55 pages • 1 hour read
Remember Us: American Sacrifice, Dutch Freedom, and A Forever Promise Forged in World War II
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Important Quotes
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of racism, graphic violence, and death.
“We were young. We have died. Remember us.”
(Prologue, Page 19)
This line, quoted from Archibald MacLeish, captures the emotional heart of the book and gives the book its title. Its directness invites reflection on youth, sacrifice, and memory—urging the living to give meaning to the deaths by remembering them. The use of the collective pronoun “we” underscores The Moral Cost of Freedom.
“We’ll get you for this! […] Sooner or later, we’ll get you!”
(Part 1, Chapter 1, Page 26)
This defiant cry from 15-year-old Frieda to a German soldier encapsulates the pride and anger of the occupied people. Her voice conveys faith in her cause and the courage to see it through. Though they are powerless at the moment, the lines foreshadow the Dutch’s eventual liberation. They also embody the enduring spirit of resistance that will echo throughout the book.
“At least I’ll know my enemy […]. He’ll see my face, but I’ll see his too. He’ll have a weapon, but this time, so will I.”
(Part 1, Chapter 4, Page 47)
This line conveys Wiggins’s logic for enlisting: War, however brutal, offers more fairness than the racial injustice he faces at home. The repetition of “he’ll” and “I’ll” underscores a craving for equality—if not in law, then at least in combat. Edsel’s use of direct internal monologue brings emotional clarity to Wiggins’s decision to fight.
