my partner found her grandfather's nazi medals (he was a 15 year old mailman in farming towns in north germany at the end of the war) and hid that shit away from her entire (more reactionary) family. We were still creeped out that he kept them though.
depending on what the guy was like, he might have kept them as a source of shame rather than pride. a reminder what not to be.
had a family friend who died a few years back that kept his vietnam medals, despite very much hating them, because he felt it would be wrong to try and discard the role he played
edit: still creepy tho, cause fucking medals for killing innocent people
makes total sense. unfortunately the guy died before my partner turned one, so never got to figure out what it might have been. I know they stopped speaking german at home once coming to the US, so the shame angle makes sense
my partner found her grandfather's nazi medals (he was a 15 year old mailman in farming towns in north germany at the end of the war) and hid that shit away from her entire (more reactionary) family. We were still creeped out that he kept them though.
depending on what the guy was like, he might have kept them as a source of shame rather than pride. a reminder what not to be.
had a family friend who died a few years back that kept his vietnam medals, despite very much hating them, because he felt it would be wrong to try and discard the role he played
edit: still creepy tho, cause fucking medals for killing innocent people
makes total sense. unfortunately the guy died before my partner turned one, so never got to figure out what it might have been. I know they stopped speaking german at home once coming to the US, so the shame angle makes sense