WINCHENDON, Mass. – Veterans advocates and Worcester's South High Jr. ROTC members paused Tuesday to honor the sacrifice of several soldiers whose sacrifices have gone unknown by many.

There's a monument at the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery which honors the Forgotten 11 who fought on the front-lines of World War II. Their stories went unheard for decades, but now there's a growing amount of people who are working to make sure their sacrifice is remembered and never forgotten.

Members of Worcester’s South High Jr. ROTC held a rededication ceremony on Tuesday at the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery honoring the forgotten 11, 80 years after they fought in the Battle of the Bulge.

“For some unknown reason, they were kept top secret for over 50 years, and eventually the story got out about these brave soldiers who passed away and ruthlessly were tortured and murdered by the Nazis at the time," Chief Bill Butman said. "And today, we're remembering those individuals, those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom here.”

“These men gave everything for our country that had yet to fully embrace them as equals at that time,” Director of Veterans Services in Worcester Dr. Joe Robinson said.

In the ceremony, it was explained the 11 African American U.S. soldiers were members of the segregated 333^rd Field Artillery Battalion. Following the Battle of the Bulge, the 11 men were captured in Wereth Belgium, where they were ultimately tortured and executed in a field by Nazi soldiers.

“For too long, the story of the forgotten little remain until their sacrifice was not acknowledged in the history books," Robinson said. "Their names not yet on monuments of remembrance. It was only through the relentless efforts of the Battle of the Bulge, Central Mass. Chapter 22 and their families of the fallen that their story came to light.”

The record of the 11 men was filed as “secret” and kept in the Government’s National Archives for decades until Worcester Veteran and historian Christian de Marcken and his now deceased wife used the Freedom of information Act to unclassify the hidden file and bring the Forgotten 11 to light.

“All the books talked about men," Christian de Marcken recalled during his research. "But the women, two books. And the Blacks, zero books. So, my wife and I decided we were going to change that.”

De Marcken, who was born in Belgium, said their stories deserve to be remembered.

“I designed the memorial and with the help, of course, of my children," de Marcken said. "And we made sure that it would mean something.”

“This is a story that we need to tell," Robinson said. "We need to spread the word and the message not only here, but across America.”

Veterans service leaders for both Worcester and the State of Massachusetts said they'll keep working to make sure this event is held annually to keep telling the story of the Wereth 11, and make sure their story is never forgotten again.