Reuters AlertNet - FEATURE-Latvia braces for violence over Waffen SS parade

The glory days of the Latvian Waffen SS come alive again as Visvaldis Lacis, a sprightly grandfather with bright blue eyes, tells war stories in his little house, deep in the snow-laden Latvian countryside. 'I was so scared,' says the silver-haired former platoon commander, recalling one of his first moments of combat. 'But I knew I would be the first to give the order to attack. I was the Fuehrer. I did it and started running.' Veterans like Lacis are at the heart of a growing storm 120 km (75 miles) away in the capital Riga, where an annual March 16 parade commemorating the Latvian Waffen SS Volunteer Legion's fight against the Red Army has been banned. Far-right youth groups Klubs 415 and the Union of National Force plan to march anyway and the city is braced for violence.