I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag, Not the Fascists
August Landmesser is the role model for all who resist dictators
My Fellow Democracy Defenders,
Last week, fascists fired my partner from their civil service career.
This week, my department has received directives to implement the Nazi MAGA agenda.
Monday was Holocaust Remembrance Day.
In addition to Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman and Dr. Tony Fauci, one of my heroes is August Landmesser. He is renowned his courageous act of defiance against the Nazi regime during World War II. His story is a powerful example of individual resistance against oppression and racism. In 1936, Landmesser was a shipyard worker at the Blohm + Voss Hamburg shipyard. At a Nazi rally, he deliberately refused to perform the Nazi salute, standing with his arms crossed while surrounded by other workers giving the Hitler salute. The famous photograph above has become an iconic image of silent protest against the Nazi regime.
If you are able to, we would be most grateful for your support during this turbulent time. My career is in jeopardy as well, but I will do everything I can do resist and undermine the orange menace. The only loyalty I have is to you and the Constitution, not the fascists who have taken over our government. I am concerned that we may have to pull our special needs child from daycare, especially since remote work has also ended.
The reason for Landmesser’s defiance was deeply personal. Landmesser had fallen in love with and was engaged to Irene Elser, a Jewish woman, which was illegal under the Nuremberg Laws of Nazi Germany. Their relationship was considered a criminal act of "racial disgrace" (Rassenschande) by the Nazi government.
Because of his relationship with Irene, Landmesser had already been persecuted. He was expelled from the Nazi Party in 1935 for trying to marry her, and he was later arrested and convicted of "racial disgrace." He spent time in prison and was later drafted into a penal battalion during World War II, which was essentially a death sentence.
Landmesser's act of refusing to salute was a quiet but powerful statement of human dignity and rejection of the racist ideology of the Nazi regime. His courage in the face of extreme social and legal pressure makes him a symbol of individual resistance against totalitarianism and racism.
Tragically, both August and Irene suffered greatly for their love. Irene was eventually murdered in the Auschwitz concentration camp, and Landmesser was killed in action in 1945 while serving in a penal battalion.
Today, the photograph of Landmesser refusing to salute is often used as a powerful symbol of individual courage and moral resistance against oppression.
We must continue to resist fascists in his honor - that is why I started this Substack and appreciate all of your support!
This is a beautiful reminder of both our better selves and actions needed. Hopefully, we can employ this before our fate is that of these lovers.
PS. I LOVE the rainbow flag flown with the US flags!
Thank you for sharing this story! I remember the photograph but didn’t know the story behind it. August Landmesser was brave and courageous in spite of the danger he faced! We need more democrats willing to standup and speak out against the Trump administration before he destroys this country!