Winters’ Discontent

Richard Winters, who single-handedly defeated the Nazis in World War II as commanding officer of Easy Company, the Army unit immortalized in the book and TV series Band of Brothers, has died at the age of 92. Company E of the 101st Airborne parachuted behind enemy lines ahead of the landing on D-Day, with Winters assuming command of the unit that day after his commanding officer was killed. Winters led the 13 members of his scatter squad that he could find and and overtook a battery of howitzers manned by 50 Germans. The company fought in the Battle of the Bulge, liberated a concentration camp and captured Hitler’s private retreat at at Berchtesgaden, Germany, while Winters was promoted to captain and then major along the way. Winters earned his men’s respect and loyalty by leading the unit from in front, putting himself in the same danger his men faced. All told, Winters won the Distinguished Service Cross ribbon, 2 Bronze Stars, a Purple Heart, the Presidential Unit Citation ribbon, American Defense Service ribbon, National Defense Service Medal ribbon, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign ribbon, World War II Victory Medal ribbon, Army of Occupation ribbon, Croix de guerre 1939-1945 with palm, French Liberation Medal ribbon, Oorlogskruis with Palm, Belgian WWII Service Medal, Army Good Conduct ribbon, Combat Infantry Badge, and US Army Airborne basic parachutist badge. Winters and his men had held reunions and kept written accounts of their exploits, essentially handing Stephen Ambrose a plethora of material for him to plagiarize, misrepresent and misquote in Band of Brothers.