Eugene Roe

Technician Fourth Grade Eugene Gilbert Roe, Sr. (October 17, 1921 - December 30, 1998 ) was a non-commissioned officer with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army during World War II. Roe was portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by Shane Taylor. Roe's life story was featured in the 2010 book A Company of Heroes: Personal Memories about the Real Band of Brothers and the Legacy They Left Us.

Youth
Eugene was born in Bayou Chene, Louisiana to Ed Roe and Maud Verret. Roe quit school during his elementary years. He was semiskilled in oilers of machinery. The Roe family moved to Morgan City, Louisiana later. Eugene enlisted on December 12, 1942 in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Military service
Roe was one of Easy Company's medics. While stationed in Aldbourne, Roe met his first wife Vera. Their wedding date was set for June 6, 1944, but had to be postponed because it was the day when Roe made his first combat jump into Normandy in the Battle of Normandy

Roe also participated in the British controlled American military operation Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands. While in the Netherlands, he was wounded on September 17, 1944. Roe also took part in the Battle of the Bulge at Bastogne. He was discharged on November 17, 1945 and arrived in the United States 11 days later.

Later years
When the war was over in Europe, Roe married Vera on May 8, 1945 in England. After his discharge, Roe and his wife moved to Baton Rouge and had three children The couple divorced twenty seven years later, and Roe re-married five years later.

Roe became a construction contractor post war. He died of lung cancer in December 30, 1998 in Louisiana.

Band of Brothers
Roe was portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by Shane Taylor. Episode 6 of the miniseries, called "Bastogne'", is told from his point of view. In that episode, Roe's grandmother was said to be a traiteur, but it was not true. Also, in that episode, Roe met a Belgian nurse called Renee in the aid station in Bostogne. While a nurse called Renee LeMarie was indeed working in an aid station in Bastogne at the time, it was unclear if Roe had met with her.

Roe was mentioned only briefly in Stephen Ambrose's book Band of Brothers, but it was said that he was a very brave and heroic medic.