[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7835 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7835

 To authorize the President to award the Medal of Honor to Eric Fisher 
    Wood, Jr. for the acts of valor during the Battle of the Bulge.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 29, 2020

  Mr. Joyce of Pennsylvania (for himself, Mr. Waltz, Mr. Gonzalez of 
 Ohio, Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania, Mr. Gaetz, Mr. Reschenthaler, and 
 Mr. Mooney of West Virginia) introduced the following bill; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To authorize the President to award the Medal of Honor to Eric Fisher 
    Wood, Jr. for the acts of valor during the Battle of the Bulge.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION FOR AWARD OF THE MEDAL OF HONOR TO ERIC FISHER 
              WOOD, JR. FOR ACTS OF VALOR DURING THE BATTLE OF THE 
              BULGE IN WORLD WAR II.

    (a) Waiver of Time Limitations.--Notwithstanding the time 
limitations specified in section 7271 of title 10, United States Code, 
or any other time limitation with respect to the awarding of certain 
medals to persons who served in the Armed Forces, the President may 
award the Medal of Honor under section 7271 of such title to Eric 
Fisher Wood, Jr. for the acts of valor during the Battle of the Bulge 
described in subsection (b).
    (b) Acts of Valor Described.--(1) The acts of valor referred to in 
subsection (a) are the actions of Eric Fisher Wood, Jr. in the Ardennes 
region of Wallonia, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge, when, as a 
Lieutenant in Battery A, 589th Field Artillery Battalion, 106th 
Infantry Division, from December 17, 1944, to January 22, 1945, he 
displayed extraordinary heroism in action against the enemy in Belgium.
    (2) After ordering his artillery battery to fire against enemy 
tanks in a delaying action, allowing other American units avoid 
capture, his unit was surrounded and forced to surrender. Rather than 
accept capture, as enemy fire converged on him from all sides, he raced 
across a large open field into the woods beyond.
    (3) Cut off from his own lines, and surrounded by the enemy in the 
Ardennes forest, Lieutenant Wood rallied a small band of American 
soldiers who were also separated from their units. Over the course of 
several weeks, he repeatedly initiated harassing ambush attacks against 
enemy communications, supply columns and patrols, accounting for the 
deaths and wounding of scores of enemy soldiers and further slowing 
their advance to strategic road intersections and helping other 
American units from being overrun or captured.
    (4) Lieutenant Wood continued his offensive actions until a final, 
fierce engagement with overwhelming enemy forces, where he made the 
last full measure of service. His body was found surrounded by several 
enemy dead. Lieutenant Wood's extraordinary heroism and selflessness 
above and beyond the call of duty in the service of his country are in 
keeping with the highest traditions of military service. Lieutenant 
Wood was posthumously awarded the Distinguished-Service Cross, Silver 
Star, Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart for his heroism.
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