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Major Dick Winters, of 'Band of Brothers' fame, dies

Discussion in 'WWII Obituaries' started by Keystone Two-Eight, Jan 9, 2011.

  1. cd13

    cd13 Member

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    Rest in Peace, Mr. Winters. My thoughts go out to his many friends and family. I certainly enjoyed his story.
     
  2. texson66

    texson66 Ace

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    Major Winters apparently fought the good fight with Parkinson's disease. I just donated to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research in his memory:
    "Major Richard Winters, USA ---- "Currahee!"

    You may donate in his memory at The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research

    RIP, Major Winters
     
  3. namvet

    namvet Member

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    he will be missed. gone but never forgotten. RIP hero

    [​IMG]
     
  4. kerrd5

    kerrd5 Ace

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    "On a small hill outside Ephrata, a red-brick church stands as a shepherd over a modest cemetery. The only sounds that pierce the winter twilight are the rumble of trucks on a nearby road and the soft crunch of frozen snow underfoot.

    "Down a paved pathway, near a far corner of the cemetery, a circular monument rises toward the sky, a family’s shrine amid the memorials of this central Pennsylvania farming community.

    "Nearby, a few simple headstones in a row mark the resting places of loved ones.

    "The second from the end, an unadorned stone, reads simply 'Richard D. Winters.'”

    World War II hero Dick Winters was 'the kind of person that people wish they could be' | PennLive.com


    Ephrata is a small quaint town near Lancaster, in the PA Dutch country.

    http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=40.137941,-76.273956&spn=0.476642,1.209869&z=10


    Dave
     
  5. A-58

    A-58 Cool Dude

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    I wonder if Damien Lewis, the British actor that portrayed Maj. Winters in the HBO mini-series gave a statement. If anyone comes across it, please post it here if you don't mind.
     
  6. namvet

    namvet Member

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    more comments here.................link

    I never knew Lewis was British. and I dare say most if not all Americans do

    I also wonder if Winters had any say in Lewis playing his part
     
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  7. ULITHI

    ULITHI Ace

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    Did anyone see any news coverage on TV on his passing?

    I didn't see anything myself and I attributed it to being overlooked by the tragedy in Arizona.

    I understand if that is indeed the case, but it is still unfortunate. He was an awe-inspiring man.
     
  8. LRusso216

    LRusso216 Graybeard Staff Member

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    I'm pretty sure I saw a brief story on my local (Philadelphia) news last night, but I can't find a link to the story. It was short, but at least it was reported.
     
  9. dash rip rock

    dash rip rock Member

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    On another site, a poster said something that I thought was very poignant for Major Winters and many other WW2 vets who are now passing on in their 90's: He got the greatest reward a combat hero could get, a full, happy and long life.

    RIP to Major Winters, and to all the other veterans of all the other wars. The world as we know it today would not be possible without the countless brave men (and women) throughout history who were (and are) willing to sacrifice their all for freedom.
     
  10. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Good Ol' Boy Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    You got that right, Dash. And seeing the kind of man he was, I am sure that he appreciated it every day of his life.
     
  11. Biak

    Biak Boy from Illinois Staff Member

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    I don't know if this was broadcast but here is a snippet from CNN;

    He was behind enemy lines on the most decisive day of World War II with nothing but a knife.
    "I later discovered that in our small contingent from Easy Company, we all lost our leg bags and ended up using whatever weapons he could scrounge," Winters wrote in his memoirs. "This was a hell of a way to begin a war."


    Central figure in 'Band of Brothers' dead at 92 - CNN.com

    Rest in Peace :poppy:
     
  12. A-58

    A-58 Cool Dude

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    Many, if not most of the speaking parts in the BoB were British actors. They were selected for their resemblance to the real life counterparts. For more information about this and other trivia concerning BoB, go to www.imdb.com for the full story of the production.
     
  13. A-58

    A-58 Cool Dude

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    Double post here, move along, nothing to see....
     
  14. 693FA

    693FA Member

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  15. kerrd5

    kerrd5 Ace

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    An ordinary man who did extraordinary things.

    "The major put his aging hands around a cup of steaming soup, looked up from his seat in the deli booth and said something astounding:

    “'Ethel and I went walking in the mall this morning … '

    "I cannot recall what he said afterwards. How could I? Major Dick Winters, whose World War II exploits as commander of Easy Company, 506th Parachute Regiment, made him one of if not the principal character in the Emmy Award-winning miniseries Band of Brothers, a man considered for the Medal of Honor, was a mall walker?"

    Winters: Discovering The Man Behind The Legend - Pennsylvania News Story - WGAL The Susquehanna Valley
     
  16. highlander 75

    highlander 75 recruit

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    I was always interested in WW2 .very interested. and from a very young age

    but then Band of Brothers came along and this group of American Paratroopers came onto my TV, and into my life.

    The series had quite an effect on me.

    The boys of Easy Co. 506 101st airborne were just a few amongst the millions of Allied combatants who fought and died in WW2.

    But I felt like I knew them. A story well told ,I guess .and a film well made

    Anyway,I finished building my house in a little corner of Scotland about 6 years ago .

    I called my house Currahee :)

    Hopefully one day,I`ll be able to cross the pond and walk up that mountain in Georgia

    RIP Dick Winters.



    Mac .
    Scotland
     
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  17. German 3rd SS

    German 3rd SS recruit

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    I wonder, now that this great man has passed, will they speed up the process to upgrade his DSC to the Medal Of Honor? Iknow that it has been in Congress from some time. I mean he went above and beyond when he assaulted those guns on D-Day. I just wonder if the "powers that be" were in fact waiting for him to pass before they did it. I hope that he is now at peace and with his fellow soldiers that fought along his side during those critical yrs.
     
  18. JGarman

    JGarman Member

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    I just finished reading his book. Not sure if he would want them to "upgrade" his DSC. He was such a modest man. It was totally deserving though. This man makes me proud to call my self an American and also pushes me to become a better person. I hope you all are right and they are all up there some where sitting around a table telling stories again....

    RIP Major Winters.

    Josh
     
  19. luketdrifter

    luketdrifter Ace

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    I'm glad I revisited this thread, and was able to read some of the articles that some Rogues linked to.
     
  20. C.Evans

    C.Evans Expert

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    I was in Germany and Switzerland (where at least some of it was filmed) during their filming the series. I THINK my friend Juerg, said something about seeing some cast and crew while out and about not far from where he lives in Switzerland. I remember watching news stories on this on his TV set. Also, at the same time, there was something about the find of a shotdown American Bomber, that has also been discovered somewhere in Switzerland.
     

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