But the patrol, armed with automatic weapons, came upon the group at a farmhouse farther down the road. The soldiers' helmets and rifles were taken. That was the last time the soldiers were seen alive. For Forte and his 10 fellow soldiers, a roadside ditch near Wereth, Belgium, is where they would give their lives for their country. They were brutally executed.
Medical reports tell of multiple blows to the head and throat areas.
Multiple gunshot wounds, crushed skulls and tracked-vehicle marks were also noted and many bayonet lacerations had been inflicted. What happened to the 11 soldiers of the service battery was classified for years. It was investigated as a possible war crime, although the Nazi unit responsible was never identified. This massacre was one of many atrocities committed by Nazi soldiers during that war. Staff Sergeant Forte and his fellow soldiers risked their lives and epitomized the Army core values with their exemplary behavior, efficiency and fidelity during their military service.