| Edward Sledge Sr. | |
|---|---|
 Dr. Sledge prior to his son's enlistment. | |
|
Actor |
Conor O' Farrell |
|
Rank |
Civilian Physician |
|
Battles |
N/A |
|
Status |
Deceased as of 1954 |
Dr. Edward Sledge Sr. is Eugene Sledge's father and a relatively minor figure in the series.
History[]
Series Prior[]
Edward Sledge was born on November 8, 1887, in Alabama.
He served as a surgeon in World War I.
Dr. Sledge was a sucessful and well-known physician in Mobile, Alabama by the beginning of the series. He married Mary Frank Sledge at some point in his life and bore two sons, Edward Sledge Jr., who would later become a major in the army, and Eugene Sledge, who was sickly as a child, and while his health improved over time, he would eventually develop a heart murmur. Dr. Sledge nonetheless regularly took Eugene with him outdoors, and as a result, Eugene became fond of the outdoors.
World War II[]
Dr. Sledge is first seen in the series examining Eugene, somberly saying that the murmur was still there, soon after relating the news to his wife. This meant that Sledge could not enlist in the marines as his friend Sid Phillips as he planned to do after the Pearl Harbor attack, which he took somewhat badly.
Dr. Sledge later examines his son once again. This time, when Eugene asks if the murmur is gone, his father does not say anything. Whether Sledge's murmur is gone or not, he tells his dad that he was enlisting the next day, saying he does not need his father's permission. Dr. Sledge then makes one last attempt to stop his son from enlisting by telling him about when he treated soldiers from World War I, saying that,
"The worst thing about treating those combat boys from the Great War wasn't that they had had their flesh torn, it was that they had had their souls torn out. I don't want to look in your eyes someday, and see no spark, no love, no... no life. That would break my heart."
He sits resigned in his chair, knowing that his son would not heed his warning, saying that he would tell his mother and shaking hands with his son before Eugene left to walk his dog.
After Sledge Enlists[]
Some time after his son enlisted in the Marines, Sid Phillips visits Dr. Sledge and his wife, assuring them, untruthfully, that Sledge was going to be safe in his position.
Eugene Returns Home[]
Eugene Sledge manages to make it home to Mobile, much to the joy of both of their parents. They would have a feast that night to celebrate Eugene's return home.
However, they both later realize just how badly the war had affected him, becoming much like the combat soldiers that Dr. Sledge had mentioned the day before Sledge enlisted. Dr. Sledge in particular would witness his son having nightmares of his time in combat just outside his bedroom.
Dr. Sledge would later take his son out for hunting, however, Eugene breaks down while they were walking through the woods, Dr. Sledge comforting him. He would last appear finding his wife trying to talk some sense into their son, convincing her to leave him alone and recover from his experiences alone.
He died in 1954. He is buried in Pine Crest County, Mobile.[1]
Trivia[]
- Dr. Sledge's first name is never revealed in the closing credits, likely because his eldest son shares it.