Remember Us begins in the pre-dawn hours of Hitler’s invasion of Western Europe on May 10, 1940, when his forces rolled into the small province of Limburg in the Netherlands, shattering more than 100 years of peace. After enduring more than four years of occupation, the Dutch people saw their freedom restored when American forces reached Limburg in September 1944. This marked the final portion of the Allies’ liberation of Western Europe before their advance on Nazi Germany was halted.
Remember Us is a compelling ensemble narrative that chronicles the lives of twelve central characters over a six-year span including Lieutenant Colonel Robert Cole, the first member of the 101st Airborne to receive the Medal of Honor; Sergeant Jeff Wiggins of the 960th Quartermaster Company, who escaped the poverty and racism of Alabama only to face a new indignity: digging graves in wartime Europe; and Frieda van Schäik, a teenager who falls in love with an American soldier.
In this rich, dramatic, and suspenseful story, both the horrors of war and the transcendent power of gratitude are captured, showcasing the extraordinary measures the Dutch have taken to thank their liberators. Drawing on never-before-seen letters, diaries, and other historical records, Edsel shows the painful price of freedom, on the battlefields and inside American homes.
Remember Us is exactly the book we need—a reminder that grief is universal, that humanity knows no national or racial boundaries, and that we all want to be remembered, somehow, someway, by somebody.
The Forever Promise Project
Launched on April 16, 2025, the Forever Promise Project is a partnership between the Monuments Men and Women Foundation and the Stichting Adoptie Graven Amerikaanse Begraafplaats Margraten (Foundation for Adopting Graves American Cemetery Margraten) —designed to connect next of kin in the U.S. with the Dutch adopters who have cared for their loved one’s grave for decades.
Nearly 80 years ago, a promise was made in the Netherlands—by ordinary citizens who adopted the graves of American soldiers who died liberating their homeland during World War II. That promise was simple but profound: to remember and care for these fallen heroes as if they were their own.
Since then, thousands of Dutch families have honored that promise. But only a small percentage have ever been able to connect with the American families of the soldiers they so lovingly honor.
Remember Us shares the human stories behind this extraordinary tradition. But with the Forever Promise Project, we’re not just telling the story—we’re inviting Americans to be part of it.
From the author
This book goes where other stories involving war have not. The heroism of our characters during air missions and combat is exceptional but more familiar. What about the courage of family members who fought their own emotional war back home?
I wanted readers to know their story too. And who were the soldiers assigned the most gruesome but essential task of war? Their heart wrenching experience has gone untold until now.The gratitude Dutch citizens had for their American liberators that led to a unique promise to watch over them as their own, forever? Inspiring, heartwarming, and hard to believe, but true.
More than anything, I want readers to meet my late friend Frieda who brought me to this story, a woman who fell in love with an American soldier and remained loyal to him until her last breath.