[brianterrel]

Toward the end of the war, the SS meant something very different from before the war. Mr. Grass didn't "work for" the SS; He was conscripted into an SS combat unit after volunteering for service with the regular war department.

I don't have much of an opinion either way of Mr. Grass, but I don't think volunteering to fight in the Army as a teenager reflects negatively on his character.

[bostonpete]

> I don't think volunteering to fight in the Army as a teenager reflects negatively on his character.

I believe criticisms were leveled at him mostly for not disclosing that he served in the SS until 60 years after the fact (despite Nazi criticism being a common theme in his writing).

[ukigumo]

Well you are certainly free to think that but I disagree with you.

When you join the army you are also joining what that army stands for. If you were a communist, certainly joining the US Marines would not be high on your priority list, would it?

Unfortunately having an opinion seems to be met with downvotes here at HN which is unfortunate for such a otherwise pleasant group of people.