{"product_id":"the-lost-eleven-isbn-9781101987414","title":"The Lost Eleven","description":"\u003cb\u003eNearly forgotten by history, this is the story of the Wereth Eleven, African-American soldiers who fought courageously for freedom in WWII—only to be ruthlessly executed by Nazi troops during the Battle of the Bulge.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Their story was almost forgotten by history. Now known as the Wereth Eleven, these brave African-American soldiers left their homes to join the Allied effort on the front lines of WWII. As members of the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion, they provided crucial fire support at the Siege of Bastogne. Among the few who managed to escape the Nazi’s devastating Ardennes Offensive, they found refuge in the small village of Wereth, Belgium. A farmer and supporter of the Allies took the exhausted and half-starved men into his home. When Nazi authorities learned of their whereabouts, they did not take the soldiers prisoner, but subjected them to torture and execution in a nearby field.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Despite their bravery and sacrifice, these eleven soldiers were omitted from the final Congressional War Crimes report of 1949. For seventy years, their files—marked secret—gathered dust in the National Archive. But in 1994, at the site of their execution, a memorial was dedicated to the Wereth Eleven and all African-American soldiers who fought in Europe.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Drawing on firsthand interviews with family members and fellow soldiers, \u003ci\u003eThe Lost Eleven\u003c\/i\u003e tells the complete story of these nearly forgotten soldiers, their valor in battle and their tragic end.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003eINCLUDES PHOTOS\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“It is because of men like these, who fought for our Nation at a time when, because of their skin color, they were not afforded equal rights, that I could be a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel. My success was enabled by their sacrifices. This book is a must-read and… it blessed my heart.”—Lieutenant Colonel Allen B. West, US Army, (Retired), former Congressman\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “\u003ci\u003eThe Lost Eleven\u003c\/i\u003e is an incredible account of the unheralded patriotism exhibited by African-American GIs during WWII... The story of the Eleven should be a reminder to all Americans that the values of duty, honor and service are not reserved to any one race, class or ethnicity.”—Jim Gerlach, former Congressman\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “The personal stories of the African-American soldiers provide a lens through which the reader can gain an understanding of the unique contributions and sacrifices made by African Americans in defense of our Nation. After you’ve read it, pass it on… your friends and family will thank you.”—General Edward A. Rice, Jr, US Air Force, (Retired)\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “\u003ci\u003eThe Lost Eleven\u003c\/i\u003e writes into history the forgotten African-American men who fought courageously in the Battle of the Bulge despite the segregation and racism they experienced… It is a book that should be read by all because it speaks to the human spirit.”—Kara Tucina Olidge, PhD, Executive Director, Amistad Research Center at Tulane University\u003cb\u003eDenise George\u003c\/b\u003e is a world-traveled author and speaker who has written or cowritten thirty books, including \u003ci\u003eOrchestra of Exiles\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBehind Nazi Lines\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Secret Holocaust Diaries\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eWhile the World Watched\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe Gentle Giant of Dynamite Hill\u003c\/i\u003e. She is married to author Dr. Timothy George, founding dean of Beeson Divinity School, Samford University. Visit her online at denisegeorge.org.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eRobert Child\u003c\/b\u003e is an Emmy nominated writer and director. He has directed films all over the world, including Canada, UK, France, and Belgium. Child has garnered more than twenty-five writing and directing awards and is one of only a handful of directors whose work has screened in the Congress of the United States.Chapter 1\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e A Quiet Forest\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e - Ardennes Forest, Belgium -       December 16-17, 1944\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Snow falls from a tree branch in an odd, unnatural way. Sergeant      Aubrey Stewart notices the slight movement in the trees on the      edge of the Ardennes, the dark, almost mythical forest stretching      out before him, miles into enemy territory. He shivers as he      stands in snow, wearing worn-out boots and last summer's uniform,      squinting his eyes, straining to peer through the heavy fog.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Nothing's happening at the \"ghost front.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Sergeant Stewart and the black GIs of the 333rd Field Artillery      Battalion, stationed at the Siegfried Line, are restless and bored      as they wait for the war to end. For months, they have guarded the      quiet Belgian-German border, Allied and Axis front lines separated      by concrete dragon teeth, barbed wire, and land mines.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Stewart lifts his eyes when he sees another movement in the trees.      Suddenly the predawn sky lights up with fireworks! Rockets from      German Nebelwerfers scream as they sail from the east, exploding      in treetops, shattering large branches, and sending the sharp,      stabbing spears down onto the GIs. The 333rd artillerymen load the      mighty 155mm howitzers, positioning them east toward the Ardennes,      and launch deadly shells miles into the foggy distance. All      morning, all day, and all night, the Germans' \"Screaming Meemies\"      and mortars pockmark their campgrounds, wounding and killing the      men of Able, Baker, Charley, and Service batteries stationed near      the front lines.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Early the next morning, the GIs are hurt, hungry, and exhausted      from their nonstop firing. Their ammunition is almost gone. They      don't know how much longer they can hold out. Suddenly, as if in a      surreal dream, thousands of Germans clad in white winter gear run      toward them, screaming as they burst through the fog-shrouded      forests.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"We're under attack!\" Stewart shouts to his comrades.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Before his eyes, streams of enemy soldiers emerge, attacking like      feral animals, their eyes wide and wild, faces grotesquely      distorted, yelling with an otherworldly, fanatical fury. They      strike, setting up MG-42 machine guns, firing on the artillerymen      and mowing them down.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Stewart bends over, grabs a wounded man, and hoists him onto his      shoulders. As he bolts across the campground, he hears the      sickening thud of a bullet slam into the skull of the man he      carries. He feels the man's body jerk and then go limp. Blood      trickles down his neck from the hole in the GI's head. Darting      behind a tree, Stewart lays the lifeless soldier on the ground,      the man's eyes open and fixed, brow and face bloody.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In a nearby foxhole, a GI stands up. His body is ripped in two by      automatic weapon fire. Shells and mortar fragments sail overhead,      exploding and sending shrapnel into men's bodies. Private Curtis      Adams, the 333rd's medic, races from one fallen soldier to the      next. Some he can help; others are already gone, blown apart,      their body parts scattered on the ground.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Around Stewart are fellow GIs, caught unawares by the unexpected      ambush, lying facedown, their arms and legs sprawled out on the      icy ground.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Some are lifeless; others moan in pain, bleeding profusely. The      mighty 155mm howitzers-the pride and firepower of the 333rd-sit      eerily still and silent in the falling snow. Depleted of      ammunition, their massive barrels and powerful shells are useless      with the enemy so near.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Sergeant Thomas Forte, Private George Davis, and other GIs grab      the few rifles and carbines available and fire until the      ammunition runs out. The enemy continues to pour from the forests      like water flowing from an endless fountain. Sergeant George Shomo      finds a trench knife, then attacks, stabbing and killing two      Germans. The 333rd, their ammunition gone, fight well-armed      Germans in hand-to-hand combat, leaving both wounded and dead on      the Ghost Front's battlefield.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Stewart, Forte, Davis, Adams, and the surviving GIs grab injured      comrades and race to the waiting trucks at the corner of the      campground. The drivers gun their engines as the GIs scamper into      the backs of the trucks.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Go! Go! Go!\" they shout to the drivers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e German soldiers follow them to the trucks, shooting at them,      grabbing arms and legs, and trying to pull them out. The drivers      flatten the trucks' accelerators, and with tires spinning on the      icy road, they race toward the Our River Bridge.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Chapter 2\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The Berlin Olympics\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e - Berlin, Germany -       August 1, 1936\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e For the past two years, Berlin has dealt with torn-up streets and      buildings wreathed in scaffolding as it prepares for the Olympic      Games taking place in this city. Now, in the summer of 1936, the      work is finally finished. The Germans stand back and admire their      scrubbed and scoured city, decked out with newly planted trees and      flowers and illuminated with rows of electric lights. They eagerly      await the arrival of one hundred thousand visitors from around the      world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The awarding of the XI Olympic Games to Germany, a benevolent      decision made in May 1931 by the International Olympic Committee,      has caused considerable international controversy. The world is      aware of Nazi abuse of Jews and others they deem \"racially      undesirable.\" Most German Jewish athletes are excluded from      Germany's sports and recreational facilities, having been expelled      for racial reasons.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The IOC's invitation to Berlin comes as a goodwill gesture meant      to publicly welcome Germany back into the world community after      her humiliating defeat eighteen years before in the Great War. But      Hitler cares little about sports, including hosting the      prestigious Olympics.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I do not want to have the games here,\" he tells Propaganda      Minister Joseph Goebbels in 1931.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e But the wily Goebbels convinces him to accept the award for      Germany's sake.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"My FŸhrer, we can showcase our 'new Germany' at the Berlin      Olympics, demonstrating international goodwill, and perhaps      changing the opinions of those who so strongly oppose us. It will      give us an unrivaled opportunity to end all foreign prejudice      against our Vaterland. And just think of the money the event will      bring when one hundred thousand internationals arrive in Berlin.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Hitler frowns, agreeing reluctantly to host the event.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"If nothing else,\" Hitler says, \"perhaps the games will be a good      opportunity to show off our Aryan athletes, demonstrating to the      world their racial superiority.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e After Germany makes the formal commitment to host the Berlin      Olympics, Hitler's administration begins building a 325-acre      sports complex 5 miles west of Berlin. The all-natural stone      stadium seats 110,000 sports fans and costs the Reich a whopping      42 million Reichsmarks.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Not everyone favors choosing Berlin as the Olympic site. As late      as November 1935, Hitler learns that Ernest Lee Jahncke, an      American member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC),      opposes the location.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Neither Americans, nor the representatives of other countries,      can take part in the games in Nazi Germany without, at least,      acquiescing in the contempt of the Nazis for fair play and their      sordid exploitation of the games,\" Jahncke writes to the      International Olympic Committee.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Shortly thereafter, the IOC expells Jahncke from the committee.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Chapter 3\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The Banning\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e - Berlin, Germany -       Summer 1936\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e As the opening day of the 1936 Olympic Games draws near, Hitler      orders Berlin shopkeepers to remove racially discriminating signs      and slogans from store windows. He also transports \"undesirable\"      people from the city's streets. With open arms, Berlin waits for      the hordes of international crowds to pour into their city, ready      to welcome them with red-carpet enthusiasm, brown-shirted bands,      lavish receptions, and a profusion of Olympic flags displayed      beside swastika-emblazoned flags.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e With few exceptions, Hitler bans Germany's non-Aryans from      participating in the games, including Jewish athletes, Gypsies,      people of color, and all those considered racially inferior,      blatantly violating Olympic codes of participation equality.      Because of this, Hitler learns that some nations will boycott the      games. He clenches his teeth, loudly cursing each country that      dares to boycott the Fatherland. After some time, however, most of      the world decides to participate, including the United States.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e At the end of July, Hitler welcomes the U.S. Olympic team: who      sends 312 athletes, including 18 African-Americans and 5 Jews.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e When the International Olympic Committee officials demand that the      FŸhrer embrace black and Jewish participants, he narrows his eyes,      begrudgingly assuring the committee: \"Germany will treat the Negro      athletes agreeably while they are here. And we will allow the      foreign Jewish athletes to participate as well.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Hitler is angered when he learns that many of the world's Jewish      athletes will boycott the competition, publicly displaying their      disapproval and distaste for Hitler and his anti-Semitism. Most      U.S. black athletes, however, decide to participate, arguing that      their athletic victories will undermine Nazi Germany's myth of      Aryan supremacy and, at the same time, foster a new sense of black      pride at home.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Dark clouds form overhead when, on August 1, 1936, more than five      thousand athletes from fifty-one nations march into HitlerÕs new      stadium on the opening day of the Berlin Summer Olympic Games.      Adolf Hitler, his head held high, leads Olympic and German      officials, as well as prestigious international guests, to      prominent stadium seats while three thousand Germans sing proudly      the ÒDeutschland †ber AllesÓ national anthem. In respect for their      FŸhrer, thousands of loyal Germans crowd the stadium, standing,      thrusting their right arms forward in the Hitler salute, and      shouting ÒHeil, Hitler.Ó\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The Hindenburg airship flies low over the stadium as Hitler stands      and officially announces: \"I proclaim the Games of Berlin,      celebrating the eleventh Olympiad of the modern era, to be open!\"      The crowds roar with enthusiasm. Richard Strauss's \"Olympic Hymn\"      plays triumphantly on loudspeakers throughout the stadium.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The FŸhrer sits stiffly, his hands balled into fists, as he      watches American track star Jesse Owens win multiple awards.      ÒAmericaÕs Black Auxiliaries,Ó he calls the eighteen      African-Americans who participate, as if they were second-class      team members. German journalists refer to Owens as the ÒNegro      Owens,Ó the son of an Alabama sharecropper, and the grandson of a      former slave. With each medal Owens wins, Hitler pouts, angry that      the black Alabama-born athlete is publicly debunking his Aryan      myth.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"And what is your reaction to this?\" Hitler asks Joseph Goebbels.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"My FŸhrer,\" Goebbels says, shaking his head in disapproval, \"the      victories by America's African-Americans [are] a disgrace.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Jesse Owens garners one medal after another, setting a new world      record in the long jump and becoming an instant superstar in      Germany. Fans chant his name when he walks into the stadium, and      stop him in the streets begging for his autograph.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Near the end of the games, a reporter for the New York Times      writes:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"One almost certain Negro champion [at the Berlin Olympics] seems      to be Jesse Owens. 'Buckeye Bullet' strode through his 100-meter      first-round heat . . . without pressing himself in the slightest      degree [and] equaled the world and Olympic record of 0:10.3. . . .      Victory for him tomorrow in the final seems to be his merely for      the asking.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e But, unlike the white medal-winning athletes, the black U.S.      Olympic star never has the opportunity to meet the FŸhrer in      person. Purposely ignoring expected Olympic protocol, Hitler      storms out of the stadium after Owens's final win, refusing to      personally receive him or the other award-winning black athletes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Hitler refused to shake Jesse Owens's hand or congratulate other      black medalists,\" a reporter states in the Baltimore Afro-American      newspaper.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Almost five thousand miles away, Jesse OwensÕs wins make black      people proud, especially one eighteen-year-old, LilÕ Georgie      Davis, a native of Bessemer, Alabama.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Chapter 4\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e A Wall of Photographs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e - Bessemer, Alabama -       Autumn 1936\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Davis and his only son, Lil' Georgie, sit in the front room of      their small Bessemer house on the eve of Georgie's eighteenth      birthday. Georgie clips a photograph of 1936 Olympic star Jesse      Owens from the Bessemer Herald. In the picture, Owens is dashing      across the Berlin Olympic finish line, winning the hundred-meter      quarterfinal. Georgie pins Owens's snapshot on the front room wall      that displays the Davis family photographs.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"He's gotta be the greatest athlete in the world,\" Georgie says,      beaming with pride. \"Daddy! Can you believe Jesse Owens won four      Olympic gold medals?!\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"That Owens boy makes us black Alabamians proud,\" Davis says.      \"Guess he showed that Hitler monster a thing or two about colored      athletes.\" He smiles, slapping his knee. \"Wish I could've been a      fly on Hitler's head when Jesse beat all those Krauts!\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The Davises, like other Alabama families still suffering the      effects of the Great Depression, need some encouraging news. The      nation's sudden economic collapse back in 1929 hit Alabama      especially hard. Davis and his family, like other poor blacks in      the southern United States, still endure Depression-caused poverty      and find no relief in sight.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Lil' Georgie,\" his father says, \"it's good to see a poor      sharecropper's son do so good in sports. I know his daddy's proud      of him.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He points to the photographs of distant family members hanging on      the wall. \"His people, like ours, worked long, exhausting days.      The Owens men worked the farms while our family's men toiled in      Birmingham's coal and steel plants and on railroads. Not been easy      for any of us, Lil' Georgie. We're still struggling to keep a roof      over our heads. But it's good that the Owens boy's done so well.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I'm gonna do good, too,\" Georgie says, grinning. \"One day you're      gonna be so proud of me.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I'll always be proud of you, son, no matter what you do-or don't      do. You've got nothing to prove to me.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e That afternoon, alone in the front room, Davis reflects on his      past, his family, and his son, LilÕ Georgie.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I tried so hard to make sure Lil' Georgie got a good education,      unlike most Alabama colored boys. At least my boy has three years      of high school under his belt.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Even now, in 1936, Davis knows that education for Alabama's black      kids is dismal, taking place in windowless schoolhouse shacks with      dirt floors, heated by old coal stoves. In the early part of the      century, when Davis was a boy, Bessemer parents \"graduated\" their      children out of grammar school and put them straight into      Alabama's pig iron factories. Every able-bodied person, no matter      how young or old, was needed to help put food on the family table.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Davis glances at the wall's photograph of Georgie on his first day      of school. He's smiling big, ears clean, hair cut and combed, and      wearing a crisp grade school uniform, a red plaid satchel held      tightly in his hand.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e You've been blessed, Lil' Georgie, to get educated. Few poor boys      are so lucky.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Davis wanted his son to get a good education. Some of the more      fortunate black children around Birmingham got to attend the      better schools built and run by the Tennessee Coal, Iron, and      Railroad Company (TCI). But Davis didn't work at TCI, so Lil'      Georgie wasn't eligible to attend. Davis looks to the ceiling and      smiles. Thank you, Lord, and thank you, Mr. Rosenwald.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Davis had had the opportunity to enroll Georgie in one of the      Rosenwald schools, built and funded by Illinois-born      philanthropist Julius Rosenwald, the first president of Sears,      Roebuck and Company. Out of the goodness of his heart, Mr.      Rosenwald set up more than five thousand special schools for poor      black children in the South's hard-hit rural areas.","brand":"Dutton Caliber","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48233705603301,"sku":"NP9781101987414","price":24.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781101987414.jpg?v=1767740321","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-lost-eleven-isbn-9781101987414","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}