One of my pet peeves has always been the casual use of the word "hero." Defining what is and is not a hero would be an interesting post for another time, but I can say with confidence that a true American hero passed away last week. This dude was the real deal, the kind of man you think only exists in classic WWII movies. Maj. Richard "Dick" Winters was one of the prime inspirations for the Stephen Ambrose book and HBO miniseries Band of Brothers, which for my money is the greatest depiction of World War II ever put on screen, big or small. Winters was an officer in E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne Division ("Easy"). Easy was a paratrooper unit that jumped behind enemy lines the night before D-Day and subsequently fought throughout Europe in some of the fiercest fighting on the Western Front until the surrender of Germany.
Winters was that rare combination of traits that made him a born leader. Modest and unassuming, yet decisive and quick thinking in times of crisis. He was universally loved by his men. Decades later, his men still talked of Winters in reverential tones. Winters himself, while willing to talk about his experiences for the miniseries and in his own book he wrote, never took the glory for himself. His famous quote that he borrowed from a fellow veteran, when asked whether he considered himself a "hero" and responded "no, but I served in a company of heroes," became the tagline for the miniseries.
ABOVE: Maj. Winters with actor Damien Lewis, who portrayed Winters in HBO's Band of Brothers
When asked about leadership, Winters once stated "If you can, find that peace within yourself, that peace and quiet and confidence that you can pass on to others, so that they know that you are honest and you are fair and will help them, no matter what, when the chips are down." Calm under fire was one of the characteristics that his men often mention.
Winters didn't have a lot of preparation for his leadership position. The commanding officer of Easy was killed on D-Day, and Winters took command of the Company in the field behind enemy lines in France. Winters's exploits are legendary. Early during the invasion, he led 13 men to destroy a German battery and recovered detailed plans of German defenses on Utah Beach. He later led 20 men in a successful attack on 200 German soldiers. His intricate attacks are still reviewed as case studies at West Point.
William Guarnere, one of the men who served under Winters, summed it up when he stated "I would follow him to hell and back. So would the men from E Company." As long as there are men like Dick Winters in our military, and I do believe that there are, The United States will remain a strong and honorable country.
RIP Maj. Winters.
Below, split into two parts, is the assault on the German battery where Winters and his men recover the German defense plans from Band of Brothers. A fantastic 12 minutes.
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