I've always like the Iron Cross as a military decoration. It's a great design to my tastes. Moreover, I don't view it as a Nazi symbol at all. Yes, Nazi soldiers received them but that is only because it was customary as a medal long before that. You'll see the decoration on WWI personnel too. Even today it's seen on German military apparatus.

It's time, IMO, for Germans to move on from the Nazi baggage. In saying that I don't mean that hardcore indisputable Nazi symbols like the swastika ought to be revived, but just because something has general German military significance that the Nazis merely used pursuant to custom is a different story. Going to secondary associations beyond primary ones where Nazis only did what was traditional rather than creating Nazi tradition goes too far in my view and constitutes overkill. I mean, the Nazis spoke German too but nobody is banning that.

Germany has given and continues to give tremendous contributions to the world in science, arts, technology, education, culture, food ...heck, even good beer (nobody, not even the Nazis and commies messed with the Reinheitsgebot, the brewing laws. ). That's true in the military history too.

Even German immigrants served well. For example, more Americans are of German ethnic stock than any other. 142 Germans have received the US Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award. Heroes like General Karl Schurz and German units fought valiantly for the Union in the American Civil War. Von Steuben was an American Revolution war hero. And in peace the Amish cannot be more so. German immigrants brought all sorts of civil invention and contributions in the US. The list is extraordinary.

With history, it's critical for people to know and learn from it but it's also counterproductive to remain mired in the negatives of it whilst forgetting the positives.