Posted on 03/06/2006 7:08:13 PM PST by thorshammer
I just read about this petition to get Major Winters a Medal of Honor, for his action on 6 June 1944 at Brecourt Manor, to disable a battery of German 105mm guns, that were shelling Utah beach. The award was passed by Congress in 2002(HR2790) To award the MOH. It has been stalled by an under secretary of Defence, and has not been sent to Rumsfeld's desk.
Major Winters is 87 years old and in ill health with Parkinson's Disease, and a weak heart.
I agree wholeheartedly and signed the petition some time back.
Oops. Support this ture American Hero. Click the link above for the petition
Well, I'm confused now. which is it, a truth American hero, or a ture American hero? Quick, before I make a fool of myself & sign the wrong petition.
If anyone deserves the Medal of Honor its Major Dick Winters. They should present to him before he joins the ranks of our other departed veterans.
Just finished "The Biggest Brother" by Alexander. Great book about a great American.
A true hero indeed. And truly deserving.
But after finishing his memoir, I think he would prefer that the rest of Easy Company get even more credit for that day than was acknowledged. He's on record saying that the others with him that day deserved more than the Bronze Star...
It's just the kind of man he is.
Thank God my generation is proving it now too.
Its a great gesture but for some unknown reason, I don't believe Winters would go along with the award. I'm sure he would be flattered with the idea but would he want it? He doesn't strike me as the kind of person who would seek it or accept it at this time, or any other. Its just my thoughts on the mater. Would you still feel this way if the movie hadn't been made? If so, why not after Ambros wrote the book that proceeded the movie?
Ooops, "preceded the movie".
He's pretty straight forward about it in his book. He doesn't see himself as a hero...in his mind only those that died deserve the title. Not sure he'd like people to go through "the fuss of it."
Great book, written by a local author about a local hero here in PA. Petition signed!
I thought the video was awesome, of course, but the interviews with the real Dick Winters on the DVD version were humbling. I remember turning to my wife and saying "If that man ever walked into a restaurant where I was eating, I'd stand till he was seated."
She thought I was nuts, since I don't usually wax melodramatic.
But Winters was a real Johm Wayne. I highly recommend that everyone see his interviews on Band OB.
The Brecourt Manor assault is still taught via demonstration at West Point.
Here's a great site that shows a detailed slide show of how the whole thing went down.
http://www.brecourtassault.com/assault.htm
JOHN Wayne.
Thanks for the link. I had always wanted to get an overview look of that assault.
He served in the company of heros' His own words.
You're totally right and I think that's the biggest reason he wouldn't want any more accolades than he's already gotten.
He's a very humble man and I respect him for saying that his whole company where heros.
But I do believe he deserves the MOH, not only because he was a highly decorated solider, but because he also displayed and projected the leadership the men around him needed when they most needed it. His leadership abilities saved many american solider lives and helped win the war.
He's exactly the type of person deserving of the MOH. It sets a high bar for who is deserving of it and shows the type of character a person awarded it should have.
I hope he gets it.
I thought they might have been 88's
but maybe not :
http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/105mm/index.html
We need to recognize the special courage and leadership the greatest generation gave in this country's service during WW-II and other 20th century conflicts. Efforts are being made in South Dakota to secure a MOH for a Native American soldier for his valor in the Korean War...one of those typical governemnet operations where the paperwork got lost for years.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.