Eugene E. Jackson
| Eugene E. Jackson | |
|---|---|
| Born |
July 29, 1922[1] United States |
| Died |
February 15, 1945 (aged 22) †[1] Haguenau, France |
| Buried at | Greenwood Memorial Park, Pennsylvania, United States [1] |
| Allegiance |
 United States |
| Service/branch |
 United States Army |
| Years of service |
 1942-1945 |
| Rank | Private First Class |
| Unit |
 Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division |
| Battles/wars | |
Private First Class Eugene E. Jackson (July 29, 1922 - February 15, 1945)[1] was a soldier with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army during World War II. Jackson was portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by Andrew-Lee Potts.
Youth
Jackson was from Arnold, Pennsylvania [2]
Military Service
It is unclear when Jackson joined Easy company. While Malarkey in his book seems to suggest that Jackson was with Easy Company early on, others, including Richard D. Winters and Edward Heffron suggested that Jackson was a replacement who joined Easy Company before Operation Market Garden.
Jackson made his combat jump into Normandy on D-day as part of the Operation Overlord. He was seriously wounded there when a mortar fragment hit his head.[3] Jackson wanted to return to Easy Company, but was sent back to the hospital because the officers thought he had not recovered enough for duty.[4] Eventually, Jackson rejoined Easy and participated in Operation Market Garden in September 17, 1944.
Jackson also participated in the Battle of the Bulge in December, 1944. In January 3, 1945, when Joseph Toye and William "Wild Bill" Guarnere were severely wounded during a German artillery attack in Bastogne, a jeep carrying ammo passed by. The jeep driver refused to carry the injured men to the aid station, until Jackson threatened the jeep driver with a gun.[5]
Jackson was chosen for a patrol mission across the Moder River in Haguenau in February 15, 1945. He was seriously wounded by grenade shrapnel. He was taken back across the river but died shortly after.[6]
It is said that Jackson lied about his age and enlisted in the army when he was 16.[7] When he died he was only nineteen.[8] However, according to his memorial, Jackson was born in 1922. If this is correct, Jackson was actually twenty-two when he died.[1]
Burial
Jackson is buried in Greenwood Memorial Park, Pennsylvania, United States.[1] Although Jackson was killed in Haguenau, his name appears on an Easy Company monument in Bastogne.[9]
"Band of Brothers"
The scene where Jackson was fatally wounded is shown in the eighth episode, the Last Patrol, of the miniseries. In the movie, Jackson was hit by the grenade he threw. It might not be accurate, as others suggested that Jackson was hit by a German grenade.[10]
References
Bibliography
- Ambrose, Stephen E. (1992). Band of Brothers: Easy Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-7434-6411-6.
- Brotherton, Marcus (2010). A Company of Heroes: Personal Memories about the Real Band of Brothers and the Legacy They Left Us. Berkley Caliber. ISBN 978-0-425-23420-4.
- Sgt Don Malarkey and Bob Welch (2009). Easy Company Soldier, the Legendary Battles of a Sergeant From World War II's "Band of Brothers". St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 978-0-312-56323-3.
- Larry Alexander (2011). In the Footsteps of the Band of Brothers: A Return to Easy Company's Battefields with Sgt. Forrest Guth). NAL Trade]. ISBN 0451233158.
- Robyn Post, William Guarnere and Edward Heffron (2008). Brothers in Battle, Best of Friends). Berkley Trade]. ISBN 0425224368.
- Webster, David K. (1994 (posthumously)). Parachute Infantry: An American Paratrooper's Memoir of D-Day and the Fall of the Third Reich. Bantam Dell. ISBN 978-0-440-24090-7.