Major Winters, leader of the Band of Brothers, rests with his brothers.

A personification of American greatness, Major Richard Winters, Executive Officer, Easy Company, 101st Airborne, WW2 (aka, Band of Brothers) died January 2nd. Easy Company was the most decorated company of WW2 and was always in the heat of the worst battles. Against impossible odds and outrageous circumstances they prevailed, lragely upon Winters character and leadership.

Winters, with Tom Hanks, receiving an Emmy for the HBO series, "Band of Brothers". The German command structure didn’t allow for as much improvisation by lower level troops, they had to wait for orders. Americans had much more leeway to improvise without requiring orders. Front level officers like Winters were our secret weapon. Like the Swamp Fox in the Revolutionary War, he out-maneuvered superior forces. He lead a bunch of rugged individuals into a cohesive unit by example. He commanded their respect and loyalty.

William Guarnere, 88, said: 'When he said "Let's go", he was right in the front. He was never in the back. A leader personified'.

Another member of the unit, Edward Heffron, 87, said thinking about Winters brought tears to his eyes. 'He was one hell of a guy, of the greatest soldiers I was ever under. He was a wonderful officer, a wonderful leader. He had what you needed, guts and brains', Mr Heffron shared. 'He took care of his men, that's very important.'

Mr Winters became the leader of Company E, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne Division on D-Day after his company commander died during the invasion of Normandy. He successfully led 20 men in an attack on a German force of 200 soldiers in September 1944. He and his men later helped hold the Bastogne area of Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge - he was promoted to major shortly thereafter.

Winters personifies the Great American Spirit. Long may it live in the hearts of our people!

Major Winters was a military hero, not only to his men but anyone who watched the Band of Brothers HBO Series. Today's children need to have listened to him and other members of the armed forces from WWII. Thousands of men and women died in WWII protecting the rights of all free men in the United States and all over the globe. Many people forget what sacrifices these men gave in order to save the world from Hitler, Tojo and other dictators. Every time I watch the mini series Band of Brothers, I especially remember at the end when Major Winters recounts a question asked to him by his grandson. Grandpa, are you a hero?? And Winters answers, no, but I served with many of them. With this humble answer, I always tear up. Knowing I will never be able to sit down and speak to many of the WWII heroes is a great disappointment. My father-in-law served in WWII and was stationed in the Aleutian Islands. The one place in the United States that the Japanese actually invaded boots on. He passed away a couple of years ago and I will always hold a special place in my heart for that man. He was also a hero but always downplayed his role in the war.
I served in the U.S. Army from 1978 to 1987 when I was medically retired due to wounds receiving while being on duty. While my wife's father was alive, he never talked to anyone about his experiences in the military except to me. I was privileged enough to have the respect of this man. If I didn't serve in the Army, I don't believe he would have opened up to me.
Going back to Major Winters, I want to pass my heart felt condolences onto his family for the great loss we all have experienced with Winter's passing. I also want to give my heart felt respect to all the men whom he was in command of, both the men who never left Europe and those that did. This country owes our very soul to them and all others who served for this great country of ours. We need to make sure we keep this country the way we got it from our past generations, GREAT AND FREE.

My Dad went in Day 2 of D-Day, sleeping in water-filled fox holes due to night time shelling and bombing. He was wounded in his leg with shrapnel, but was soon returned until the Germans surrendered.

They shipped him 58 days to through the Panama Canal to Okinawa where he awaited the invasion of Japan, Operation Downfall. 500,000-1,000,000 American troops (not including Japanese) were projected casualties until the atomic bombs were dropped. They saved a multitude of both American and Japanese lives.

During the afternoon of D-Day, he led an attack that destroyed a battery of German 105 mm howitzers which were firing onto the causeways that served as the principal exits from Utah Beach. The guns were defended by approximately one platoon of fifty German troops, while Winters had only thirteen men. This action south of the village of Le Grand-Chemin is often referred to as the Brécourt Manor Assault. The attack is still taught at the military academy at West Point as an example of a textbook assault on a fixed position. In addition to destroying the battery, Winters also obtained a map detailing all German defenses in the Utah Beach area.

Winters was recommended for the Medal of Honor for his leadership at Brécourt Manor, but due to the quota system which limited the distribution of the award to only one per division, and since one Medal of Honor had already been awarded—to Lieutenant Colonel Robert G. Cole—the recommendation was downgraded to the Distinguished Service Cross, the U.S. Army’s second highest award for combat valor.

July 1st, 1944, he was presented with the Distinguished Service Cross by General Omar N. Bradley, who was then the commanding officer of the First Army.

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