Honoring our soldiers from Berga (Rep. Joe Baca and Rep. Spencer Bachus)

For Memorial Day commemorations this year, we were honored to announce that a brave group of World War II soldiers imprisoned at a Nazi camp will receive long overdue recognition for their service and sacrifice.

During the Battle of the Bulge, Nazi troops sent 350 captured U.S. soldiers to the Berga camp in Germany.  Many were selected on the basis that they were Jewish or looked Jewish.  The soldiers labored under inhumane conditions.  Over 100 soldiers either perished at Berga or during a forced march connected to it, the highest number of American fatalities at any German camp.  Only a handful of these soldiers now survive to teach us the meaning of perseverance and dedication to country.

In June, the Army will recognize the legacy of these soldiers during a Berga survivors meeting in Orlando, Florida. We have worked in the House and with the Secretary of the Army to make sure the story of the Berga soldiers is known and remembered.  We offer our gratitude and thanks to these, and all our veterans.  The courage and loyalty the Berga soldiers displayed under the most inhumane of conditions is awe inspiring and a reminder that the freedom we enjoy is due to the sacrifices made by the brave men and women in our military.