In December 1944, 1st Lt. Eric Fisher Wood Jr. served as the executive officer of Battery A, 589th Field Artillery Battalion, part of the U.S. 106th Infantry Division, deployed in the Schnee Eifel sector of the Ardennes Forest in Belgium. Facing the surprise German offensive of the Battle of the Bulge, Wood’s unit was rapidly outflanked as part of the unsupported and inexperienced 106th Division. On 17 December 1944, his battery was cut off near Schönberg when German tanks destroyed his vehicle. Refusing to surrender, Wood ordered his men to exit and escaped under heavy fire into the woods. Alone and deep behind enemy lines, he formed a guerrilla group with other isolated troops and adopted hit-and-run tactics against German supply lines, patrols, and communications, reportedly inflicting dozens of enemy casualties over several weeks.
Local Belgian civilians sheltered Wood overnight in the village of Meyerode, where he received food and guidance before disappearing into the forest to continue resistance efforts. His remains were discovered in a forest clearing near Meyerode in late January or February 1945, alongside those of enemy soldiers; the location was subsequently marked by a memorial cross erected by villagers. Although his date of death is officially recorded as 17 December 1944, the scene suggested a final stand amid intense combat. For his actions, Wood was posthumously awarded both the Distinguished Service Cross and Silver Star. He is buried at the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Belgium.
The son of Brigadier General Eric Fisher Wood Sr., one of the founding members of the American Legion, Wood Jr.’s wartime conduct earned recognition during the postwar period. His story is commemorated by memorials in Belgium and by dedications such as a bridge in Pennsylvania named in his honor. Lt. Eric F. Wood Jr.’s refusal to surrender, his initiative in forming a guerrilla group behind enemy lines, and his final engagement in the Ardennes forest exemplify individual bravery and improvisation during one of WWII’s most chaotic encounters.
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The memorial of 1st Lt. Eric Fisher Wood Jr lies in a wooded area and is op en 24/7.
