Supporters of a Nazi SS division formed during WW2 march in Riga, Latvia - Telegraph Very few of the people in these pictures looks old enough to have fought in the war, in the SS or otherwise. At best, they are looking the period very idealistically. Do they really think the Nazis would have granted Latvia independence if they had managed to keep the Soviet Union out?
Hmm, it takes all sorts. M16s aren't exactly period but there you go. I'd like to think they're remembering the sacrifices of the soldiers, their place in history etc but I always have this nagging thought that it's a bit more sinister than that.
It is worrying how the SS volunteers seem to be idolised in the Baltic countries. This statement from the Latvian Government in 2004 makes for interesting reading on their interpretation of the activities of the Latvian SS: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia: The Volunteer SS Legion in Latvia Latvian Legion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia