Roy Pickel

Roy Emerson Pickel (May 22, 1922 – February 8, 2008) was an American Army non-commissioned officer and World War II veteran. He served with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, during its training period before being transferred to another unit. Born in Roxborough, Pennsylvania, and raised in Philadelphia, Pickel enlisted in the U.S. Army in May 1943 and volunteered for the airborne forces. He trained with Easy Company and became a qualified paratrooper, but was transferred before the company deployed to Normandy. He subsequently served with the 9th Infantry Division and later returned to airborne service. Pickel continued his military career after World War II, remaining in the Army until he retired from active duty in 1966. He was among the Easy Company veterans who later participated in reunions and commemorative events, including the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Pilsen, Czechoslovakia, in 2005. Pickel appeared as himself in the HBO documentary We Stand Alone Together: The Men of Easy Company, where he shared his memories of his wartime service and his time with Easy Company, though he was not portrayed as a character in the 2001 HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. Pickel died on February 8, 2008, at the age of 85, and was interred at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.