Richard D. Winters
| Richard Davis Winters | |
|---|---|
Winters, pictured here in 1942.
|
|
| Nickname(s) | "Dick" |
| Born |
January 21, 1918 New Holland, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Died | January 2, 2011 (aged 92) Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Place of burial | Bergstrasse Cemetery Ephrata, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1941–1946 1951–1952 |
| Rank |
 Major
|
| Unit |
 Infantry Branch
|
| Commands held | 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
 Distinguished Service Cross Bronze Star (2) Purple Heart
|
| Spouse(s) | Ethel Winters; 2 children (1948–2011, his death) |
| Relations | Richard (father) Edith (mother) |
| Other work | Businessman, guest lecturer |
Major Richard Davis "Dick" Winters (January 21, 1918 – January 2, 2011) was an officer of the United States Army and a decorated war veteran. He is best known for commanding Easy Company of the 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the 101st Airborne Division, during World War II, eventually being promoted to major rising to command of the entire 2nd Battalion.
As first lieutenant, Winters parachuted into Normandy in the early hours of D-Day, June 6, 1944, and later fought across France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and eventually Germany. Following the German surrender in May 1945, he left the 506th and was then stationed in France, where senior officers were needed to oversee the return home. In 1951, during the Korean War, Winters was recalled to the army from the inactive list and briefly served as a regimental planning and training officer on staff at Fort Dix, New Jersey. Winters was issued orders for deployment and was preparing to depart for Korea, but instead left the army under a provision that allowed officers who had served in World War II but had been inactive since to resign their commission.
Winters was discharged from the army and returned to civilian life, working first in New Jersey and later in Pennsylvania, where he set up his own company selling chocolate byproducts from The Hershey Company to producers of animal feed. He was a regular guest lecturer at the United States Military Academy at West Point until his retirement in 1997. He was the last surviving Easy Company commander.
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Wikipedia