by orion5
Apparently it symbolizes good luck and the Buddha's heart. The word "swastika" is derived from the Sanskrit "svasti", meaning "all is well." They've used it for thousands of years and aren't going to stop because the Germans bastardized it.
But even so, I would be uncomfortable if our American military adopted the swastika to promote good luck and happiness, just because its original meaning in Asia was positive.
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It was also thought of similarly by some Native American tribes and was the original SSI for the 45th Infantry Division (USRNG HQ'd out of Oklahoma). It was changed to the "Thunderbird" after the Nazi rise to power because we didn't want anyone to think we had units associated with their ideology. After the conclusion of WW2, the 45th did not return to the "Swastika"...and the "Thunderbird" remains a part of their SSI today.
I'd wager you won't find such symbols being used anymore around any of the areas where the Navajo or Comanche 'Code Talkers' live.
Richard 
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“Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whisky bottle in the hand of (another)… There are just some kind of men who – who’re so busy worrying about the next world they’ve never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results.” - To Kill A Mockingbird (Atticus Finch)
“Almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.” - Robert Heinlein
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