🇺🇲WWII uncovered: Legends of World War II: Honoring Major Dick Winters of Easy Company♠️

 

Richard "Dick" Winters enlisted in the US Army on August 25, 1941 in New Cumberland Pennsylvania. He was 23 years old.

According to The US Department of Veterans Affairs: "Dick reported for basic training at Camp Croft, South Carolina in 1942. 

Winters was selected to attend the Army Officer Cadet School (OCS) in Fort Benning, Georgia. Once he completed his time at OCS he was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division commissioned as a Second Lieutenant.

 In the 101st, Richard volunteered for the paratrooper training program and was assigned to Company E, commonly referred to as "Easy Company," of the 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 2nd Platoon, where he was made platoon leader. 

The regiment was considered experimental at the time as they were part of the first soldiers to be given airborne training. 

While still in paratrooper training, Richard would receive another promotion, this time to the rank of First Lieutenant and assigned the role of Executive Officer of 1st Platoon. 

Dick along with the rest of the 101st Airborne Division, was deployed to England in September 1943 to begin preparing for the invasion of Normandy."

"Eventually, this training was put into action and in the early hours of June 6, 1944, Easy Company was deployed alongside the 82nd and the rest of the 101st Airborne Divisions to commence Operation Overlord and the D-Day invasion." - The US Department of Veterans Affairs Blog

"During the early moments of this operation, the plane carrying all of Easy Company's leading officers, who made up the Company  Headquarters, was shot down, which left Richard, a First Lieutenant, as the acting commanding officer. 

In the following days, he destroyed a full battery of German howitzers and the platoon that commanded them, as well as acquired key information detailing German defenses at Utah Beach.

 Richard achieved these feats with only 13 of his men used in the action dubbed, the Brecourt Manor Assault. 

Richard was recommended for the Medal of Honor and received the Distinguished Service Cross and a promotion to the rank of Captain for his actions. He would go on to fight in Operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge. On March 8, 1945, Richard was promoted to the rank of Major." - The US Department of Veterans Affairs

"After World War II, he stayed in Europe as part of the occupation and demobilization effort even though he had the option of returning home. Dick was later offered a regular commission, as opposed to his reserve commission, but declined and was discharged in January 22, 1946.

 Upon his return to the US, he would meet and marry Ethel Estoppey. The couple was married on May 16, 1948 in New Jersey and had two children. In 1951, Dick was reactivated by the Army and trained infantry and Army Rangers at Fort Dix, New Jersey for three more years. 

In later years Dick Winters and his family relocated to Hershey Pennsylvania. After starting his own business he retired in 1997.

Major Richard Davis Winters passed away on January 2, 2011 at the age of 92. He lies in rest at the Bergstrasse Cemetery in Ephrata, Pennsylvania. Rest in peace Sir and thank you for a lifetime of service. You are truly the meaning of the Greatest Generation. Lest We Forget.

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