Gene Arden (“Buddy”) Vance Jr. (November 30, 1963 – May 18, 2002) was an American soldier, a member of a US Special Forces Airborne Army National Guard Unit who, despite being critically wounded, saved the lives of two fellow Americans and 18 Afghan soldiers during the War in Afghanistan (2001–present). Vance's actions, life story, heroism and death were widely publicized in the mainstream media and is featured in several books on the Global War on Terror as well as in the ABC reality series "Profiles from the Front Line".