RIP, major.
Rest in Peace and thanks.
Well if it wasn’t for Ambrose you wouldn’t be having this thread and none of you outside of those familiar with unit histories and 101st Airborne Associations would know who the hell he was.
— Alan
Fair point, but if Mr. Winters had any issues with how Ambrose covered his life I’d like to think we could trash the guy in another thread. Perhaps I’m being overly sentimental about a man I never knew. shrug
Hear, Hear.
I don’t think Dick Winters would be upset or even care about this thread. We all have a huge amount of respect for him. We can all pile on with “RIP,” but this Ambrose stuff is not only incredibly interesting (I had no idea about the controversy around Ambrose) but also speaks multitudes about Winters and his insistence on getting things right.
RIP. He was a humble, inspiring, great man.
Agreed. You can’t help but be impressed at the kind of man he really was.
Winter’s Bone
Rip sir
Words fail me. We’ve lost a great man.
Good days work done, his stories will be important for generations to come.
What?!
I highly recommend you read the book and watch the mini-series. Both will make you appreciate what the young men went through back then. One of the most impressive things about then Lt. Winters was at the battle of Carentan where he, without thinking about his own safety, stood and yelled at his men to get out of the ditches and move forward, all while German MGs were blazing.
The Blu-ray version of Band of Brothers doesn’t correct the end notes the episode “Carentan”, as it still states that Pvt. Blithe eventually died from his injuries. However, the Blu-ray’s timeline feature does mention that Pvt. Blithe lived and fought in the Korean War.
The story of Winters accidentally charging ahead of his men, cresting a rise, and realizing he was facing off alone against hundreds of startled Germans is one of the most amazing I’ve ever read. Especially considering that his reaction to that insane situation was to shoot people until the rest of his platoon caught up.
True leaders are exceedingly rare, and it’s heartening to get proof now and then that the Peter Principle is not an immutable law. I’m so happy Dick Winters was able to live a long, fulfilling life. He certainly earned it.
That story gives me the chills every time.
Sad to see such an inspiration lost. And yes, without Ambrose I can’t imagine very many people would know the greatness of Dick Winters. How fortunate we are to be able to get just a taste of an incredible human being through the book and mini series.
I think it is pretty cool that bunch of folks that were born long after Major Winters exploits occurred are saddened by his loss.
Such an exceptional man, that sort of quiet courage and resilience under extreme danger is breathtaking.
I’m a bit late, but I just saw this and was deeply saddened. An ordinary man that became a great man and a great leader, someone we should all strive to be more like, and all should be grateful for. RIP.