Focus U.S.A. / The ongoing saga of the U.S. Navy swastika building
In the 1960's a building was built in U.S. Naval Amphibious Base in San Diego which looked from satellite images like a swastika; it still stands.
By Natasha Mozgovaya Tags: Israel news US Jews Swastika NaziA couple of years ago, the swastika-shaped building at the Naval Amphibious Base in San-Diego discovered by Google Earth became an Internet hit. The former U.S. resident and now Israeli citizen Avrahaum Segol got word from a friend in 2006 and made getting rid of the offensive symbol his own personal project.
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Satellite image of Naval building in San Diego |
| Photo by: Google Earth |
He involved The Anti Defamation League and Congresswoman Susan Davis.
The Navy started thinking about options to reshape the building – but it turned out to be an expensive and lengthy process and today the building remains pretty much the way it was built.
“The first option for renovation cost $625,000. This was a single canopy option that could have been approved locally but the cost of multiple canopies exceeds our authority to approve”, explained Angelic Dolan, Naval Base Coronado Public Affairs Officer.
“The single canopy option was an insufficient effort to some in the public who advocated for a more comprehensive response. Other less expensive options were attempted that were primarily painting schemes to camouflage the buildings' outline from aerial views.
Those were unsuccessful. Costs for the larger project, depending on options pursued, range from $17 million to $40 million," Dolan said.
"Those who complained about the buildings' shape were dismissive of the single wing reconfiguration thus we redesigned with more extensive construction options and have increased costs sufficient to push the project into the MILCON process. The more expensive plan now includes new barracks rooms connecting the wings instead of canopies to camouflage the views from the air. The latest budget request has been submitted and will be ranked along with other Navy requirements and forwarded to DoD for final consideration," Dolan added.
It’s unclear how long it might take for the swastika building to disappear. Meanwhile, the naval base's website describes the controversial structure as a group of “L-shaped buildings”. According to the site, they were constructed between 1969-70. “The final 'look' at the 6-building complex as seen from the air, was the result of an 'oversight' by Navy planners at the time”, the site states.
“The original plans submitted to the Navy for the project included the two central buildings which were intended to contain a boiler plant and a recreation room; and a single "L"-shaped 3-story barrack. The plan called for the "L" shaped building to be rebuilt three times and placed at a 90-degree angle to the central building," it stated on the site.
"It wasn't until after the building began that Navy officials realized how the buildings would appear when seen from above. A draft study conducted by JRP Historical Consulting Services for the Naval Facilities Engineering Command [regarding the potential National Register of Historic Places eligibility of Cold War era facilities at NAB, Coronado] noted that the final shape of the buildings was simply an oversight that went undetected during the Navy’s approval process," the statement said, adding that "the Navy has fully utilized the building complex for more than 35 years, and intends to continue the use of the buildings, as long as they remain adequate for the needs of the service”.
The estimated costs needed to reshape the building question the how important is it to make the changes in order to avoid symbolic offenses, and at what price? Pragmatist can ask whether those who actively search to be offended should influence the turn of events, as from the ground the building does not resemble what one sees from above.
Morris Casuto, ADL regional director in San Diego, said it was not just a whim. “When you look at some of the drawings prior to the construction of the building it’s hard to dismiss that it’s in the shape of a swastika. I don’t know what the motivation of the man who designed it was, but it’s obviously highly inappropriate for any government building in the U.S. –especially for a series of military buildings - to be shaped as a symbol of the regime that killed thousands of Americans”.
Despite this position, ADL has seemed less eager to pursue the issue.
“We will address this issue again, but we are an American organization and it’s our responsibility to understand that our government won’t make this thing a number one priority”, Casuto told said. “We believe the navy will address this issue – we spoke to various levels in the Navy, but until yesterday [Thursday] we were fighting two wars – and the military in San-Diego was stretched thin, so we didn’t want to drive them crazy. The initial attempt to change the shape of the building was not successful and the army authorities told us they’ll have to wait another year for appropriations. If they don’t respond to it, we will contact them again."
Avrahaum Segol is convinced that the shape of the building is not a mere coincidence, and has supportive evidence to prove his point -“sister building” – “Wesley Acres” residence for the elderly in Decatur, Alabama, which looks from a satellite view pretty much like a swastika. Segol claimed the swastika shape was chosen after German scientists were brought to the U.S. after the war.
The building underwent modification and two wings were added to the initial structure, but it didn’t really improve the sight from above. Segol believes these structures are part of a sinister plan – a notion which ADL’s Morris Casuto dismisses as “conspiracy theories that most people don’t accept."
“After the story broke, a lot of people snickered, but the truth was exposed”, Segol said. “I was able to substantiate a direct connection between the NAB and Decatur Swastika structures. There were two such federally funded structures. When it became clear that the Navy was having a difficult time coming up with workable solutions, my services were volunteered and Rear Admiral Hering agreed to the idea. The partner in H2L2 architect firm, Mykhaylo Kulynych, agreed to volunteer his personal service.
The Navy Team, Mykhaylo, and I worked together in order to arrive at the best possible Reconfiguration Project Plan under the specific circumstances which the Navy was able to work. The Special Report which Steve Price put together offers a fair factual account of where th reconfiguration project plan stands today. The Navy should be supported in this effort. Appropriations are required. The NAB will actually benefit Sand Diego, the country and the world. The U.S. President has executive authority to expedite this project; and I challenge President Obama to place his office in firm support of this project”.
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It shouldn't cost that much to change the configuration of this building. That symbol is offensive to all reasonable human beings. Over 6 million human beings died, under that symbol and it should not be allowed to stand.
If the gentlemean wants the building changed let him pay for the changes .. not the US taxpayers ..
http://westernhindu.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/jackie.jpg
There are any number of buildings in a "Swastika" shape, and any number of buildings built before the 1940's which have Swastika's embedded in the floors, the walls etc. This is a TOTALLY non issue, but if a significant enough number of people think something should be done about it, I suggest that THEY assume the financial responsibility therein.
@ joseph theeboom jepp. if you have a visit to the national museum in london you´ll find golden buddahs with sastikas on their belly, too. an nobody cares or maks a mess... Every intelligent open minded person knows the difference between this swastika meaning there and the missuse in the third reich and Hitler etc. The star of David e.g. is not similar in its meaning to the Pentagramma just covering etc. Stop all this idiotic medieval symbol serching - cope now to make a better future in peace with israel and palestine or even better one person one vote in a democracy dedicated to humanitarian law
Don't we have enough on our heads then to make a cause celebre from a building which has no meaning except the meaning we give it. I mean, it's not like it was built with any hidden agenda or intention, some secret way to make some anti-semitic statement. I say, let's get going to check every structure, man made and natural, from various heights, employing the Mir space station and whatever next generation shuttle is developed. We wouldn't want to miss any anthill we could turn into a mountain.
you find this buildig form in enrnst neuferts, an assistant of w. gropius, standard publication abaout modern arcitecture. if it is abaout the nazis... uh! they were waving flags... ...is every flag waving nation evil? so, if you find somthing substantial to indict, let the rest of the world know. before that: put your own house in order first. it is stiff with dirt.
To those who write that Jews are simply over-reacting, I suggest that if the symbols of Islam werte being disparaged, they would be quick to support it. The swastika is to Jews (despite its origin) what the Confederate battle flag is to African-Americans - a symbol of hate and death.
If this building offender Muslims, it would have been torn down and re-designed months ago.
...er......nothing?
First of all, it's not a building but a group of buildings of a compound that looks like a swastika and only from the air. I am sure that one can find buildings in the world that look like a penis or other thought-invoking object from the air if one tries hard enough. This whole issue is completely ridiculous. Stop wasting our time with this stuff please.
These are 4 different buildings built next to one another to increaase land efficiency and maximise utilization of all structures as one to save resources. I am sick and tired of these conspiracy theorists.
Can't say as I can add anything here - except to say that I agree with all those who think this issue is; a waste of time/money, slow news day, etc. -charles
all coming out of the woodwork. Disturbing.
As one talkback pointed out, Hitler borrowed it,the first time i went to Taiwan i saw old buildings that had the symbols in the brickwork, when i asked about that i was told they were ancient buddist symbols, so the nazies did not invent it,it was there way before hitler was born. i think before google, nobody had an idea that the biulding looked like that from up in the sky,it seems to me a storm in a teacup. not worth the trouble some poeple think it is.lets worry about important things.joseph theeboom
This much ado about nothing. The symbol, so offensive to some is a part of our society and has been around a while See this picture of girl scout Jackie Kennedy wearing it on her poncho: http://westernhindu.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/jackie.jpg
Tthis guy is another Abe Foxman looking for attention----grow up fella.
You could have fooled me... well. for us Jews it does...
To this one I would add: the Tour Eiffel in Paris, Big Ben in London, the prehistoric monoliths in French Britany, the RCA in New York, all phallic shaped buildings which could suggest impure thoughts in the minds of innocent maidens.
Was it bearing a swastika when the Israeli military bombed Americans?
This is such a joke. I guarantee you that there are buildings in Israel with the same shape. It's a practical design and it only looks like a swastika from the air. How picky can we get? And we wonder why people have lost sensitivity to real acts of anti-semitism
If you feel really strongly, send money and maybe if you send enough to the DoD, the buildings will be remodeled or maybe one can be replaced. Send lots of money.
Why Jews are so much scared of this symbol, HIndus has a sacred value for this symbon in their rituals. It reminds me of something foolish that stop producing knives as they are a killing tool, so what you would use in the Kitchens, Funny Jews lives always in a Phobia
if you dont have the decency to denounce this anti- semetic act and stand up for your rights as jews in this counr\try then maybe we should get al Sharpton to stand up for us. this is very similar to the mosque being built near ground zero.. the painof people being murderd and the symbol of chuzpah,,, we must demand the entire demolition of this structure
Time to switch on the light and banish the bastards The symbol goes back centuries, predating Hitler's regime.... as does genocide Of course 'never again' seems rather empty as long as Israel illegally usurps the Palestinians
Fact One: this Segol guy is nuts, and you can be sure the US Navy knows it. Fact Two: the US Navy knows better than to tell a reporter from a foreign newspaper to take a flying leap at the Moon when they come around asking serious questions about the demands of people who are clearly nuts, because then who knows what inexplicable public humiliation the media might heap upon them. So they tell Haaretz: we take this very seriously, we have studied the problem thoroughly, and if we only had the money we would fix it right away. So Haaretz: flying leap at the Moon. Please..
Maybe it was intended by the Naval architects to look like a swastika? It is hard to imagine such an egregious oversight. Isn't a birds eye view of a design standard fare in the architectural planning stages? Perhaps they drew up the buildings and didn't have the foresight for something as sophisticated and futuristic as Google Earth. It's not outside the realm of possibility.
It should be remodeled immediately. Now need to have these sickening reminders of the horrors of the Holocaust here in America.
Donations to our Defense budget are welcome.
Though I understand the concern over the shape of the building and what it might mean, but I have to say the symbol was not always evil. The swastika is an ancient symbol that has been used for over 3,000 years. (That even predates the ancient Egyptian symbol, the Ankh!) Artifacts such as pottery and coins from ancient Troy show that the swastika was a commonly used symbol as far back as 1000 BCE. So I feel a building shape as seen from the sky should be kept in perspective.
James Martin is right. Swastika is coming from old MU sinked continent as 6 cornered star (magen David). Nazis would wanted to show that they are related with Mu or Ancient Civilisation,boasting... I think Hazar-jewish Turks had founded todays Israel. Why is this trouble ?
the article is unnecessary populist Jewish paranoia. the building shape is likely efficient, creates relatively open interior courts, central control, maximizing use of site, likely appropriate to its intended use.
you can't even tell unless you happen to be riding in a helicopter directly above that space (which would probably be a bad idea given the fact that it's a military area)
Dude need to get a life.
I can't believe that anyone would seriously consider spending a dime on such a stupid request. If you want people to take anit-semitism seriously, stuff like this doesn't help. Give me a break.
The main building of our Vocational School has swastika patterns in the brick work. I pointed that out more than 15 years ago but nothing has been done, whereas a simple, inexpensive paint job could get rid of them. Maybe people here are not as inclined to hysteria as people elsewhere?.
Just leave the building alone. Ironically, my ex-roommate discovered that my condominium bulding was also shaped like a swastika via Google Earth. I guess I'm not a good Jew, instead of whining and k'vetching, and calling up the useless ADL (Foxman is our own Jessie Jackson), I laughed.
The whole discussion would be ridiculous even if it actually was a building in the shape of a swastika. But if you look closer through Google Earth, you realise that the shape consists of four separate buildings with a courtyard in between. They only look like a swastika if you look at them from a height of between 1,000 and 4,000 metres. Higher than that you can't see the shape, and lower than that, you just see four L-shaped buildings. If this was a conspiracy, it must have been one of the silliest ever - and what would the point of it be?
NObody noticed till it had been up for 36 years, so who cares?
..renovation costs out of Israel's taxpayer donations pot... which still means the US taxpayer pays for it.
This was a symbol of people long before the Nazis adopted it. It is still used by other religions. Do we get all upset at Buddists and Hindus?
We could offer to take the funds necessary for tearing down the old building and constructing a nice modern building out of the $3 billion a year in military aid we give Israel. What do you think Israel would say to that?
In your words: "the ADL has seemed less eager to pursue the issue." Y. should the A.D.L. bother, as long as the Swastika's arm, as it's shown from above, is broken?...
Please stop wasting the A.D.L time. all they do is cry wolf and when the time comes when something really serious happens...No one will listen
Israel is on the verge of liquidation, anti-judaism everywhere, people dying in Pakistan and elsewhere, a drug war going rampant and this is even being discussed? Are we serious here? The final liquidation in the middle east of all Muslims and Jews is on the way with Iran and Israel and this is even on the table? I can assure everyone that whatever happens in the middle east, we christians will help you rebuild and mop up the place, Israel of course will be radioactive and I would not touch any food grown their but people will still be able to live there! My belief that is that belief in god will shelter you from any adverse radiation effects, this I know.
The swastika emblem was hijacked by the nazis in as much as it represented an evil regime. I do not think the architect of the buildings meant to use the emblem for any hidden meaning. If not for Google then we would not likely have realized it being like that. It is what it is and it has no evil meaning in its context. Let us get on with our lives. Good Shabbas from Montreal.
That money can be used for better purposes instead of redoing buildings.
This man needs to stop sniffing glue, and quickly seek help from the medical profession
No thanks to the stupid American politicians and tax payers for being duped to this stupid story, just like the Ground Zero hype.
A subtle, & deliberate building. Just as you cannot discern the shape of the Swastika from close range ,same as the straight lines on top of Peru's mountain.You can only make them out from high above. The Nazis or their collaborators wanted to show the Americans that they still had something to say. These are hidden messages,just like in other fields. E.g. Have you seen a packet of 'Camel Cigarettes' ? Next time take a close look. Maybe some of the messages there shouldn't be shown to girls/women ? One thing is sure,tomorrow Saturday, people will be poring over the camel cigarette packets ! Let me know. Yes ?
Swastika is an ancient Hindu symbol that was appropriated by the Nazis. and there is more... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika if you wish to eradicate every appearance of swastika on earth you have a very tedious task ahead of you.
I was taught a long time ago if you don't like a picture then don't look at it. It is not your right to prevent other people seeing things because you don't like it. However a 10 cent phonecall to Google Earth might get the building blurred.
You said,"I was taught a long time ago if you don't like a picture then don't look at it." But in order not to like it at first, you have to look at it. Eh ?
And after looking at it and making a personal decision that you don't like it you avoid looking at it again. I also proposed a cheap low cost solution to allay Avrahaum Segol concerns. Failing that the alternative proposal will cost $700,000 or there abouts. May I suggest that those who find the existence of the building offensive open a fund for donations for the appearance of the building be altered.
All this trouble because of a shape of a building that no one knew about for how long now. Sorry folks America is in a serious financial pinch and this building is by no means offensive It is not even a true swastika, it is a soret of swastika. Where do we draw the line. . I refuse to sanction spending millions to renovate just to appease a few who may be offended. What has America come to
You have to remember that the "thunderbolt cross" is a symbol that has been used thousands of years by multiple cultures, long before its perversion by the Nazis. It is still widely used as religious symbol in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Jews should not be, and generally aren't, offended by swastikas in Hindu and Buddhist temples, because there are absolutely no anti-Semitic connotations. All the more so, should we not take offense to architectural oversight.
It has to be one of the nuttier ideas to destroy a perfectly good building because it happens to resemble a swastika when viewed from outer space! Enough already with such childishness!
just say the building is now in memory of some great Buddhist sailor (surely one has to exist, yeah?) Problem solved.
The swastika was, of course, originally a sun wheel and to some extent just a pretty, geometric pattern, before it became a temporary symbol of Nazi slaughter. You'll find swastikas on Roman temples, medieval cathedrals, buildings from the 19th century etc. Maybe it's time for the world to reclaim the swastika from the Third Reich and this might be a good place to start. After all, you can hardly claim that today's US Navy is in any sense Nazi, so its use of the building helps de-Nazify the swastika.
Total waste of money to destroy a perfectly good building when we need the money for so many other things...
IBM 360 building, East Fishkill, NY is very similar. I worked there and have pix of it. Built in early 60's
Go look at it at ground level and it wont be so offensive. I cant believe these people wanting to spend 625K
Some folks have problems that border on mental illness. The building was constructed in an era when it was necessary to have windows in most rooms for lighting and ventilation. Next some yahoo or cretin will denounce the Pentagon building as a sign of devil worship.
This guy is hung up on a building's design from the air, a perspective few had ever seen before Google. It's funny how the guy offended says the building's architect had a sinister motive for the building's design, but it's really the guy offended who has the motive, a motive to prove his conspiracy theory.
all over asia there is similar swastikas on temples more than hundred years old...
Dumb story