J.B. Stokes

J.B. Stokes (September 2, 1922 – February 24, 2013) was an American Army non-commissioned officer and World War II veteran. He served as a Staff 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 Leonard, Texas, Stokes was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1942 and volunteered for the airborne forces. He trained with Easy Company and became a qualified paratrooper before deploying to England in preparation for the Allied invasion of Europe.

Stokes parachuted into Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944, and fought with Easy Company during the Battle of Normandy. He subsequently participated in Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands and the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium, including the defense of Bastogne. He remained with Easy Company through the end of the European campaign.

After the war, Stokes returned to Texas and married Ola Mae Trotter in December 1945. He began a career with the water department in Bridgeport and later became director of public works for the city of Azle. He and his wife raised four children and remained in Texas for the rest of their lives.

Stokes was among the Easy Company veterans interviewed for the HBO documentary We Stand Alone Together: The Men of Easy Company, where he shared his recollections of his wartime experiences. He was also among the veterans whose interviews accompanied the 2001 HBO miniseries Band of Brothers, though he was not portrayed as a character by an actor in the series.

Stokes died on February 24, 2013, in Azle, Texas, at the age of 90. He was buried at Jaybird Cemetery in Azle.