News
It is with the greatest of sadness that the U.S. Wereth Memorial committee has to announce the sudden death of its president, Mrs. Adda Rikken, on January 7.
Adda was always available for all the veterans who came to the Ardennes.
Her efforts and dedication will be for ever remembered.
Anne Marie Noël-Simon
Secretary
U.S. Memorial Wereth, V.o.E.
About
The Wereth 11 were eleven black G.I.s of the 333rd Field Artillary Battalion who were murdered by German SS after they had surrendered during the first days of the Battle of the Bulge. This memorial honors their memory and all black G.I.s and segregated units who fought in Europe during WW II. It is believed that this is the only memorial of its type in Europe.
The U.S. Wereth Memorial Project is a grassroots fundraising endeavor whose participants are private citizens and
members of volunteer organizations. Our goal was to raise money to erect and sustain a permanent memorial to honor
and remember these men. This goal has been accomplished.
The Memorial is located in Wereth, Belgium, which is a tiny hamlet in Eastern Belgium, on the site of the murders.
Currently we are seeking unit plaques and further donations. All contributions go toward sustaining the monument.
There are no administrative costs. If your unit would like to place a plaque at the site please contact us.
Video
Adda Rikken about the Wereth 11.
Video
Being part of the military doesn't just mean making sacrifices in life, sometimes life itself is the sacrifice.
Airman First Class Amanda Wowk tells us about a ceremony that remembers some of those sacifices.
Video
Another tribute to the Wereth 11.
Audio
NPR News - September 19, 2003 - Aileen LeBlanc: Belgians move to honor black soldiers slain in WWII.