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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/Central Europe Campaign (1945)/Operation Plunder
From Month/Year
March / 1945
To Month/Year
March / 1945
Description Beginning on the night of 23 March 1945, Operation Plunder was the crossing of the River Rhine at Rees, Wesel, and south of the Lippe River by the British 2nd Army, under Lieutenant-General Miles Dempsey (Operations Turnscrew, Widgeon, and Torchlight), and the U.S. Ninth Army (Operation Flashpoint), under Lieutenant General William Simpson. XVIII U.S. Airborne Corps, consisting of the British 6th Airborne Division and the U.S. 17th Airborne Division, conducted Operation Varsity, parachute landings on the east bank in support of the operation. All of these formations were part of the 21st Army Group under Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery. This was part of a coordinated set of Rhine crossings.
4,000 guns fired for four hours during the opening bombardment. British bombers contributed with attacks on Wesel during the day and night of 23 March.
Three Allied formations made the initial assault: the British XXX and XII Corps and the U.S. XVI Corps. One unit, the British 79th Armoured Division — under Major-General Percy Hobart — had been at the front of the Normandy landings and provided invaluable help in subsequent operations with specially adapted armoured vehicles (referred to as Hobart's Funnies). One "funny" was the "Buffalo" operated by the 4th Royal Tank Regiment under the command of Lt. Col (later Lt. Gen) Alan Jolly, an armed and armored amphibious tracked personnel or cargo transporter able to cross soft and flooded ground. These were the transports for the spearhead infantry.
The first part of Plunder was initiated by the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division, led by the 7th Black Watch at 21:00 on 23 March, near Rees, followed by the 7th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. At 02:00 on 24 March, the 15th (Scottish) Division landed between Wesel and Rees. At first, there was no opposition, but later they ran into determined resistance from machine-gun nests. The British 1st Commando Brigade entered Wesel.
The U.S. 30th Division landed south of Wesel. The local resistance had been broken by artillery and air bombardment. Subsequently, the 79th Division also landed. U.S. casualties were minimal. German resistance to the Scottish landings continued with some effect, and there were armoured counter-attacks. Landings continued, however, including tanks and other heavy equipment. The U.S. forces had a bridge across by the evening of 24 March.
Operation Varsity started at 10:00 on 24 March, to disrupt enemy communications. Despite heavy resistance to the airdrops and afterward, the airborne troops made progress and repelled counterattacks. The hard lessons of Operation Market Garden were applied. In the afternoon, 15th Scottish Division linked up with both airborne divisions.
Fierce German resistance continued around Bienen, north of Rees, where the entire 9th Canadian Brigade was needed to relieve the Black Watch. The bridgehead was firmly established, however, and Allied advantages in numbers and equipment were applied. By 27 March, the bridgehead was 35 mi (56 km) wide and 20 mi (32 km) deep.
