When & Where: June 5, 6 & 7, 2015 at Overlord Omaha Beach Museum, the Utah Beach Museum and the Richard D. Winters Leadership Monument in Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, Normandy, France.
What: 2015 will be the second and final reunion of the actors in Normandy for the foreseeable future. The 2015 events will recognize the 70th anniversary of the end of the war in Europe (VE Day).
Band of Brothers Actors Who Plan to Be in Normandy Next June:
Douglas Spain-Antonio Garcia
Scott Grimes-Don Malarkey
James Madio-Frank Perconte
Ross McCall-Joe Liebgott
Rick Gomez-George Luz
Bart Ruspoli-Ed Tipper
William Tapley-British Tank Commander
Frank John Hughes-“Wild” Bill Guarnere
Robin Laing-“Babe” Heffron
Peter Youngblood Hills-“Shifty” Powers
Eion Bailey-David Webster
George Calil-“Mo” Alley
Philip Barantini-Wayne “Skinny” Sisk
Stephen McCole-“Moose” Heyliger
Shane Taylor-”Doc” Roe
Mark Lawrence-William Dukeman
Make sure you get your tickets as early as you can as this, like last year, will be a sell out. You can get your tickets here: WWII Foundation
Shane Taylor was born on the south coast of England, although his extended family bring together a mix of Scottish and American. He attended the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts in London and received the Cameron Mackintosh Scholarship Award. Predominantly a film and television actor.
He has appeared in episodes of TV series such as Where the Heart Is and Dangerfield. He voices the character “Goh” in the 2006 video game Shinobido: Way of the Ninja. In 2009 he appeared in the BBC adaptation of John Wyndham’s The Day of the Triffids with Brian Cox and Vanessa Redgrave, as well as in the 2009 film Bomber. In 2010 Taylor appeared, alongside Danny Dyer, in the British horror film The Devil’s Playground.
Shane Taylor plays Craig Hanson in the Sky 1 series, Strike Back: Vengeance and is currently staring in the History Channels mini-series Sons of Liberty. You can follow Shane on Twitter
Roe enlisted on December 12, 1942, in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Roe was one of Easy Company’s medics. While stationed in Aldbourne, England, Roe met his first wife Vera. (Their wedding was set for June 6, 1944, but had to be postponed because of D-Day, when Roe and the rest of the 101st made their first combat jumps into Normandy as part of Operation Overlord).
By the time Easy Company was taking Carentan, Roe was already a seasoned medic, able to patch and diagnose wounds in a methodical way. For instance, he was able to tell fellow Easy Company soldier Donald Malarkey that he had a Purple Heart wound without looking up from wrapping another soldier’s wound.
Roe participated in the British-controlled American military operation Operation Market Garden and jumped into the Netherlands. He landed on some barbed wire and cut his calf. Roe also took part in the Battle of the Bulge at Bastogne. Allied supplies were low and Roe had to go from man to man to get more supplies. In the extreme cold weather, he had to tuck plasma bottles into his armpits to keep them from freezing.
You can buy your Reunion T shirts here
Roe was with Easy Company for occupation duties in Germany and Austria. He was discharged on November 17, 1945, and arrived back in the United States eleven days later.
With the war over in Europe, Roe married Vera in July 1945 in England. They had a quiet quick wedding with a taxi driver as one of their witnesses, along with someone else they did not know. Roe’s Easy Company comrades presented the couple a set of forks and knives from Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest as a wedding present. The forks and knives were later donated to the Louisiana World War II Museum’s Hall of Honor at Baton Rouge.
Doc Roes grandson and Shane Taylor who portrayed the real ‘Doc’ Roe. Standing outside the actual Aid Station in Carentan where he treated the wounded Dick Winters, which was depicted in the Band of Brothers series.
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 on December 30, 1998 in Louisiana.
“Roe was the best medic we ever had. He was born to be a medic. You could always depend on him. You hollered, ‘Medic!’ he was right there come hell or high water, he knew what he was doing. He was compassionate, took care of you mentally, physically, every way” – Bill talking about Doc Roe p.184-185 Brothers in Battle – Best of Friends by Bill Guarnere/Babe Heffron
All proceeds raised benefit the non-profit World War II Foundation and its mission of preserving the stories of the WWII generation.
You can get your tickets here: WWII Foundation
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