witchbottles
Forum Guru
A full investigation was launched in February of 1945 through to March of 1946.
Several eyewitnesses were interviewed, coronor's reports taken ,the entirety of military justice system of the US armed services at work for over a year.
The trials were held. The evidence given. The German regimental commander at the scene on Dec 17th, 1944 was convicted of war crimes against humanity and sentenced to life without parole. The German Armor Battalion commander at the scene was convicted and sentenced to life without parole. The German Kampfgruppe commander who issued the orders that " prisoners were to be shot if the situation required it; civilians actively aiding the enemy were to be shot on sight", in his own hand and testified he had done so, received a conviction and a sentence of death by hanging.
Among the war crimes they were charged of:
1. The Malmedy execution of 107 prisoners of war.
2. the Wereth execution of 11 prisoners of war.
3. the 333rd FAB execution of 27 wounded prisoners of war.
4. the execution of a prisoner of war 1st lieutenant in the 969th FAB , and the civilian nurse who was treating his severe shoulder wound.
5. The execution of 37 civilians in and around Wereth, Belgium for aiding the enemy.
6. the execution of 93 civilians in and around Stavelot for aiding the enemy.
7. the execution of 15 wounded prisoners of war at Stavelot, Belgium.
All war crimes committed from 12-16-44 to 12-19-44.
All 42 indicted war criminals were convicted and received sentences. All 42 sentences were commuted, the longest being Peiper's reduced from death by hanging to time served in 1956.
The US Armed Forces records of the War Crimes Proceedings list all the above except #2 as being resolved by the trial.
The US Army invalidated all investigations into #2 above with a statement in 1947 that the matter and proceedings were closed, as prosecution of those guilty of the crimes had been accomplished by other means.
The International War Crimes Tribunal refused to recognize #2 above as a war crime in processing the other crimes stemming from Wacht Am Rhein; and only acquiesced to its inclusion as testimony during the trials due to pressure by the US Army.
The US Army listed all executed prisoners of war as interred in the cemetery in Belgium, except those 11 from #2 above. Their names and remains were not listed in the registry of War Graves until 2000.
The murdered servicemen who held the line outside Wereth in the foothills and manned their howitzers until over-run by the enemy, being severely wounded in the process were never awarded the Purple Heart, nor were the victims of the massacre at Wereth 48 hours later. These were not awarded until 1994.
The reason?
simple. The men of the 969th FAB, the 333rd FAB, and the victims of the Wereth massacres were all African-american soldiers. The US Army in 1944 was still a highly segregated army.
Memorials for the other war crimes listed above were erected between 1945-1957. No memorial was placed or allowed at Wereth until 1995, after being privately funded to the cost of over 400,000 euros.
It is yet one more example of how those guilty of war crimes against humanity continue to be "let off the hook" for their actions. Peiper died violently in the end - perhaps karma, perhaps not.
But note that nowhere in the records of the events and proceedings are the massacres at and in the hills above Wereth listed against Peiper. Those charges were dismissed and /or destroyed and/or derailed by the United States from 1948-1958. Expunged from his list of war crimes.
McCarthyism at its finest.
Every time I delve into the topic of genocide it becomes difficult to remain clear-headed and not become completely angry at the events. Worse when the needless sacrifice of human beings goes unrecorded and unnoticed by posterity.
I've never liked either Clinton in modern US politics, but at least I will recognize that Clinton the 1st did finally award those men their rightful place of honor as fallen warriors, and assist with clearing the way for the memorial of their deaths to be erected, and required the US Army to list their remains as interred in the National Graves Registry for history.
Several eyewitnesses were interviewed, coronor's reports taken ,the entirety of military justice system of the US armed services at work for over a year.
The trials were held. The evidence given. The German regimental commander at the scene on Dec 17th, 1944 was convicted of war crimes against humanity and sentenced to life without parole. The German Armor Battalion commander at the scene was convicted and sentenced to life without parole. The German Kampfgruppe commander who issued the orders that " prisoners were to be shot if the situation required it; civilians actively aiding the enemy were to be shot on sight", in his own hand and testified he had done so, received a conviction and a sentence of death by hanging.
Among the war crimes they were charged of:
1. The Malmedy execution of 107 prisoners of war.
2. the Wereth execution of 11 prisoners of war.
3. the 333rd FAB execution of 27 wounded prisoners of war.
4. the execution of a prisoner of war 1st lieutenant in the 969th FAB , and the civilian nurse who was treating his severe shoulder wound.
5. The execution of 37 civilians in and around Wereth, Belgium for aiding the enemy.
6. the execution of 93 civilians in and around Stavelot for aiding the enemy.
7. the execution of 15 wounded prisoners of war at Stavelot, Belgium.
All war crimes committed from 12-16-44 to 12-19-44.
All 42 indicted war criminals were convicted and received sentences. All 42 sentences were commuted, the longest being Peiper's reduced from death by hanging to time served in 1956.
The US Armed Forces records of the War Crimes Proceedings list all the above except #2 as being resolved by the trial.
The US Army invalidated all investigations into #2 above with a statement in 1947 that the matter and proceedings were closed, as prosecution of those guilty of the crimes had been accomplished by other means.
The International War Crimes Tribunal refused to recognize #2 above as a war crime in processing the other crimes stemming from Wacht Am Rhein; and only acquiesced to its inclusion as testimony during the trials due to pressure by the US Army.
The US Army listed all executed prisoners of war as interred in the cemetery in Belgium, except those 11 from #2 above. Their names and remains were not listed in the registry of War Graves until 2000.
The murdered servicemen who held the line outside Wereth in the foothills and manned their howitzers until over-run by the enemy, being severely wounded in the process were never awarded the Purple Heart, nor were the victims of the massacre at Wereth 48 hours later. These were not awarded until 1994.
The reason?
simple. The men of the 969th FAB, the 333rd FAB, and the victims of the Wereth massacres were all African-american soldiers. The US Army in 1944 was still a highly segregated army.
Memorials for the other war crimes listed above were erected between 1945-1957. No memorial was placed or allowed at Wereth until 1995, after being privately funded to the cost of over 400,000 euros.
It is yet one more example of how those guilty of war crimes against humanity continue to be "let off the hook" for their actions. Peiper died violently in the end - perhaps karma, perhaps not.
But note that nowhere in the records of the events and proceedings are the massacres at and in the hills above Wereth listed against Peiper. Those charges were dismissed and /or destroyed and/or derailed by the United States from 1948-1958. Expunged from his list of war crimes.
McCarthyism at its finest.
Every time I delve into the topic of genocide it becomes difficult to remain clear-headed and not become completely angry at the events. Worse when the needless sacrifice of human beings goes unrecorded and unnoticed by posterity.
I've never liked either Clinton in modern US politics, but at least I will recognize that Clinton the 1st did finally award those men their rightful place of honor as fallen warriors, and assist with clearing the way for the memorial of their deaths to be erected, and required the US Army to list their remains as interred in the National Graves Registry for history.
