The horrors of Nazi Germany have been widely reported and are still the subject of many historians" focus. Likewise the heroism and courage of the WWII American forces abroad have been the aim of many historical studies. However, little has been uncovered about the treatment of American soldiers held prisoner by the Nazis. Held in the Berga am Elster concentration camp when captured at the Battle of the Bulge, thousands of American were forced to work in the camps, particularly those with Jewish sounding names. By the time the Nazi army prepared to kill the soldiers, nearly one third of them had already perished from malnutrition, starvation, and disease resulting from the horrible conditions. The subject is of particular interest to director Charles Guggenheim, who had always wondered what would have happened to him had an injury not interfered with his serving overseas.