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RIP Major Winters

Discussion in 'History Forum' started by RoninFin4, Jan 11, 2011.

  1. RoninFin4

    RoninFin4 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    This is my first time in the History Forum, gotta say I'm pretty impressed. I'm a major World War II history buff (and all modern combat, especially jet fighters). I have been ever since I used to spend summers at my Grandpa's and we played Carrier Strike and with all of his old counter-surveillance stuff from his days in the Army (between WWII and Korea).

    One of the things he'd always done was read books, mostly WWII things as that was the generation he grew up in. Obviously I've taken a liking to it (still working through the "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich").

    I'm guessing a lot of people are familiar with the Band of Brothers book by Stephen Ambrose, as well as the DVD series produced by Steven Speilberg and Tom Hanks. I own the series and it's a great one - definitely got me interested in the 101st Airborne and more into WWII.

    Just saw on the news and had a buddy text me that Major Richard "Dick" Winters - the leader of Easy Company of the 101st Airborne, famous for holding the town of Bastogne throughout the Battle of the Bulge passed away yesterday. He truly was, in my eyes, a great American war hero.

    For anyone interested, here's his website: http://www.majordickwinters.com/

    ...and a nice article on him: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obi...my-obituaries/8253502/Major-Dick-Winters.html
     
  2. padre31

    padre31 Premium Member Luxury Box

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    Well he did make it to 92, he had that long and hopefully happy life.
     
  3. RoninFin4

    RoninFin4 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I'd think so. Re-watched some of the extra footage from the BOB series, and he seemed to be pretty at peace with life - IIRC that came out 6/7 years ago, so he was mid-late 80's. Certainly did his part for the USA.
     
    padre31 likes this.
  4. MrClean

    MrClean Inglourious Basterd Club Member

    Major Winters was about as fine a military leader as there ever was. He had an air about him. Before he took over as company commander, and just led his platoon, he was right out there in front, risking his life and never asking the men to do anything he would not do. Listening to the real Major Winters talking about things back then, before and after the Band of Bros episodes, he just seemed like such a regular guy. If you were to meet him later in life, and didn't know, you would never guess he was a hero.
    Then again, the men of Easy didn't consider themselves heroes anyway.
     
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  5. gafinfan

    gafinfan gunner Club Member

    So true, they never do. While there are those who go after Medals and glory the real heros look at what they did as nothing more than doing their duty! Amazing really!:yes:

    I had 2 Uncles who saw action during WWII and brought home a bunch of medals yet in all my years around them they never said a thing about their time under fire, save the one Uncle in the Army who opened up to me some what when we traded war stories one summer afternoon years ago. He was a true hero in my book!
     
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