Navy spends up big to change 'nazi' barracks

[kach22i]

As an architect I find this story interesting, sent to me in an e-mail from the magazine BUILDING Design & Construction.

Navy spends up big to change 'nazi' barracks
http://www.bdcnetwork.com/index.asp?layout=articleXml&xmlId=676269695&nid=2073

LOS ANGELES: The US Navy will spend as much as $687,000 to modify the appearance of a barracks in California that resembles a swastika from the air.

The navy approved the spending for changes to the four L-shaped buildings' walkways, landscaping and rooftop solar panels after satellite images from Google Earth revealed the swastika-like shape, officials said.

''We don't want to be associated with something as symbolic and hateful as a swastika,'' Navy Region Southwest deputy public affairs officer Scott Sutherland said.

Navy officials said the buildings' shape was not noted until after the ground breaking in 1967. Since it was not visible from the ground, officials decided not to make any changes.

But aerial photos made available on Google Earth in recent years revealed the swastika shape to a wide audience of computer users.

Online commentators remarked widely about the buildings' resemblance to the symbol used by the Nazis. Dave von Kleist, host of The Power Hour, a Missouri-based radio talk show, said he wrote to military officials calling for action.

''I'm concerned about symbolism. This is not the type of message America needs to be sending to the world,'' he said.

In a somewhat related topic, there is this thread:

Giant Hood Scoop lands in UK
http://www.carnuts.us/viewtopic.php?t=1952

[Rick Lee]

CNN had a big thing on it the other day. I don't understand why anyone cares. No flight paths go over the bldgs. You can't see it from ground level. Only Google Earth makes it noticeable. I sure hope some farmer doesn't get stuck with a huge bill if someone ever cuts a swastika/crop circle in one of his fields.

[kach22i]

I wonder if a Pentagon owned building which happens to be facing Mecca would mean anything, and what if anything would be done about it.

There has got to be a limit somewhere.

This is kind of silly.

[john70t]

The swastika was an ancient Hindu symbol long before the Nazis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika

I'm guessing this was contractor pork from the start. "Oh, I get more money to redo it? Oh goody".

[onewhippedpuppy]

Odd. Of course, $687k is a drop in the bucket when it comes to military spending.