Major Richard Winters (Image via Wikipedia)
Major Richard Winters, the famous commanding officer of Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division during the Second World War, and inspiration for Band of Brothers, has died at the age of 92. He had been suffering from Parkinsons for several years, and requested a private family funeral.
Born in Pennsylvania in 1918, Winters graduated college in 1941 with a degree in Business. Enlisting in the US Army in August 1941, in April 1942 he was selected for Officer Training. It was during officer training that he met his friend Lewis Nixon. He then joined the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment at Camp Toccoa in Georgia. Initially serving as a platoon commander in Easy Company under Captain Herbert Sobel.
In September 1943 the 101st Airborne Division arrived in England, in readiness for the invasion of Europe. Whilst in England Sobel charge Winters for supposedly failing to carry out an order. When Winters requested a court martial he was seconded out of the Company to act as Battalion mess officer. Several Easy Company NCO’s, however, later threated to resign if they were forced into action with Sobel. The Regiment’s CO, Colonel Sink, took a very dim view of their actions, but sidelined Sobel none the less.
Winters returned to Easy Company as a platoon commander, whilst Lieutenant Thomas Meehan was given command of Easy Company. Meehan was killed on D-Day when his Dakota was destroyed, putting Winters in charge of Easy Company. Later on D-Day Winters led a text book assault on a German artillery position at Brecourt Manor. Winters was later awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his leadership in the attack, which is still taught at West Point today. It later transpired that Winters had been recommended for the Congressional Medal of Honour, but an imposed quota of one Medal of Honour per Division prevented his receiving the higher award. In July 1944 Winters was promoted to Captain.
Winters and Easy Company took part in Operation Market Garden in September 1944. In October 1944 Winters was promoted to act as the Battalion’s Executive Officer. Whilst the Division was in reserve in December 1944 the Germans launched their last-gasp Ardennes Offensive. The 101st were rushed into action in bitter conditions and against heavy opposition, holding the vital crossroads town of Bastogne.VE Day found Winters and the 101st in Austria.
At the end of the war Winters was offered a regular commission in the US Army, but declined. He returned to the US in October 1945. Winters worked for Lewis Nixon’s family business, a nitration works in New Jersey. In 1951 he was recalled to the US to train recruits going to fight in the Korean War. After leaving the Army for the last time he started his own animal feed company, before retiring in 1997.
Winters always remained remarkably humble about his distinguished service. Even when the Book and then TV series of Band of Brothers appeared and Winters won worldwide fame, he remained completely modest. He famously quoted one of his men on the TV programme:
“I cherish the memories of a question my grandson asked me the other day when he said, ‘Grandpa, were you a hero in the war?’ Grandpa said ‘No… but I served in a company of heroes…’”
Personally I find Richard Winters to be one of the most inspiring leaders of the Twentieth Century, and certainly one of the best junior officers of the Second World War. Even when it comes to everyday life, or working in a non-military environment, thinking about Richard Winter’s leadership style is extremely useful. Winters is the best example I have ever seen that to be a great leader, you do not have to run around wearing your rank and shouting your mouth off for the hell of it.
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And here I sit, watching NBC’s Nightly News, and all they can talk about is the shooting of a Congresswoman in Tucson. Yes, it’s a tragedy. But the entire media monster over here has been grinding away since this happened, with coverage that in essence says, “We’re here to tell you we have nothing new to tell you.” Meanwhile, an American hero, truly a great member of the “greatest generation”, has left us, and all we can do is worry about Facebook pages and pundits language. And now to the weather. Guess that shows how much America values her heroes.
Having read of the death of Major Richard Winters I wish to send sympathy and condolences to his family, friends and comrades.
I was born in England in 1941, and owe my liberty to men like Dick Winters.
My only contact with him was the “Band of Brothers” series, and the book of the same name, but I was struck by the leadership and integrity he displayed.
He strikes me as the type of person we need in todays troubled world.
May I express my sincere condolences to Dick Winters` family.
With deepest respect to a man of honour.
I, a stranger, feel a sense of loss at his passing.
But he is not dead, but has merely passed through a door to the next world, and is now behind a veil that we cannot see through.
May I offer my condolences to the Winters family.
God be with you at this time.
John Hill,
Lancashire, England
As an American, I thank you, John, for the condolences. Mr. Winters was indeed a great man, and one who served his country both as a military hero and a wonderful family man. Tomorrow, we here in SE Ohio will bury a man much like Dick Winters – Samuel Lee Kimball. He was not quite the same level of military hero as Mr. Winters, serving in the US Air Force during the Korean war, but he served his country well, came back to this same corner of Ohio in which he was born and raised, and went on to have a large family and to work for the betterment of his fellow semi-truck drivers (HGV lorries, I believe is the British term). He was a great man, and though I only knew him for a few years, I too am deeply saddened by his departure from this world. I consider myself truly honoured by him calling me his friend, and in salute, we will put out a large number of flags when he comes past our house on his final journey. The world is a lesser place for the loss of such men. Heaven knows we could use more people like Mr. Winters and Lee, especially in these post-Tucson-shooting days. But they have given us so much, and now is the time for them to rest. Let us honour them both by carrying forward their experiences, both military and civilian, and make ourselves and our countries worthy of the honours they have given us.
And James, my apologies for the hijack of your blog. I return the reins to you, my friend. Thank you!