Prentice E. Yeomans
Prentice Edward « Iron Mike » Yeomans
Prentice Edward Yeomans was born in Syracuse, Onondaga County, New York. A career officer whose character was forged in steel, he quickly earned the nickname "Iron Mike" among his men — a sobriquet that alone summarized his natural authority, rigor, and unwavering courage.
In December 1944, he commanded the 83rd Armored Reconnaissance Battalion of the 3rd Armored Division — one of General Maurice Rose's elite units. General Rose entrusted him with tactical command of three Task Forces assembled to halt the German offensive in the Ardennes: Task Force Hogan, Task Force Orr, and Task Force Kane. Their mission: to advance through enemy territory, destroy German forces in their path, and secure the Manhay–Houffalize axis.
On December 20, 1944, as Task Force Hogan was blocked by a German roadblock, Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel Hogan reported the situation to "Mike" Yeomans by radio. The latter ordered him to leave the road and bivouac for the night, with orders to report to HQ the following morning at 8:45. It was while trying to reach this HQ that Hogan fell into an ambush set by German soldiers in American uniforms, and had to flee on foot through the Ardennes forests.
When Major Walker, acting commander of Task Force Hogan, informed Yeomans that the column could no longer advance, he gave the order to "fight their way back" — an order impossible to execute: the road was mined and enemy positions blocked the passage at Beffe. Cornered, the Task Force fell back on Marcouray, where its approximately 400 men found themselves encircled by German forces.
For seven days, from December 20 to 26, 1944, "Iron Mike" Yeomans coordinated from his HQ all rescue attempts and aerial resupply for the encircled men. He embodied the command link between the soldiers of Marcouray and the rest of the 3rd Armored Division.
The war continued for Yeomans after the Ardennes. He fell in combat on April 18, 1945, in the Dessau region, Germany — less than three weeks before the German surrender. He had survived one of the most dramatic episodes of the Battle of the Bulge, only to fall at the dawn of victory.
He rests at the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, Netherlands — Plot A, Row 12, Grave 17. In tribute to his courage and sacrifice, the United States Army named Yeomans Hall after him, a historic building at Fort Knox, Kentucky, today listed in the Fort Knox Cantonment Historic District.
Decorations: Legion of Merit · Bronze Star · Purple Heart · American Campaign Medal · WWII Victory Medal.
