Michael Andrew Grissom, Neo-Confederate author, asserts that criminals pretending to be Klansmen, gave the KKK a bad name. This type of argumentation would repulse us, but most likely instinctively, and not with us analytically understanding why. I hope to use this example to explain the issues. So we would reject that the 3 rd Reich represented a valuable inheritance of history. Or obstacles we have overcome or like to think we have.
History is invoked, especially as heritage, to promote moral values for the present day.
Their choice should give us the clue that they are more sympathetic to Nazi values that they represent themselves to be, and even admit to themselves. Vichy France will be French history, but I rather doubt it will be ever French Heritage. Though soldiers in battle often do have courage, what is important is for what they fought. History is full of violence. We honor military heroism because of the values we wish to assert today.