George Lincoln Rockwell: The "American Hitler" Who Sought to Revive Nazism in the US

Nazism in the United States is not a new phenomenon; it originated in the 1930s with the German American Bund, which grew to significant levels. This organization was founded by World War I veteran Fritz Kuhn and actively promoted U.S. isolationism while espousing anti-black, anti-immigrant, and anti-Jewish sentiments. The German American Bund even managed to fill Madison Square Garden for its rallies, demonstrating its early reach, before its collapse following Kuhn's conviction for tax evasion.

George Lincoln Rockwell was born in Bloomington, Illinois, on March 9, 1918, as the eldest of three children to George Lovejoy Rockwell and Claire Rockwell. His early life was marked by instability due to his parents being traveling Vaudeville actors who divorced when he was only six years old. Consequently, Rockwell spent his youth moving between Atlantic City and Boothbay Harbor.

In 1938, Rockwell enrolled at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, where he pursued a major in philosophy. During his time there, he met Judith Aultman, who was a student at Pembroke College and would later become his first wife. Rockwell, however, dropped out of college in 1940 to accept a commission in the U.S. Navy.

During World War II, Rockwell served as a pilot, participating in significant campaigns such as the Battle of the Atlantic and the Pacific War. He married Judith Aultman in 1943, but their marriage was troubled from the start, characterized by his expectations of a submissive wife and recurring violent arguments. On at least one documented occasion, Rockwell physically struck his wife.

Despite his earlier discharge, Rockwell, still in the reserves, was called back to active duty as a lieutenant commander at the onset of the Korean War in June 1950. During this period, he was stationed in San Diego, where he specialized in instrument training, instructing Navy and Marine Corps pilots.

In 1953, Rockwell married Margret Pora Hallgrimsson in Iceland. Notably, the couple chose to spend their honeymoon in Berchtesgaden, Germany, visiting the site of Adolf Hitler's Berghof in the Bavarian Alps. This choice underscored Rockwell's deepening fascination with Nazi ideology and its symbols.

Rockwell openly discussed his strategic use of marketing techniques to amplify his extremist movement, comparing Nazi imagery to advertising. He stated that just as advertising uses provocative images, he employed the swastika and storm troopers to draw attention. This approach demonstrates his deliberate use of shock value to gain public notice and expand his reach.

Rockwell's first significant public protest occurred on July 29, 1958, where he demonstrated against Operation Blue Bat in Lebanon. During this protest, he voiced antisemitic rhetoric, asserting "Jewish control of the government." His provocative actions and hateful speech quickly drew the attention of federal authorities, who began scrutinizing his activities.

In March 1959, Rockwell founded the World Union of Free Enterprise National Socialists, which he later renamed the American Nazi Party. The party established its headquarters at 928 North Randolph Street in Arlington, Virginia. Rockwell and his followers would frequently parade at his home in Arlington, dressed in uniforms and armed with guns, publicly displaying their extremist affiliations.

On July 4, 1960, a riot erupted on the National Mall when Rockwell and his men were confronted by a mob. Police arrested Rockwell and eight party members following the incident. Despite his demand for a trial, Rockwell was instead committed to a psychiatric hospital for 30 days. He was released after 12 days, having been deemed competent.

On September 28, 1962, in Birmingham, Alabama, Roy James punched Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the face. George Lincoln Rockwell publicly endorsed this act of violence, going so far as to award one of his members a medal for punching Martin Luther King Jr. in the face. This action highlighted Rockwell's encouragement of physical aggression against civil rights leaders.

Rockwell pursued political office, running as a write-in presidential candidate in 1964, receiving only 212 votes. He later ran for Virginia governor in 1965, securing 5,730 votes, or 1.2% of the total. Despite his electoral failures, Rockwell continued to organize protests on the National Mall in Washington and other sites, disseminating his extremist beliefs and hatred across the country through publications like 'The Stormtrooper Magazine'.

George Lincoln Rockwell and his party consistently marched in Nazi uniforms and displayed Nazi flags, openly embracing the aesthetics of Hitler's regime. Rockwell frequently referred to Hitler as the 'white savior of the 20th century,' fully aligning himself with Nazi ideology. He also became a vocal denier of the Holocaust, asserting that he did not believe that any six million Jews were exterminated by Hitler and claiming that it simply did not happen.

In 1966, George Lincoln Rockwell coined the term 'White Power' as a direct response to the emerging Black Power movement, cementing his group's stance within the racial extremist landscape. He actively sought to align his American Nazi Party with various international neo-Nazi organizations, aiming for a broader global network of white supremacists. Additionally, Rockwell made efforts to disrupt Martin Luther King Jr.'s demonstrations in Chicago, further escalating his confrontational tactics against the civil rights movement.

George Lincoln Rockwell was shot and killed on August 25, 1967, in Arlington, Virginia. His assassin was John Patler, a former member of the Nazi Party who had been expelled for what Rockwell considered 'Bolshevik leanings.' Patler was subsequently sentenced to 20 years in prison for the murder, bringing a violent end to Rockwell's leadership.

Upon hearing of his son's assassination, George Lincoln Rockwell's 78-year-old father expressed little surprise. He stated that he had anticipated his son's violent death for quite some time, reflecting a grim understanding of the dangerous path his son had chosen.

Following George Lincoln Rockwell's death, Mattias Koehl succeeded him as the leader of the American Nazi Party, eventually renaming the group 'New Order.' The void left by Rockwell also led to the formation of other influential white supremacist groups, such as the 'National Alliance,' founded by William Luther Pierce, who authored the infamous 'The Turner Diaries.' While many subsequent white supremacist groups emerged, most eventually faded into irrelevance.

Despite the American Nazi Party's frequent preaching of violence, the group was never convicted of major crimes. While they were often suspected of involvement in bombings and arsons, these charges were never definitively proven in court. This highlights a pattern where their aggressive rhetoric rarely translated into convictions for serious criminal acts.