Benefactum Website - 1997- 2025

• Erik Westerman

• www.benefactum.org

• 1997 - present

In 1997, I created an independent website (benefactum.org) dedicated to preserving the history of the 40th Light Signal Construction Battalion, a segregated unit composed of African American servicemen who served on the front lines in Europe during World War II. Their primary mission was to install and maintain critical communication lines between Allied forces, a role often overlooked in official records.

The website was designed both as a historical resource and a personal outreach project to help identify and connect with any surviving members or their families. Over time, it attracted attention from researchers, veterans' organizations, and the wider public. The official U.S. Army historian for the 40th Signal Battalion personally commended the effort for its contribution to preserving unit history.

In 2006, the project was featured in Family History Monthly, a UK-based genealogical publication, which published an article about the website and its mission to document the battalion’s legacy. The site remains online as a permanent archive and personal tribute.

Download a PDF version of the article