Memorial 101st Easy Company presented by to Tom Hanks
The 101st Easy Company, the Battle of the Bulge Memorial is a World War II memorial in Belgium that honors the soldiers of Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), 101st Airborne Division, the unit made famous by the book Band of Brothers and the HBO miniseries. It commemorates their actions and sacrifices during the Battle of the Bulge (December 1944–January 1945), particularly around Bastogne and the nearby Bois Jacques (Jack’s Wood) where they defended against German forces under brutal winter conditions.
During the Battle of the Bulge, Easy Company and other elements of the 101st Airborne Division were key in defending Bastogne, a strategic crossroads town surrounded by German forces. In the Bois Jacques woods just behind the memorial site, the paratroopers dug foxholes and endured severe conditions while repelling enemy attacks. Today, some of these foxholes can still be seen.
The monument consists of a large brick structure with three black plaques dedicated to the men of E Company, 506th PIR, 101st Airborne Division. The central plaque bears the unit designation (“506th P.I.D., 101st Airborne Division, E-Company”). A plaque lists the names of the fallen and a tribute reading “May the world never forget”.
It specifically honors the men who fought, many were killed or wounded, as the company held its positions under constant mortars, artillery fire, snow, and extreme cold.
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The memorial is located between the villages of Foy and Bizory, along the road west of the Foy–Bizory road, roughly halfway between the two. This spot lies near where Easy Company established defensive positions in the woods behind the monument as part of the Bastogne perimeter.
