Joseph Liebgott
| Joseph Liebgott | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Birth name | Joseph D. Liebgott, Jr. |
| Nickname(s) | "Joe", "Sonny", "The Barber" |
| Born |
May 17, 1915 Lansing, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | June 28, 1992 (aged 77) San Bernardino, California, U.S. |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1942–1945 |
| Rank |
 Technician Fifth Grade
|
| Unit | Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
World War II Victory Medal Presidential Unit Citation (2OLC) Bronze Star Medal Purple Heart |
| Spouse(s) | Peggy Liebgott (1949-1967) |
| Relations | Joseph Liebgott III (son) Jim Liebgott (son) |
| Other work | Barber |
Joseph D. Liebgott, Jr. (17 May 1915 - 28 June 1992) was a United States Army soldier during World War II. During the war, he served as a non-commissioned officer with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division.
Liebgott was portrayed in the 2001 HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by Ross McCall. Liebgott's life story was featured in the 2010 book A Company of Heroes: Personal Memories about the Real Band of Brothers and the Legacy They Left Us.
Liebgott's parents, of German-Jewish descent, moved from Austria to the United States. Liebgott was born in Lansing, Michigan in May 1915, the oldest of six children. The children were raised Roman Catholic and attended Catholic school. His family moved to San Francisco, California, before the War, where he worked mainly as a barber.
Liebgott's fellow soldiers often assumed he was Jewish, based on his name, his appearance, and his general hatred of Germans and Nazis in particular. He also spoke an Austrian dialect of German, which was confused with Yiddish. Liebgott generally did not bother to refute this assumption, finding it amusing and, occasionally, to his advantage.
As they prepared to jump for the invasion of Normandy, Liebgott and Forrest Guth gave haircuts to the men of the 101st for 15 cents per head. Many of the men either had their heads shaved or got Mohawks.
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Wikipedia