Margraten in Eijsden-Margraten, Limburg, Netherlands — Northwestern Europe
Dr. Jefferson Wiggins (1925-2013)
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, October 28, 2023
1. Dr. Jefferson Wiggins (1925-2013) Marker
Jefferson Wiggins, geboren in Alabama, meldt zich in januari 1942 vrijwillig aan voor het Amerikaanse leger, waarin dan sprake is van rassenscheiding. Afro-Amerikaanse soldaten worden ingedeeld bij speciale Zwarte eenheden en doen vooral ondersteunend werk. Slechts bij uitzondering mogen ze vechten.
Begin november 1944 arriveert de 19-jarige Wiggins met zijn eenheid, de 960th Quartermaster Service Company, in Gronsveld. In het nabijgelegen Margraten legt het Amerikaanse Negende Leger een grote begraafplaats aan. In erbarmelijke omstandigheden helpt Staff Sergeant Wiggins daar, samen met ongeveer 400 andere Afro-Amerikanen, duizenden gesneuvelden te begraven. Het is gruwelijk werk. Daarom stopt hij na de oorlog zijn herinneringen aan deze periode ver weg.
Maar in september 2009 keert Wiggins samen met zijn vrouw Janice voor 65 jaar bevrijding terug naar Nederland. Hij merkt dat niemand er afweet van de rassenscheiding in het toenmalige Amerikaanse leger en zegt: "People should know!" Hij realiseert zich dat alleen hij dit verhaal kan vertellen, omdat hij de enige getraceerde grafdelver
this page online
Het boek zorgt voor veel meer erkenning en onderzoek naar de meer dan 15.000 Afro- Amerikaanse soldaten die in Nederland zijn gestationeerd tijdens de oorlog. Door zijn verhaal te delen heeft Jefferson Wiggins dan ook een belangrijke bijdrage geleverd aan onze geschiedschrijving. Daarom is in mei 2023 dit park door de gemeente Eijsden-Margraten naar hem vernoemd.
"Als ik terugkijk op die periode in Margraten, zie ik hoeveel lessen daaruit te leren zijn. Oorlog betekent doden. Hoe meer doden, hoe meer verdriet. Hoe meer verdriet, des te meer frustratie. We moeten dan ook leren onze geschillen te beslechten zonder elkaar af te maken."
Jefferson Wiggins, born in Alabama, volunteered for the American army in January 1942, when there was racial segregation. African-American soldiers were assigned to special Black units and mainly did support work. Only in exceptional cases were they allowed to fight.
In early November 1944, 19-year-old Wiggins arrived in Gronsveld with his unit, the 960th Quartermaster Service Company. At that time, the American Ninth Army was building a large cemetery in nearby Margraten.
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, October 28, 2023
2. Dr. Jefferson Wiggins (1925-2013) Marker - wide view
The marker is less than a kilometer to the east of the Netherlands American Cemetery.
But in September 2009, Wiggins returned to the Netherlands with his wife Janice for the 65th liberation anniversary. He noticed that no one knew about the racial segregation in the American army at that time and said to himself: "People should know!" He realized that only he can tell this story, because he is the only gravedigger that could be traced. Wiggins therefore decided to write down his memories together with Mieke Kirkels. These were published a year after his death in the book From Alabama to Margraten.
The book greatly increases the available amount of recognition and research into the more than 15,000 African-American soldiers that were stationed in the Netherlands during the war. By sharing his story, Jefferson Wiggins has made an important contribution to our historiography. That is why the municipality of Eijsden-Margraten named this park after him in May 2023.
"When I look back on that period in Margraten, I see how many lessons can be learned from it. War means killing. The more deaths, the more sadness. The more sadness, the more frustration. We must therefore learn to settle our disputes without killing each other."
Erected 2023 by BlackLiberators.nl, Gemeente Eijsden-Margraten.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • War, World II. A significant historical month for this entry is September 2009.
Location. 50° 49.205′ N, 5° 49.315′ E. Marker is in Margraten, Limburg, in Eijsden-Margraten. Marker is at the intersection of Amerikaplein and Sprinkstraat, on the left when traveling north on Amerikaplein. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Margraten, Limburg 6269 DA, Netherlands. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies. De Afro-amerikaanse Doodgravers van Margraten / The African-American gravediggers of Margraten (a few steps from this marker); Banholt Liberation Memorial (approx. 3.4 kilometers away); Daniel Pearson, Jr. Memorial (approx. 3.4 kilometers away); 30th Infantry Division (“Old Hickory”) Memorial (approx. 4.2 kilometers away); Vliegtuigcrash Hoogcruts / Plane Crash at Hoogcruts (approx. 4.6 kilometers away); St. Geertruid Liberation Memorial (approx. 4.9 kilometers away); P51d Mustang jachtvliegtuig neergestort / P51d Mustang Fighter Plane Crash (approx. 6.6 kilometers away); Welcome to Holland (approx. 7.4 kilometers away).
Also see . . .
1. Alabama to Margraten (YouTube, 6 min.). A tribute to the life of Jefferson Wiggins and the African American soldiers of WWII. On the occasion of the book presentation "From Alabama to Margraten" by author Mieke Kirkels at the "Gouvernement" in Maastricht on November 5, 2014. Directed & Edited by Nils Wanberg. Produced by U.S. Embassy The Hague. (Submitted on October 28, 2023.)
2. WWII Veteran Jeff Wiggins from "The Fields of Margraten: Bitter Harvest" (YouTube, 5 min.). Full title: WWII Veteran Jeff Wiggins from "The Fields of Margraten: Bitter Harvest" documentary on WFSB. Interview with WWII Veteran Jeff Wiggins from "The Fields of Margraten: Bitter Harvest" documentary. April 10th, 2011. (Submitted on October 28, 2023.)
3. BlackLiberators.nl. A website (in both Dutch and English) illuminating the role that African-American soldiers played in the liberation of the Netherlands during WW II.
Excerpt: This website is a digital reading book and a educational ‘digibook about a history that till 2009 did not exist in the collective memory of a country that has strong historical ties with the United States. It too has a long tradition in memorizing the liberation of the country in 1945. The idea to make a digital book and schoolbook Blackliberators.nl arose in 2017 after the publication of the book 'Children of Black Liberators- a hidden history' (Mieke Kirkels, Vantilt 2017) and is also based on a previous book ‘Van Alabama naar Margraten – memories of former gravedigger Jefferson Wiggins’ (Mieke Kirkels, self published 2014).(Submitted on October 28, 2023.)
A website about the history described therein seemed a logical next step and the project African American Liberators in The Netherlands’ started at the end of 2017...
Credits. This page was last revised on December 31, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 28, 2023, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 56 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 28, 2023, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
