Roger, Paul Clifford “Hayseed”, born 12-07-1918, in Adrian, Bates County, Missouri, USA, 
to Lewis Desney Rogers (1880–1942) and his wife Dora Belle, born Scott Rogers (1887–1980). Paul had two sisiters and three brothers, Jessie Olivette Rogers Hunt (1909–1998), Scott Rogers (1913–1988), Celesine Cora Rogers Potter (1915–2012), Hazel Aleene Rogers (1923–1923) and James Wesley Rogers.(1924–1948).
He enlisted on 13-08-1942 at Leavenworth when he was 24 years old. He volunteered for the paratroopers. Paul was assigned to Easy Company 
and received training in Toccoa, Georgia under Captain Herbert Maxwell Sobel. 
Sobel, a not beloved man, was a harsh drill instructor, constantly berating his recruits, punishing them for minor infractions, and frequently cancelling weekend passes. In one example, after calling his men to attention, he began one of his exacting inspections.Sobel had some mental problems from his war experience and he was found to be bitter at life and at Easy Company. Hester died 26-12-2000 (age 84). For an unknown reason, in the late 1960’s, Sobel attempted suicide by shooting himself through his temple, but the shot only severed his optic nerves, blinding him for life. He was later moved to a VA assisted-living home, and resided there for 17 years, before dying of an failed attempt suicide and malnutrition and neglect on on 30-09-1987 at age 75.
Paul Rogers made his first combat jump into Normandy on D-Day. 
James Alley,
who jumped right before Rogers, had trouble getting out of the plane and was about to be pulled in half. Rogers, who was “strong as a bull,” had to throw Alley out to save him. Rogers’s parachute was snagged by tree limbs and he had to cut himself free and climb to the ground. Like many other paratroopers Rogers lost much of his equipment, including his rifle. He linked up with James H “Moe” Alley and Earl Mac “One lung” McClung 
near Ste. Mere Eglise, and fought with an 82nd Airborne Division 
“All American Division” unit under command of Major General Mattway “Bunker” Ridgway, 
for 8 days. Rogers was promoted to sergeant after the campaign in France. Moe Alley died 14-03- 2008 (age 85) in Sedro-Woolley, Skagit County, Washington, USA.
Rogers and Walter ‘Smokey’ Gordon 
were always making up funny songs or poems about fellow Easy Company comrades if they had some kind of weakness or were in some kind of trouble. Their good friend Floyd “Tab” Talbert 
was often a target. Talbert was bayoneted by Private George Smith in Carentan. That night, Smith was snoozing until Floyd Talbert woke him up. Smith thought Talbert looked like a German, grabbed his bayoneted rifle and lunged at the figure. “Smith, it’s me, Talbert!” he yelled, but Smith still stabbed him with his bayonet. Joseph “The Barber” Liebgott
came over and pushed Smith away, who realized his mistake. Talbert then got help from a medic. This night is also known as ‘The Night of the Bayonet’. After Talbert returned from the hospital, Rogers and Gordon put together a makeshift award ceremony to give Talbert one of Gordon’s extra purple hearts (which Talbert was disqualified from receiving), and wrote the poem ‘The Night of the Bayonet’ to immortalize the incident. Rogers also wrote a poem about the fighting in Ste. Mere Eglise that gave McClung the nickname “One Lung.” Walter ‘Smokey’ Gordon survived the war and died 19-04-1997 (aged 77) in Biloxi, Mississippi, USA.
Rogers also participated in Operation Market Garden. Operation Market Garden was an Allied military operation during the Second World War fought in the German-occupied Netherlands from 17 to 27 September 1944. Its objective was to create a 64 mi (103 km) salient into German territory with a bridgehead over the Nederrijn (Lower Rhine River), creating an Allied invasion route into northern Germany. This was to be achieved by two sub-operations: seizing nine bridges with combined US and British airborne forces (Market) followed by British land forces swiftly following over the bridges (Garden). A bridge too far.
During the attack on Nuenen, Rogers, at the time a mortar sergeant, was seriously wounded while the men carrying ammunition next to him were killed. According to Carwood “The Man” Lipton,
who went to check on Rogers, Rogers “let out a string of profanity that lasted a full minute,” which was “most unusual for him.” After returning from the hospital, Rogers fought in the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne. In Foy, Rogers and lieutenant Edward Shames 
destroyed a German tank with a bazooka. Rogers became the platoon sergeant after the campaign[ and fought with Easy Company until the end of the war. Edward Shames, who was married with Jaunita Marie Austin Adams died on 03-12- 2021, at the age of 99 at his residence in Virginia Beach and he was buried in the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Norfolk, Virginia. Edward was survived by two sons, four grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren. His wife died 22-04-1993 (age 71).
Death and burial ground of Roger, Paul Clifford “Hayseed”.
After the war, Rogers attended Easy Company reunions regularly. Since 2001 he has lived in Overland Park, Kansas and, since 2013, he has been the oldest living member of Easy Company. Paul Rogers was cremated and the ashes returned to the family.
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