Human Trophies Are As Old As War Itself

A soldier from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division with a dead insurgent's hand on his shoulder. It's one of 18 photos given to The Times of troops posing with corpses. LA Times

New Afghanistan War Photos Part Of A Long, Controversial Tradition -- McClatchy News

WASHINGTON — In the picture, victory is portrayed by the winner’s arms thrust wide in celebration, a boot near the head of a fallen enemy.

It’s not another photograph of U.S. troops in Afghanistan showing another “serious error in judgment.” It’s a painting that still hangs in the Kansas Statehouse in Topeka, and it shows Civil War-era anti-slavery crusader John Brown expressing the joy of victory after a brutal fight.

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My Comment: Jack Shafer from Reuters says the same thing .... war trophies, pictures, etc.... this is as old as war itself.

Even my own father is guilty of this behavior. He collected gold watches from dead German soldiers during the war .... using it for trade and keeping the best ones for himself. I still have that ghoulish reminder in a cigar box in one of my closets .... they are very nice and yes very expensive (non-working) Swiss gold watches .... but c'mon .... I can never fix and wear one of these. But for my dad .... he could never part with them, which is probably the main reason why I still have not gotten rid of them to this day.

Hmmmm .... I guess they are my trophies now.