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The monument honours the men of Easy Company from the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the U.S. 101st Airborne Division. Their brave actions were immortalised in the book Band of Brothers by Stephen E. Ambrose, which was later adapted into a globally successful TV series
Easy or ‘E’ Company, fought for around a month in the area of the Bois Jacques (Jack’s Wood), helping to prevent German troops from capturing the town of Bastogne.
A monument dedicated to the men of ‘E’ Company was inaugurated in 2005 and is located near the old Bastogne-Gouvy railway line (now a cycle route) at the crossroads of the country road between the villages of Bizory and Foy. This point was at the far right of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment positions during the siege of Bastogne.
The monument is made up of two flags (Belgian and American) and a single plinth decorated with three memorial plaques. The central one features the emblem of the famous 101st Airborne Division and an engraving illustrating the sacrifice of the soldiers in the nearby forest.
The plaque on the right summarises (in English and French) the history of the fighting in and around the Bois Jacques. The left plaque pays tribute to 14 men of Easy Company, 13 of which were killed during the Battle of the Bulge, between the establishment of the ‘E’ Company positions in the Bois Jacques in December 1944 and the attack on Foy in January 1945.
It also commemorates Private Eugene Jackson who was killed on a patrol in February 1945 near Haguenau in France.
The monument is often decorated with flowers and candles placed there by families of the veterans or by visitors to the Bois Jacques.
Address
Bastogne, 6600