Eugene “Doc” Roe

Eugene “Doc” Roe

 A slightly longer post dedicated to the “smol” baby of Easy Company: Doc Roe. 

First off, it was extremely hard to find stuff about Roe….anywhere. I’m not kidding when I say this boy deserves the world and barely got any recognition. 

So let’s start off with a photo or two of the real Eugene Roe: 

Eugene G. Roe 

Roe was born in October 1922. He was born in Louisiana. He was the third of five children. He was only educated until the point of elementary school, he eveb took a boat to school. He dropped out while still in “grammar school”. He then worked on shrimp boats and other jobs to help the family. He later worked with machinery and oilers for money as he grew up. 

When the war started, he didn’t enlist for an entire year after Pearl Harbor. He finally enlisted on December 12, 1942 in Lafayette, Louisiana. He had no medical experience, but was trained as a combat medic. He worked hard to gain his spot and was assigned to Easy Company while it was still under the command of Sobel. 

Roe jumped on D-Day. 

Roe was known for being a quick thinker. One story Roe had told his grandson was of a time is Bastogne where he had no supplies and a man had a serious head injury. Roe packed snow and mud into the injury and bought enough time for the man to get help. 

Roe was helping anyone he could, not matter the situation. He ran out into the open during a German artillery strike. He ran out into the open without weapons and dragged a wounded man back. Roe was described as the most dependable. caring person in Easy Company. He was recommended for a silver star but the citation was set aside and forgotten about. He was known for getting to anyone who needed help, even if they weren’t sure how he got there. 

Roe was injured in his jump into Holland. He landed on barbed wire and cut open his leg. He received another purple heart but when and how he was injured was not stated and is unknown.

By the time Easy Company arrived Germany, he married a British woman named Vera. They had started dating during his time in England. They were supposed to be married on June 6, 1944 but Roe was parachuting into enemy territory. (I hope Vera took that as a valid excuse when she was waiting at the alter) Roe came home first and left his wife to cross over later.

When Easy Company was in the Eagle’s Nest, Roe’s unofficial job was to drive the drinks back and forth to the enlisted men. Roe was given a wedding present from Easy Company: a set of forks and knives from Hitler’s personal set. Roe didn’t keep these for his entire life. instead he gave them to a World War II museum in  Baton Rouge, where they were set on display. 

Roe took home a German Luger with a swastika on it. His mother didn’t like that. She scolded him and threw it out into the bayou.

Doc and his wife settled down in Baton Rouge and had three kids. Roe took his children hunting and fishing and horseback riding. Roe had two girls, one he named Marlene after a World War 2 song “Lili Marlene” and one son, Eugene Jr. 

His children said he smoked a couple packs until the day he died. Which was authentically shown in the show along with his favorite type of cigarettes. He also was known to drink a lot of whiskey. Roe always wore cowboy boats and smoked and had a deep tan due to outside work.

Even though Roe was quiet and calm, he made it known not to mess with him. His grandson recalled a time where he forgot to tell Roe he was out hunting and Roe was back waiting for him with a shotgun, ready to shoot whoever was on his property. He was also known for his positive outlook on life. Roe was a firm believer in that everything could be fixed.

Roe worked in construction after the war and was known to figure things out easily with little experience. He was a naturally quick thinker. He retired later in life and soon started reconnecting with Easy members.

After 27 years of marriage, Vera and Roe divorced. Roe remarried shortly after but Vera never remarried. 

Roe developed lung cancer in the 1990s. He fought it for many years but soon gave into the pain on December 30, 1998. (Author side note: this was 2 days after I was born)

His funeral was small and private. But Roe’s story lived on with the rest of Easy, who adored their Doc “Bud” Roe.