Richard Winters

Captain Richard Winters (http://www.ww2-airborne.us/units/506/506_trp.html)

Major Richard Dick Winters is not a name made famous through history books or big, box office war movies. His servant leader attitude, however, awards him the title of an unsung hero of WWII. At the beginning of the war Dick Winters served as a captain in command of an airborne group called Easy Company. Airborne units had the dangerous job of parachuting behind enemy lines in order to accomplish objectives that would take much longer for ground forces to complete. Serving as a paratrooper was one of the most dangerous jobs a soldier could take on. The danger is obvious; these men had to jump out of an airplane in the middle in the night under heavy enemy fire. The fact that all missions came with a do or die agenda escalated the danger, because once they were behind enemy lines they could not escape until they completed their mission. In spite of these dangers, Dick Winters volunteered to lead paratroopers. This willingness alone makes anyone a hero.

Dick Winters had an impressive story throughout the European campaign. However, he truly demonstrated his leadership abilities during a mission occurring simultaneously with the D-Day landings. Easy Company was charged with the task of disabling several artillery pieces that would bombard the allies as they stormed the beaches. The jump, however, did not go as expected. German anti-aircraft fire saturated the night sky destroying many planes before they could drop their paratroopers. Due to the heavy antiaircraft fire, these planes had to drop their soldiers over areas that were not the specified landing zones. When Dick Winters finally landed, he found that only ten percent of Easy Company had assembled, and that the man originally responsible for leading the attack had perished. This left Captain Winters in command. Winters now found himself in a nightmare of a situation. Not only did he have to complete his mission with only ten percent of the original force, but he also had to plan and lead the attack. Easy Company suffered heavy casualties during D-Day, but only minimal losses were suffered by those under the command of Dick Winters. Even in tough situations Winters found the courage to act and make decisions. His clarity of mind and success at leading men into battle makes Dick Winters a hero.

Major Dick Winters (http://www.majordickwinters.com/images/ dickwinters-11.jpg)

After the hectic Normandy invasion, Dick Winters was commended for his bravery with the Distinguished Service Cross. Dick Winters continued to perform exceptionally throughout the war. His performance have him a quick promotion to the position of first in command of Easy Company. He served for much of the war in this position, until Allied command realized that his skills would be more useful behind the lines. Because of this realization, Dick Winters achieved the rank of major and a promotion making him the executive officer of a battalion. In this position, Major Winters used his military skills to plan better strategies and save the lives of many American soldiers. Major Dick Winters was thrust into a situation in which he did not want a part. When asked, he never recalls wanting to serve as a soldier. By examining his military career, however, it shows that he continued to go above and beyond the call of duty. Learning about Major Dick Winters has taught me that even though I may not care for the task at hand. I should still go above and beyond and do any task to the best of my abilities. Major Winters excelled at his job, and his hard work during World War II makes him an unsung hero.