Captain Richard Winters

OMG!!! If what I witnessed on Band Of Brothers the other night of Captain Winters'exploits in Holland are true-that man should have been awarded the Medal Of Honor!!!
I know he earnt the DSC in Normandy at Bercourt Manor for destroying 4 105mm batteries, but other than that-can anyone point me to a good reference point to learn more about him???
Many thanks in advance...

 

I read he made Major and commanded Easy Company, 506th PIR, 101st Airborne for the duration of the war, but was robbed of the CMH because 1 CMH was prescribed to each division during the Normandy campaign and the CMH of the 101st went to a senior commander who led a bayonet charge...

I also know that his assault on the German position at Bercourt Manor is still used as a textbook study of an assault on a fixed position at the US Military Academy, West Point.

 

Certainly he deserved more than he achieved. All the actions shown in "Band of Brothers" are really great, (even if they show German soldiers as dumps... ). And I loved that at the end of the series he is interviewed and tells his thoughts with tears in his eyes.

The commnader of what lead a bayonet attack? Division commander? Taylor or McAuliffe?

 

He's not mentioned by name-not a divisional commander-just more senior than a Lieutenant. He led a bayonet charge and was KIA later on...

 

Bah! Then...

What a stupid policy! Just one Medal of Honour per division...

 

That's what I thought Friedrich-basically It is denying men true recognition of their bravery-It doesn't take away from the merit of the award to give many-HOW STUPID-In my book, Major Winters is listed in my MOH recipient list!!!

 

MAJOR RICHARD WINTERS-MOH

FOR GALLANTRY IN ACTION ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY, DISPLAYING A FORTITUDE UNSURPASSED, AT THE RISK OF HIS OWN LIFE, TO CARRY OUT AN OBJECTIVE SO THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE.
MAJOR (THEN LIEUTENANT) WINTERS LED AN AUDACIOUS ATTACK ON A GERMAN ARTILLERY BATTERY THREATENING TO BREAK UP AN ADVANCE OF AMERICAN TROOPS INTO NORMANDY.
FEARLESSLY EXPOSING HIMSELF TO FIRE-WHILE CALMLY GIVING ORDERS AND PERSONALLY DIRECTING ATTACKS ON TEH ACTUAL GUNS, AND THEN CREDITED WITH THE DESTRUCTION OF 4 GUNS, LT WINTERS HELPED TO HASTEN THE ADVANCE INTO ENEMY TERRITORY, AND SAVE THE LIVES OF COUNTLESS OTHERS.
HIS ACTIONS, AND GREAT PERSONAL BRAVERY EVEN WHEN IT WAS NOT ASKED OF HIM REFLECT GREATLY UPON HIMSELF, CONTRIBUTE TO THE GREAT HONOURS OF HIS UNIT, THE 101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION, AND THE UNITED STATES ARMY.

 

Was he awarded the medal or not?

 

No Friedrich-I just made that citation up...

 

The Americans are very unfair even with its heroes...

 

That would be Lt. Col. Cole of the 502nd PIR.

COLE, ROBERT G.

Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, 101st Airborne Division. Place and date: Near Carentan, France, 11 June 1944. Entered service at: San Antonio, Tex. Birth: Fort Sam Houston, Tex. G.O. No.: 79, 4 October 1944.

CITATION:
For gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty on 11 June 1944, in France. Lt. Col. Cole was personally leading his battalion in forcing the last 4 bridges on the road to Carentan when his entire unit was suddenly pinned to the ground by intense and withering enemy rifle, machinegun, mortar, and artillery fire placed upon them from well-prepared and heavily fortified positions within 150 yards of the foremost elements. After the devastating and unceasing enemy fire had for over 1 hour prevented any move and inflicted numerous casualties, Lt. Col. Cole, observing this almost hopeless situation, courageously issued orders to assault the enemy positions with fixed bayonets. With utter disregard for his own safety and completely ignoring the enemy fire, he rose to his feet in front of his battalion and with drawn pistol shouted to his men to follow him in the assault. Catching up a fallen man's rifle and bayonet, he charged on and led the remnants of his battalion across the bullet-swept open ground and into the enemy position. His heroic and valiant action in so inspiring his men resulted in the complete establishment of our bridgehead across the Douve River. The cool fearlessness, personal bravery, and outstanding leadership displayed by Lt. Col. Cole reflect great credit upon himself and are worthy of the highest praise in the military service.

Sadly, Cole was killed before he could receive the Medal of Honor. Three months later, on September 18, 1944 a sniper killed twenty-nine year old LTC Cole during Operation Market Garden while taking the bridge at Best, Holland.

 

Buried at Margraten. This was his grave at the 2004 Memorial Service.

[ 13. December 2005, 05:51 AM: Message edited by: Stevin ]

 

Have any of you read the book "Biggest Brother"? it is an excellent account of the life of Major Winters. Very intersting read but the author's name escapes me...

 

The author's name is Larry Alexander. Nice guy and he doesn't live too far from me either. I'm not finished with the book yet but so far so good. I think it's better than Band of Brothers.

By the way, welcome to the forums Kilroy!

 

Thanks for the welcome Col. and for the name of that author.

 

I remember the guy that led that bayonet charge. I read it somewhere...

 

I think if you are going to talk about Winter's exploits then the one that impressed me more was the recon and prisoner patrol late in the series. I forget where they were but they had made a patrol accross a canal on the previous night and succeeded in getting some information and prisoners back. Their commander then said to do it again the following night, what a moron. In the face of this task Winters brought his men together and briefed them on the repeat of the exercise. At the conclusion he told them all to go find somewhere to get some sleep and told his intelligence officer to create an after action report that detailed their effort and indicated that they had failed to gather any information.

That is heroism and gallentry and dedication to our men! That is the kind of effort that should be awarded and recognized.

 

I don't think you can be decorated for disobeying a direct order from the regimental commander.

But, I do agree that it was a good decision on Winter's part. For Colonel Sink to order a patrol like that so late in the war is just plain stupidity. These men survived Normandy, Holland, and Bastogne. One men already died on the last patrol. Why waste more good men?

"'Now Sink wasn’t being mean when he ordered the second patrol,' Winters said looking back 58 years later. 'He was proud of what we had done. But it was a dumb, dumb decision.'
Winters filed no after action report on the patrol that never was, nor did Sink ever request one. Perhaps he knew the second patrol never occurred, perhaps he didn’t. Either way he said nothing."
-Biggest Brother by Larry Alexander

By the way, welcome back to the forums, Ice. I haven't seen you in a while.

 

He was a great man, and a true hero. I think all of our soldiers who risk their lifes in combat are heroes. Maybe he should have got the Medal of Honor, he did alot of brave stuff, and was an excellent leader.

 

There are two great books on Major Winters....Biggest Brother-The life of Maj. Dick Winters, by Larry Alexander, and Beyond Band of Brothers-which are his war memoirs. Both EXCELLENT reads. There is a bit of a push on to award him the MOH.