"In the Footsteps of Band of Brothers"

"On Thursday, Oct. 5, 1944, Capt. Dick Winters, commander of Easy Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne, faced a monumental decision. He and about 35 men were lying in a shallow ditch, a mile or so east of the small Dutch town of Heteren. Half a mile to their left was the Rhine River, while on their immediate right flank was the Randwijkse Rijndijk, a road set atop a dike, leading to the town of Randwijk about a mile to Winters' rear.

"Some 300 yards ahead was the Rekumsa Veerweg, another road mounted on a dike that led toward a ferry crossing to the Rhine, then to the village of Rekumsa, just visible over the river. Beyond the Rekumsa Veerweg dike were German soldiers. How many, Winters did not know. But he knew they were there. And they knew where he was as well."

Guest Insights: Easy Company's natural-born leader - Larry Alexander

 

I love Dick Winters, or at least the image of him that has become legend thanks to "Band of Brothers". It is easy to identify with this image and aspire to it as a leader. However, he was one of the 1,000s of fine officers and NCOs who served and led with similar brilliance.

"The attack that dreary October day is a prime example of what sets Winters apart from other officers and makes him one of World War II's finest small-unit leaders."

I have a hard time agreeing with this statement in the article, because it holds up Winters as an icon. There are other examples of fine leaders and small unit commanders who served and led with a similar brilliance and heroism. Some, perhaps many, were not as lucky in combat, and had their brilliant lives ended before we could learn their names. Some have already had their day in the sun (Audie Murphy) and others still wait to be recognized by the masses (Charles B. MacDonald).

This is not to take anything away from what Winters did, or how he led, or what he achieved for himself and those who served with him. I just think it would be nice to shine the light on the countless others who served with equal skill and distinction.