Allegiance United States Rank Private First Class Role Soldier | Years of service 1942-1945 Name Eugene Jackson Service/branch United States Army | |
Born July 29, 1922
United States ( 1922-07-29 ) Buried at Greenwood Memorial Park, Pennsylvania, United States Battles/wars World War II
Battle of Normandy
Operation Market Garden
Battle of the Bulge Died February 15, 1945, Haguenau, France Place of burial Pennsylvania, United States Battles and wars Operation Overlord, Operation Market Garden, Battle of the Bulge, World War II Similar People John Martin, Burton Christenson, Wayne Sisk | ||
Private First Class Eugene E. Jackson (July 29, 1922 – February 15, 1945) 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.
Contents
Youth
Jackson was from Arnold, Pennsylvania.
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. 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. Eventually, Jackson rejoined Easy and participated in Operation Market Garden on September 17, 1944.
Jackson participated in the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. On January 3, 1945, Jackson was with Joseph Toye and William "Wild Bill" Guarnere when the later was severely wounded during a German artillery attack in Bastogne. As a jeep carrying ammo passed by the driver refused to carry the injured man to the aid station until Jackson threatened the driver with a gun.
Jackson was chosen for a patrol mission across the Moder River in Haguenau on February 15, 1945. He was seriously wounded by grenade shrapnel. He was taken back across the river but died shortly after.
It is said that Jackson lied about his age and enlisted in the army when he was 16. When he died he was only nineteen. However, according to his memorial, Jackson was born in 1922. If this is correct, Jackson was actually twenty-two when he died.
Burial
Jackson is buried in Greenwood Memorial Park, Pennsylvania, United States. Although Jackson was killed in Haguenau, his name appears on an Easy Company monument in Bastogne.
"Band of Brothers"
The scene where Jackson was fatally wounded is shown in the eighth episode, the Last Patrol, of the miniseries. In the series, Jackson was hit by the grenade he threw. It might not be accurate, as others suggested that Jackson was hit by a German grenade.