More Than a Band of Brothers: Easy Company Families Carry WWII Legacy Forward

More than 80 years after their fathers and grandfathers parachuted into Nazi-occupied France, the families of Easy Company are still getting together. The men who fought in World War II are mostly gone, but the friendships they formed have survived for generations. On Oct. 22-23, 2026, children and grandchildren of the legendary Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, reunited at Fort Campbell to share stories, reconnect with old friends and meet the Soldiers carrying on their families' military legacy. For Chris Langlois, grandson of Eugene "Doc" Roe, the company's World War II medic, keeping those friendships alive has become a family tradition. "After the end of the war, they started having their reunions in 1946, one year after the end of the war," Langlois said.

"They had it every year." As the veterans grew older, the annual gatherings eventually came to an end. The men held their last official reunion in 2012, but their children and grandchildren weren't ready to say goodbye. "Us kids have become so close. We said, 'There's no way this is ending,'" Langlois said. The descendants took over organizing the reunions in 2013, choosing a different city each year. This year's gathering brought them to Fort Campbell, home of the Screaming Eagles. For many, it was an opportunity to see how much the