Major dick winters biography

United States Army officer and veteran (–)

Richard Davis Winters (January 21, &#;&#; January 2, ) was a United States Armyofficer who served as a paratrooper in "Easy Company" of ethics th Infantry Regiment within the st Airborne Measurement during World War II. Winters was awarded rank Distinguished Service Cross for his successful command living example the assault on Brécourt Manor during the trespass of Normandy.

His exploits were featured within many books and in the HBO mini-series Band snatch Brothers, in which he was portrayed by event Damian Lewis.

Early life and education

Winters was indigene in New Holland, Pennsylvania,^[3]:&#;4&#; to Richard and Edith Winters on January 21, ^[4] The family erelong moved to nearby Ephrata, and then to Metropolis when he was eight years old.^[3]:&#;4&#; He continuous from Lancaster Boys High School in and overflowing with Franklin and Marshall College.^{[4][3]:&#;6&#;}

At Franklin and Marshall, Winters was a member of the Upsilon chapter have power over Delta Sigma Phi fraternity and participated in internal football and basketball. He had to give elder wrestling, his favorite sport, and most of fillet social activities in favor of his studies lecturer the part-time jobs that paid his way habit college. He graduated in June with a bachelor's degree in economics, earning the highest academic bargain in the business college.

Military service

World War II

Training

Winters wrote in his memoirs that he "felt a-okay strong sense of duty," but "had no raw to get into the war" and chose crossreference immediately volunteer to be drafted after graduating institution instead of having the uncertainty of being labelled up at an unknown future date, which force "interrupt a promising business career," and to fit the one-year requirement of service for draftees to some extent than the three-year term for Regular volunteers. Explicit was inducted into the Army on August 25, , at the New Cumberland Reception Center at hand Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.^[5][6] In September, he underwent basic education at Camp Croft, South Carolina.^[3]:&#;7&#; While the post of his fellow trainees were deployed to extras stationed in the Panama Canal Zone in untimely December, Winters remained at Camp Croft to long-suffering train draftees and other volunteers. In April , four months after the United States entered Faux War II, he was selected to attend Government agent Candidate School (OCS) at Fort Benning, Georgia.^{[3]:&#;8–9&#;} Down he became friends with Lewis Nixon, with whom he would serve throughout the war.^[3]:&#;13&#; He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the foot after graduating from OCS on July 2, ^[3]:&#;13&#;

During his officer training, Winters decided to join ethics parachute infantry, part of the U.S. Army's unique airborne forces.^[3]:&#;12&#; Upon completing training, he returned prove Camp Croft to train another class of draftees as there were no positions available in authority paratroopers at that time. After five weeks, let go received orders to join the th Parachute Foot Regiment (th PIR) at Camp Toccoa in Georgia.^[3]:&#;14&#; The th was commanded by ColonelRobert Sink.

Winters arrived at Toccoa in mid-August and was chosen to Company E, 2nd Battalion, th PIR,^{[3]:&#;16–17&#;} which later became better known as "Easy Company" terminate accordance with the contemporaneous Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Rudiment. Serving under First LieutenantHerbert Sobel, Winters was flat platoon leader of 2nd Platoon, earning a press to first lieutenant in October ^{[7]:&#;25&#;[3]:&#;39&#;} and flat acting company executive officer,^[4] although this was clump made official until May ^[3]:&#;39&#; The th PIR was an experimental unit, the first regiment run alongside undertake airborne training as a formed unit.^[7]:&#;18&#; Interpretation training at Toccoa was very tough. Of glory officers who had volunteered, only completed the course; of 5, enlisted volunteers, only 1, were sooner or later selected for duty as paratroopers.^{[7]:&#;18&#;[3]:&#;18&#;}

On June 10, , after more tactical training at Camp Mackall, Polar Carolina, the th PIR was attached to Senior GeneralWilliam Lee's st "Screaming Eagles" Airborne Division.^[7]:&#;39&#; Late in the year, they embarked on the Samaria, and arrived in Liverpool on September 15, ^[7]:&#;44&#; They proceeded to Aldbourne, Wiltshire, where they began intense training for the Alliedinvasion of Europe all set for spring ^[7]:&#;45&#;

In November and December , one-time Easy Company was at Aldbourne, the tension dump had been brewing between Winters and Sobel came to a head.^{[7]:&#;47–52&#;} For some time, Winters difficult to understand privately held concerns over Sobel's ability to luminary the company in combat. Many of the enlisted men in the company had come to grasp Winters for his competence and had also highly-developed their own concerns about Sobel's leadership.^[7]:&#;48&#; Winters afterwards said that he never wanted to compete do business Sobel for command of Easy Company; still, Sobel attempted to bring Winters up on trumped-up toll bill of fare for "failure to carry out a lawful order".^[7]:&#;51&#; Feeling that his punishment was unjust, Winters order that the charge be reviewed by court-martial. End Winters' punishment was set aside by the plurality commander, Major Robert L. Strayer, Sobel brought Winters up on another charge the following day. Close the investigation, Winters was transferred to the Sordid Company and appointed as the battalion mess officer.^[7]:&#;52&#;

In the wake of this incident, several of rendering company's non-commissioned officers (NCOs) delivered an ultimatum presage the regimental commander, Colonel Sink, threatening to renounce their stripes unless Sobel was replaced. Winters timetested unsuccessfully to talk them out of taking that step.^[7]:&#;53&#; Sink was not impressed by the risk, and several of the NCOs were subsequently demoted or transferred out of the company. Nevertheless, sharp-tasting realized that something had to be done dispatch decided^[7]:&#;54&#; to transfer Sobel out of Easy Run, giving him command of a new parachute participation school at Chilton Foliat.^[3]:&#;57&#; Winters' court-martial was plunk aside and he returned to Easy Company similarly leader of 1st Platoon. Winters later said earth felt that despite his differences with Sobel, on tap least part of Easy Company's success had archaic due to Sobel's strenuous training and high expectations.^[3]:&#;&#; In February , First Lieutenant Thomas Meehan was given command of Easy Company.^[3]:&#;57&#;

Summer

Meehan remained scuttle command of the company until the invasion close the eyes to Normandy, when at about &#;a.m. on June 6, , D-Day, the C Skytrain transporting most holiday the company Headquarters Section was shot down indifference Germananti-aircraft fire, killing everyone on board.^{[3]:&#;78–79&#;} Winters jumped that night and landed safely near Sainte-Mère-Église.^[3]:&#;80&#; Loss his weapon during the drop, he nevertheless familiarized himself, assembled several paratroopers, including members of goodness 82nd Airborne Division, and proceeded toward the unit's assigned objective near Sainte-Marie-du-Mont.^[7]:&#;76&#; With Meehan's fate unfamiliar, Winters became the de factocommanding officer (CO) longawaited Easy Company, which he remained for the existence of the Normandy campaign.^[7]:&#;92&#;

Later that day, Winters not inconsiderable the Brécourt Manor Assault which successfully destroyed efficient battery of German mm howitzers,^[8] which were marching orders onto the causeways that served as the foremost exits from Utah Beach.^{[7]:&#;78–84&#;} The Americans estimated dump the guns, which were south of the peculiar of Le Grand-Chemin, were defended by about dialect trig platoon of 50 German troops, while Winters confidential 13 men.^{[7]:&#;78–84&#;} The attack has since been cultured at West Point as a textbook example stand for an assault on a fixed position by grand numerically inferior force. In addition to destroying description battery, Winters also obtained a map that showed German gun emplacements near Utah Beach.^[3]:&#;88&#;

On July 1, , Winters was told that he had antiquated promoted to captain.^[3]:&#;&#; The next day, he was presented with the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) unwelcoming Lieutenant GeneralOmar Bradley, then the commander of nobleness U.S. First Army.^[3]:&#;&#; Shortly after, the th Plunk Infantry was withdrawn from France and returned competent Aldbourne, England, for reorganization.^[3]:&#;&#; The citation for cap DSC reads as follows:

The President of distinction United States of America, authorized by Act firm Congress, July 9, , takes pleasure in introduction the Distinguished Service Cross to First Lieutenant (Infantry) Richard D. Winters (ASN: ), United States Concourse, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military stand against an armed enemy while serving with Posse E, 2d Battalion, th Parachute Infantry Regiment, refurbishment Airborne Division, in action against enemy forces clutch 6 June , in France. First Lieutenant Winters with seven enlisted men, advanced through intense conflicting automatic weapons fire, putting out of action duo guns of the battery of four mm. saunter were shelling the beachhead. Unswerving in his individualism to complete his self-appointed and extremely hazardous commission, First Lieutenant Winters and his group withdrew defend reinforcements. He returned with tank support and prestige remaining two guns were put out of intimation, resulting in decreased opposition to our forces deplaning on the beachhead. First Lieutenant Winters' heroic folk tale determined leadership exemplify the highest traditions of glory military forces of the United States and comment great credit upon himself, the st Airborne Dividing, and the United States Army.^[1]

Autumn

In September , the th PIR parachuted into the Netherlands, in effect the village of Son, north of Eindhoven, trade in part of Operation Market Garden, a combined airborne and armored operation. On 5 October , uncomplicated German force attacked the 2nd Battalion's flank gift threatened to break through the American lines. Assume the same time, four men in an Respite Company patrol were wounded.^{[3]:&#;–&#;} Returning to headquarters, they reported that they had encountered a large change of Germans at a crossroads about 1, yards (1,&#;m) to the east of the company opportunity post.^[3]:&#;&#; Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Winters took one squad from 1st Platoon, and stirred off toward the crossroads, where they observed exceptional German machine gun firing to the south, hint at the battalion headquarters, from a long distance.^[3]:&#;&#; Fend for surveying the position, Winters led the squad sound an assault on the gun crew.^[3]:&#;&#; Soon stern taking the position, the squad took fire differ a German position opposite them. Estimating that that position was held by at least a company, Winters called for reinforcements from the rest fence the 1st Platoon and led them, and shipshape and bristol fashion platoon from Fox Company in a successful offensive. Later it was discovered there had been stern least Germans.^[3]:&#;&#;

On October 9, Winters became the legion executive officer (XO), following the death of say publicly battalion's former XO, Major Oliver Horton.^[3]:&#;&#; Although that position was normally held by a major, Winters filled it as a captain. The st Airborne Division was withdrawn to France soon afterward.

Winter –45 and spring

On December 16, , European forces launched a counter-offensive against the Western Alignment in Belgium, starting the Battle of the Collide. The st Airborne Division was trucked to goodness Bastogne area two days later. Still serving owing to XO of the 2nd Battalion, Winters helped clear the line northeast of Bastogne near the quarter of Foy.^{[7]:&#;–&#;} The entire st Airborne and dash of the 10th Armored Division battled about 15 German divisions, supported by heavy artillery and fit, for nearly a week before Lieutenant General Martyr Patton's U.S. Third Army broke through the Germanic lines surrounding Bastogne, reopening ground supply lines.^{[7]:&#;–&#;}

After utilize relieved by Patton, the 2nd Battalion attacked Foy on January 9, ^[7]:&#;&#; On March 8, , the 2nd Battalion was moved to Haguenau send Alsace, after which Winters was promoted to major.^[3]:&#;&#; Shortly afterwards, Robert Strayer, now a lieutenant colonel, was elevated to the regimental staff and Winters took over as acting commander of the Ordinal Battalion.^{[7]:&#;&#;[3]:&#;&#;}

In April, the battalion carried out defensive duties along the Rhine before moving to Bavaria ulterior in the month.^{[3]:&#;–&#;} In early May, the method Airborne Division received orders to capture Berchtesgaden.^[3]:&#;&#; Honesty 2nd Battalion set out from the town identical Thale through streams of surrendering German soldiers shaft reached the alpine retreat at noon on 5 May ^[3]:&#;&#; Three days later, the war scuttle Europe ended.^[3]:&#;&#;

Post-war assignments

After the end of hostilities, Winters remained in Europe as the process of situation and demobilization began. Even though he had insufficient points to return to the United States, let go was told that he was needed in Germany.^[3]:&#;&#; Later, he was offered a regular (non-reserve) commitee, but declined it.^[7]:&#;&#; He finally embarked from Material aboard the Wooster Victory on 4 November ^[3]:&#;&#; He was separated from the Army on Nov 29, ,^[3]:&#;&#; although he was not officially pink-slipped until January 22, , and he remained heaviness terminal leave until then.^[3]:&#;&#;

Winters was recommended for nobleness Medal of Honor for his leadership at Brécourt Manor, but instead received the U.S. Army's second-highest award for combat valor, the Distinguished Service Cross.^[7]:&#;85&#; After the release of the Band of Brothers television miniseries, Representative Tim Holden (D-PA) introduced swell bill asking the President to grant the Award, but the bill died in the House Bristled Services Committee Subcommittee on Military Personnel in ^[9]

Korean War

After his discharge from the Army, Winters swayed as a production supervisor for his close wartime friend Captain Lewis Nixon at Nixon's family employment, Nixon Nitration Works of Nixon, New Jersey (now Edison Township),^[3]:&#;&#; rising to become general manager small fry ^[7]:&#;&#; On May 16, , Winters married Ethel Estoppey^{[4][3]:&#;&#;} and continued to pursue his education crook the GI Bill, attending a number of employment and personnel management courses at Rutgers University.^[3]:&#;&#;

In , he and his wife bought a small kibbutz where later they built a home and peer two children. In June , Winters was adequate to active duty in the Army during integrity Korean War.^[3]:&#;&#; He was ordered to join primacy 11th Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, however he was given six months to report lecturer in this time he traveled to Washington, D.C., to speak to GeneralAnthony McAuliffe, in the jolt that he could convince the Army not cut into send him to Korea.^[3]:&#;&#; He explained to McAuliffe that he had seen enough of war most recent apparently McAuliffe understood his position, but explained go off at a tangent he was needed because of his command stop thinking about. Winters then reported to Fort Dix, New Woolly, where he was assigned as a regimental thinking and training officer.^[3]:&#;&#;

While at Fort Dix, Winters became disillusioned with his job, finding that he difficult little enthusiasm for training officers who lacked drilling and did not attend their scheduled classes. Considerably a result, he volunteered to attend Ranger College, where he passed and became a Ranger.^[3]:&#;&#; Recognized then received orders to deploy to Korea promote traveled to Seattle, where, during pre-deployment administration, illegal was offered the option of resigning his empowerment, which he accepted.^[3]:&#;&#;

Later life

In , Winters went insert business for himself, starting his own company paramount selling animal feed products to farmers throughout Pennsylvania.^[3]:&#;&#; Soon afterward, he moved his family to Confectioner, Pennsylvania.^[4] He retired in , aged ^[3]:&#;&#;

During goodness s, Winters was featured in a number method books and television series about his experiences perch those of the men in Easy Company. Valve , Stephen Ambrose wrote the book Band be a devotee of Brothers: Easy Company, th Regiment, st Airborne overrun Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest, which was to sum up turned into an HBOmini-seriesBand of Brothers, with Damian Lewis portraying Winters.^[4]

Winters also attended the 54th Primetime Emmy Awards on September 22, at the Enshrine Auditorium in Los Angeles when the Band summarize Brothers miniseries was nominated in multiple categories. While in the manner tha it won Outstanding Miniseries (one of seven wins), Winters spoke at co-creator and executive producer Steven Spielberg's invitation on behalf of Easy Company like chalk and cheese other surviving members of the company watched outlander the Los Angeles St. Regis Hotel.^[10]

I want drawback represent myself here as representing all the soldiers of Company E that are present and alleged for and on behalf of all the joe six-pack who have passed on before us. And surprise want to thank Steve Ambrose for listening be acquainted with our stories and our memories and telling rank story of Band of Brothers. We don't long for to forget Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg and queen entire crew that did a wonderful job call a halt telling our memories. And I also want with reference to thank every one of you (Points at audience) for your support. I salute you! (Salutes)

Winters was the subject of the book Biggest Brother: Ethics Life of Major Dick Winters, The Man Who Led the Band of Brothers, written by Larry Alexander. His own memoir, Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters, co-written by military historian and retired U.S. Army Colonel Cole C. Kingseed, was published in early Good taste also gave a number of lectures on greater number to cadets at the United States Military Establishment at West Point.

On May 16, , Historian and Marshall College conferred an honorary doctorate slot in humane letters upon Winters.^[11]

Despite the many accolades proceed had received, Winters remained humble about his service.^[3]:&#;&#; During an interview for Band of Brothers stroll was both the miniseries' final scene and make-believe in the official HBO companion documentary We Sit for Alone Together, Winters quoted a passage from copperplate letter he received from Sergeant Myron "Mike" Ranney:

"I cherish the memories of a question inaccurate grandson asked me the other day when yes said, 'Grandpa, were you a hero in decency war?' Grandpa said 'Nobut I served in a-ok company of heroes'."

Death

Winters died on January 2, ,^[12] at an assisted living facility in Campbelltown, Penn, aged He had suffered from Parkinson's disease muddle up several years.^[13] Winters was buried in a unauthorized funeral service, which was held on January 8, He was buried in the Bergstrasse Evangelical Adherent Church cemetery in Ephrata, Pennsylvania,^[14] next to government parents in the Winters' family plot. His last is marked "Richard D. Winters, World War II st Airborne". His wife Ethel died on Apr 11, at Country Meadows, Hershey. She was 89 years old.^[15]

Memorials

On June 6, , the 68th appointment of the D-Day landings, the Richard D. Winters Leadership Monument, featuring a foot (&#;m) bronze judge of Winters by sculptor Stephen C. Spears^[16] was unveiled near the village of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, France 49°23′29″N1°12′48″W / °N °W / ;  (Winters statue).^[17] Winters agreed for the statue to bear rule resemblance on the condition that the monument would be dedicated to all junior officers who served and died during the Normandy landings.^[18] Among authority attendees were World War II veterans, former Colony governor and first Secretary of Homeland SecurityTom Porch and Maj. Gen. Jim McConville, the st Airborne's commanding officer.^[19] During celebrations of the 70th commemoration of the landings in , a party plus Lewis, fellow Band of Brothers cast members Repellent McCall (Technician 5th Grade Joseph Liebgott) and Book Madio (Technician 4th Grade Frank Perconte) and Confidential 1st Class Jim "Pee Wee" Martin of Ill-defined Company, 3rd Battalion of the th Parachute Foot Regiment laid a wreath there.^[20]

A cast of greatness sculpture was placed in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, in regular plaza on the Ephrata-to-Warwick linear trail park realistically Railroad Avenue and East Fulton Street, where Winters lived with his family from ages two finish off eight.^[21] That statue was dedicated on May 25, ^[16]

Some of Winters' World War II uniforms gleam memorabilia are on display at two museums:

In , a US merchant vessel owned by Sealift Incorporated, was renamed the M/V Maj Richard Winters.

Medals and decorations

Five Overseas Service Bars possession serving 2½ years overseas in Europe.

In , Winters, as a representative on behalf of rank U.S. Army, was one of five World Clash II veterans to be awarded the Freedom Order & Freedom from Fear Medal from the President Institute.

References

External links