Paul Rogers

Actor · 1918 – 2015 · Kansas City, Missouri, USA

Paul C. “Hayseed” Rogers (July 12, 1918 – March 16, 2015) was an American Army non-commissioned officer and World War II veteran. He served as a Sergeant with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, and was one of the original members of the company trained at Camp Toccoa, Georgia. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Rogers grew up in Adrian, Missouri, and enlisted in the U.S. Army in August 1942. He volunteered for the airborne forces and trained with Easy Company at Camp Toccoa before deploying to England in preparation for the Allied invasion of Europe. Rogers parachuted into Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944, and fought with Easy Company throughout the Normandy campaign. He subsequently participated in Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands and the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium. Rogers later became a platoon sergeant and remained with Easy Company through the end of the war. After the war, Rogers returned to civilian life and remained active in Easy Company reunions and veterans' events. His wartime experiences were featured in accounts of Easy Company, and he appeared as himself in the HBO documentary We Stand Alone Together: The Men of Easy Company, sharing his recollections of his service. Rogers died on March 16, 2015, at the age of 96.