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This Remembrance Profile was originally created by SGT Robert Briggs - Deceased
Contact Info
Last Address Bayue Chene
Date of Passing Dec 30, 1998
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Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
Easy Company 506th PIR, 101st Airborne Division.
Eugene Gilbert "Doc" Roe Sr. (October 17, 1921 – December 30, 1998) was an American soldier who served during World War II and fought with Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne. He also served with allied forces defending Bastogne, Belgium, in the Battle of the Bulge. He received the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, and the Medal of Valor for his services to the war. He was portrayed by British actor Shane Taylor in the 2001 miniseries Band of Brothers.
Eugene was born in Bayou Chene, Louisiana, USA, a son of Ed Roe and Maud Verret, and was one of Easy Company's medics. He was a participant in D-Day, Operation Market Garden, and the Battle of the Bulge. In the Band of Brothers miniseries, episode 6, called Bastogne, is told from his point of view. Even though he was mentioned only briefly in Stephen Ambrose's book Band of Brothers, it was said that he was a very brave and heroic medic. Roe was half-Cajun.
He died in 1998 of cancer in his home state of Louisiana
The medics were the most popular, respected, and appreciated men in the company. Their weapons were first-aid kits; their place on the line was wherever a man called out that he was wounded. Lieutenant Foley had special praise for Pvt. Eugene Roe. "He was there when he was needed, and how he got 'there' you often wondered. He never received recognition for his bravery, his heroic servicing of the wounded. I recommended him for a Silver Star after a devastating firefight when his exploits were typicaly outstanding. Maybe I didn't use the proper words and phrases, perhaps Lieutenant Dike didn't approve, or somewhere along the line it was cast aside. I don't know. I never knew except that if any man who struggled in the snow and the cold, in the many attacks through the open and through the woods, ever deserved such a medal, it was our medic, Gene Roe."
Other Comments:
Awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart, and Medal of Valor.
He and his ex-wife, Vera, had three children, two daughters, Maxine and Marlene, and a son, Eugene Jr., six grandchildren, Kyle and Derek Tircuit, Christopher and Ryan Langlois and Greg and Michelle Roe, as well as two stepddaughters Mel Timberlake and Margaret Wendt, a stepson Danny Williams, seven stepgrandchildren including Michael and Jill Edwards, William Wendt and Daniel, Jay Williams and Jody Williams and several stepgreat-grandchildren.
WWII - European Theater of Operations/Normandy Campaign (1944)/Operation Overlord/D-Day Beach Landings - Operation Neptune
From Month/Year
June / 1944
To Month/Year
June / 1944
Description The Normandy landings (codenamed Operation Neptune) were the landing operations on 6 June 1944 (termed D-Day) of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. The largest seaborne invasion in history, the operation began the invasion of German-occupied western Europe, led to the restoration of the French Republic, and contributed to an Allied victory in the war.
Planning for the operation began in 1943. In the months leading up to the invasion, the Allies conducted a substantial military deception, codenamed Operation Bodyguard, to mislead the Germans as to the date and location of the main Allied landings. The weather on D-Day was far from ideal, but postponing would have meant a delay of at least two weeks, as the invasion planners had requirements for the phase of the moon, the tides, and the time of day that meant only a few days in each month were deemed suitable. Hitler placed German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel in command of German forces and of developing fortifications along the Atlantic Wall in anticipation of an Allied invasion.
The amphibious landings were preceded by extensive aerial and naval bombardment and an airborne assault—the landing of 24,000 British, US, and Canadian airborne troops shortly after midnight. Allied infantry and armoured divisions began landing on the coast of France starting at 06:30. The target 50-mile (80 km) stretch of the Normandy coast was divided into five sectors: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword Beach. Strong winds blew the landing craft east of their intended positions, particularly at Utah and Omaha. The men landed under heavy fire from gun emplacements overlooking the beaches, and the shore was mined and covered with obstacles such as wooden stakes, metal tripods, and barbed wire, making the work of the beach clearing teams difficult and dangerous. Casualties were heaviest at Omaha, with its high cliffs. At Gold, Juno, and Sword, several fortified towns were cleared in house-to-house fighting, and two major gun emplacements at Gold were disabled using specialised tanks.
The Allies failed to achieve all of their goals on the first day. Carentan, St. Lô, and Bayeux remained in German hands, and Caen, a major objective, was not captured until 21 July. Only two of the beaches (Juno and Gold) were linked on the first day, and all five bridgeheads were not connected until 12 June. However, the operation gained a foothold that the Allies gradually expanded over the coming months. German casualties on D-Day were around 1,000 men. Allied casualties were at least 10,000, with 4,414 confirmed dead. Museums, memorials, and war cemeteries in the area host many visitors each year.
