Catch my Interview on the Wereth 11 on the Renegade's Rant Podcast
On the program I discuss the story, which inspired my film and the co-written book, The Lost Eleven about the eleven black American soldiers from the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion and what happened to them during the Battle of the Bulge in WWII.
Shortly after the outbreak of Hitler's Ardennes Offensive or Battle of The Bulge in 1944, members of the all-black 333rd Artillery Battalion were just eleven miles behind the front lines. With the rapid advance of the Germans the 333rd was ordered to withdraw further west but C and Service Battery were ordered to stay behind to give covering fire to the 106th Infantry Division.
On Dec 17th the 333rd were overrun with most killed or captured. The remnants of the unit were ordered to Bastogne and incorporated into its sister unit the 969th Field Artillery Battalion. Both units provided fire support for the 101st Airborne Division in the Siege of Bastogne, subsequently being awarded the Presidential Unit Citation.
11 soldiers, however, from the 333rd were separated from the unit shortly after they were overrun by the Germans. These men wound up in the little Belgian hamlet of Wereth, just 25 kilometers southwest of Malmedy, Belgium, site of another much more well known WWII atrocity.
At about 3 pm on Dec 16, 1944, the 11 men approached the first house in the nine-house hamlet of Wereth, owned by Mathias Langer. A friend of the Langer's was also present. The men were cold, hungry, and exhausted after walking cross-country through the deep snow. They had two rifles between them. The Langer family welcomed them and gave them food. But this small part of Belgium did not necessarily welcome Americans as “Liberators.” This area had been part of Germany before the First World War and many of its citizens still saw themselves as Germans and not Belgians.
Word leaked out from a Nazi sympathizer in the area that the men had been sheltered and were hiding in the Langer home. When the SS troops approached the house about 4 pm that day, the eleven Americans surrendered quickly, without resistance. The Americans were made to sit on the road, in the cold, until dark. The Germans then marched them down the road and gunfire was heard in the night. In the morning, villagers saw the bodies of the men in a ditch at the corner of a cow pasture. Because they were afraid that the Germans might return, they did not touch the dead soldiers. The snow covered the bodies and they remained entombed in the snow until January when villagers directed members of the 99th Div. I&R platoon to the site.In the official US Army report it was revealed that the men had been brutalized, with broken legs, bayonet wounds to the head, and fingers cut off. And It was apparent that one man was killed as he tried to bandage a comrade's wounds.
In 2001, three Belgium citizens embarked on the task of creating a fitting memorial to these men and additionally to honor all Black GI’s of World War II. With the help of Norman Lichtenfeld, whose father fought and was captured in the Battle of the Bulge, a grassroots publicity and fund-raising endeavor was begun. The land was purchased and a fitting memorial was created There are now road signs indicating the location of the memorial, and the Belgium Tourist Bureau lists it in the 60th Anniversary “Battle of the Bulge” brochures. The dedication of the memorial was held in 2004 in an impressive military ceremony.
It is believed that this is the only memorial to Black G.I.s, and their units, of World War II in Europe. Norman's goal is to make the Wereth 11 and all Black G.I.’s “visible” to all Americans and to history. They, like so many others, paid the ultimate price for our freedom. Please visit his site www.wereth.org where you can learn more about this dark and virtually unknown chapter from WWII.
Check out the interview on the Renegade's Rant Podcast.
WWI British Soldier Who May Have Spared Hitler's Life
"The Fateful Encounter: Henry Tandey and Adolf Hitler"
In the last year of World War I, during the bloody British capture of French village Marcoing and the German retreat an encounter occurred that remains a mystery still today.
British soldier, Henry Tandey, who would become the most decorated private in the British army during the Great War had a limping helpless German soldier dead in his rifle sights,
Henry raised his rifle, paused a moment then lowered it again NOT taking the shot.The retreating German soldier nodded thanks and disappeared in the battle mist. The incident, forgotten.
Flash forward twenty years to British Prime minister Chamberlain on a peace mission to Germany and a meeting with Adolf Hitler, where a WWI painting on Hitler’s wall depicted British soldiers helping their wounded, Hitler who burned with anger at his country loss in that war surely would not have such a painting but he explained it was during the time where his own life was spared by British Private Henry Tandey.
Chamberlain, returning empty handed from his peace mission, carried a message from the Fuhrer of thanks to Tandey for sparing his life. Whether or not Chamberlain relayed the message is not known. But the story became known and Tandey confirmed during world war two that he did spare a German soldier’s life but was not certain it was Hitler’s.
Whether the much debated tale is true or not Henry Tandey had to live the rest of his life, with the label of the man who did NOT shoot the dictator who caused the darkest chapter the world has ever known.
Henry Tandey's decision to spare Adolf Hitler's life remains a haunting chapter in the annals of history. It reminds us that a single act can have profound consequences.
New Hamilton Weekly Podcast Series Begins November 1st
Step into the shoes of a young, fearless Alexander Hamilton, a penniless immigrant with a burning desire for freedom and glory. From the sweltering battlefield of Monmouth to the entrenched redoubts of Yorktown, you'll experience Hamilton’s unwavering determination, his heart-breaking separation from George Washington, and the sacrifices he made to forge a nation.
But this is more than a story of war; it's a tale of love, ambition, and the price of legacy. Discover the man behind the legend, the brilliance of his mind, and the intensity of his character.
It is an immersive, narrative history that follows Hamilton’s life and military service from the Battle of White Plains through to the British surrender at Yorktown. There is much to be inspired by and learned from Hamilton’s life. He was a larger than life founding father whose blueprint for America is the world we live in today. It all begins November 1st, only on Point of the Spear.
New Short Documentary on Gettysburg - First Day of Battle
This is an immersive type of history as the first hand accounts are woven together so that they unfold in a linear way. As you watch hopefully you will discover the battle wrapping around you with all the intense emotion, fear and uncertainty on both sides.
A Union victory was far from a foregone conclusion at Gettysburg and these words from two centuries ago bring you closer to that history and those times. Now travel back in time to a divided America and the gravely uncertain days of May, 1863.
New Video: Joan of Arc's Unbreakable Faith
Step back in time to witness the extraordinary life of Joan of Arc, whose unwavering faith in divine guidance propelled her to challenge the status quo of war-torn France. This documentary explores the complex intersection of faith, leadership, and gender as Joan's celestial voices lead her to command armies, shift the tides of war, and ultimately face the ultimate test of her convictions.
In the Shadow of Angels: Joan of Arc's Unbreakable Faith
Brushstrokes of Belief: Michelangelo's Faith-Infused Artistry
Join us on a journey into the world of Michelangelo, the gifted painter who wielded his brushes with an unyielding faith in God. This episode of Stories of Faith and Courage explores how his steadfast belief transformed his creative struggles into powerful displays of courage, leaving an indelible mark on the world of art and spirituality. LISTEN NOW.
Civil War Extreme: Best and Worst Confederate General
In the annals of military history, few conflicts have tested the limits of human endurance and conviction as the American Civil War. A nation torn asunder, brothers pitted against brothers, and ideals clashed on blood-soaked battlefields. In this recent video we journey through the extremes of this epic struggle, where courage and cruelty, sacrifice and sorrow, tactical brilliance and wanton incompetence shaped the destiny of a nation. And we'll hear from a West Point historian who'll provide his take on two confederate Generals at either ends of the extreme – best and worst.