One bit of possible clarification on the "SS" symbol shown in the very first picture: that particular symbol has long been heavily associated with Marine Scout/Snipers (Get it? "S/S"). Though it's not officially sanctioned, it does appear on unit t-shirts and signs in the Scout/Sniper community and is pretty widely accepted. There's also the nickname "
kopfjaeger", which complements the "
teufelhunden" that all Marines are known by.
Not sayin' for sure that the old biker dude with the beard is a veteran Scout/Sniper, and I'm not sayin' that the newspaper editor was angling to get the most inflammatory photo included with the story. I'm just stickin' with what I know.
Also, ngdawg: thank you very much. I know the Patriot Guard is always there and ready to do the right thing in the right way for the right reasons when helping a family remember the fallen. Big ups to you for being a part of that team.