George William Eike was born on January 27, 1919. He was the son of Derwood Walden Eike and Ella Marie Williams Eike. He served in the 369th Bomber Squadron, 306th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a First Lieutenant and co-pilot on B17G (#42-31499) during World War II. His plane was shot down and crashed near Macquenoise, Belgium. Surviving the crash, 1Lt Eike evaded capture with the help of local resistance fighters, who provided shelter and assistance as he awaited the opportunity to escape back to England.

Unfortunately, the safety of 1Lt Eike and seven other American airmen was compromised after a betrayal by local collaborators. They were captured by German forces, along with two members of the Belgian resistance who had been aiding them. The Belgian resistance members were deported to camps in Germany, where they later died. On April 22, 1944, 1Lt Eike and the other airmen were taken to a wooded area near Chimay, where they were executed by German troops and buried in a mass grave.

After the war, those responsible for the massacre were prosecuted by Belgian authorities. 1Lt Eike is now buried in the Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA. He was posthumously awarded the Prisoner Of War Medal and the Purple Heart in recognition of his bravery and sacrifice.