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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.

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.

 

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