Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger has ordered all Confederate-related paraphernalia to be removed from Marine Corps installations. The commandant’s decision appeared online Wednesday, though it did not say when all of the Confederate-related paraphernalia needed to be removed. Berger’s spokesman confirmed that the commandant had sent a directive to his senior staff ordering all installations to get rid of symbols of the Confederate States of America.
The question of whether Confederate symbols represent heritage or hatred has been vexing for the U.S. military. In January 2016, the Marine Corps refused to allow a man with a large tattoo of a Confederate flag to enlist, yet 10 Army bases are still named for Confederate generals. Meanwhile, several Marines have been investigated in the past few years for allegedly having links to white supremacist groups.
