Outrage Grows Over Defense Dept. Tweet Bragging About Military Aircraft That Happens to Share Nickname With a Nazi
‘Her-Cu-Les, Her-Cu-Les! You Don’t Want to Be on the Receiving End of This Gunship, Aka the Angel of Death’ the DoD Tweeted
A tweet posted by the U.S. Dept. of Defense is generating outrage. It features a video of a military aircraft gunship in flight apparently shooting at an unseen enemy. The text mocks America’s enemies while glorifying war.
“Her-cu-les, Her-cu-les! You don’t want to be on the receiving end of this gunship, aka the Angel of Death,” the tweet reads.
As many on social media point out, the “Angel of Death” was also the nickname given to Nazi SS Officer Dr. Josef Mengele, who performed gruesome experiments on prisoners – including children – and personally chose some of the victims to die in the gas chambers.
Her-cu-les, Her-cu-les!
You don’t want to be on the receiving end of this gunship, aka the Angel of Death. pic.twitter.com/r5sN6c7g4I— U.S. Dept of Defense (@DeptofDefense) February 28, 2018
The clip in the tweet appears to be part of a longer DoD video of an AC-130, a gunship first put into use in the 1960’s. It was recently featured in Air Force Times and Airman articles.
“For about 50 years, versions of the aircraft, known as the ‘Angel of Death’ for its lethality, have been providing close-air support, air interdiction and armed reconnaissance to troops throughout the world,” the Air Force Times notes.
The tweet was posted Tuesday, but is just gaining attention – and garnering anger.
The U.S. Dept of Defense straight up bragging about how great they can kill foreigners. Angel of death is the same nickname given to Josef Mengele…
The United States are seriously the bad guys. https://t.co/LJdtwbrqFH
— Jacob W Fowler ‽ (@JacobWFowler) March 1, 2018
Trump’s Dept of Defense has named its gunship the Angel of Death, the same moniker given to Josef Mengele. Such a proud moment. https://t.co/nyxfrh6w4m https://t.co/pCyruaOEIV
— Elizabeth King (@ElizabethKing) March 1, 2018
The Angel of Death was used to flatten most of Indochina, killing millions of people in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.
The blood lust of the U.S. military is disgusting. https://t.co/MOkBcWp72g
— Zach Carter (@ZachJCarter) March 1, 2018
Let alone nicknaming it the Angel of Death, same thing they called Josef Mengele
— Kaffe👌 (@KaffeKhameleon) March 1, 2018
Omfg, its like a 12 year old tweeted this! Aka the angel of death?! Stay off Xbox live @u.s.
— You Wont Win (@WinYouWont) March 1, 2018
Uh. Isn’t that a flare defensive measure from heat seeking missiles? Also, no I don’t. But thanks for reminding us that you’ve got kit named Angel of Death. That’s super duper healthy and normal. https://t.co/k8juVgFaCu
— Guy English (@gte) March 1, 2018
Please take this the fuck down! Could you be anymore of an embarrassment right now? The angel of death? How many schools, churches and hospitals have these ‘Angels’ destroyed? #Pathetic #NotMyPresident
— Believe Me (@AZBLUEAZCANBE) March 1, 2018
“A $300 billion fighter jet that we can bomb brown people indiscriminately with? How convenient! Maybe we’ll name her Angel of Death!â€
“Why do they chant Death to America so?!?†https://t.co/E31APsn7LB
— Walker Bragman Rock 🌹🇲🇾🇮🇳🇸🇾🇻🇳 (@CentristSlayer) March 1, 2018
We call it the Angel of Death because it murders people! Ha ha! pic.twitter.com/UBaWvpRZwe
— Ben Prunty 🔜 GDC (@benprunty) March 1, 2018
WE’RE TOTALLY THE GOOD GUYS THO LOOK HOW MUCH WE SPENT ON THIS GIANT KILLING MACHINE AND WE CALLED IT THE ANGEL OF DEATH BECAUSE UHHHH https://t.co/ore88kr7YV
— antifa bi-seinen (@chrismogaku) March 1, 2018
My United States of America wants to be known as the angel of death. Not quite the reputation I was striving for.
— Joanne Paul (@kainapoint) March 1, 2018
A US government account has genuinely just tweeted about its very own ‘Angel of Death’ 🤦â€â™‚ï¸ https://t.co/XfzvuXQLKw
— James Bedding (@JBedding) March 1, 2018
DoD needs a new social media intern. Those are defensive flares and “angel of death†refers to the image they make. pic.twitter.com/MgOGhhDr1t
— NordEddard (@NordEddard) March 1, 2018
Wait, wait guys. Its a misspelling. Clearly this is the Angel of Democracy and Human Rights. Also, THEY hate US.
Besides, there is only one true Angel of Deathhttps://t.co/tdjs8ffvwq— Håkan Eliasson (@Eliasson_HaHa) March 1, 2018
I had to triple check this wasn’t a parody account. Really? Our DOD is cleverly advertising a gunship called the “Angel of Death?†The US is so sad and lost. https://t.co/avJhrSezEq
— dojojojo (@dorenjoy) March 1, 2018
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