On Aug. 9, 1934 it became the law in Germany for all soldiers, officers and enlisted men, to take the following oath, superceding all prior oaths to the Weimar Constitution that until then governed them and their conduct.
“I swear by God this holy oath
that I shall render unconditional obedience*
to the Leader of the German Reich and people,
Adolf Hitler, supreme commander of the armed forces,
and that as a brave soldier I shall at all times be prepared
to give my life for this oath.” (*emphasis added by others, but applicable)
It became central to the post-war excuse/defense by many German officers, including in the S.S.
They said they simply followed orders when they carried out atrocities like crimes against humanity and war crimes – for exmple the cold blooded murder by machine gun of about 100 American POWs by S.S. soldiers in a field at Malmedy, Belgium in December 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge.
Will the United States generals’ and admirals’ meeting this week be a Hitler Oath moment?
By its very nature their summons to this meeting at Quantico, Va., a nearly hermetically sealed Marine base, has that quality – whether the words of an oath follow or not.
Peeling the Onion 
No doubt that the question of “Loyalty” (formal oath or not) will be a/the focus of this “meeting”. Could this be the true inflection point (the test of true loyalty to the constitution and country) that formalizes the fall into authoritarianism, or creates the condition where those with the power, intellect and courage will reject the fall and protect who we really are?
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