It's almost the same story for me. As a kid in the 60s, my step dad and I watched all the military shows
and movies. I also remember about 1966 or maybe 67 seeing "Hell's Angels on Wheels" --lots of crosses
and swazies. I even wore a cheap surfers cross back then.
The dude who designed the cross came up with a very powerfull design. It's simple and bold
and when you combine that with the fact that it supposedly represented the evil empire, I think
it makes a strong impression on young minds----just my theory.