Richard Winters

Born: 21 Jan 1921 Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Enlistment date: 25 Aug 1941 New Cumberland, Pennsylvania
Deployments: Europe
Units: 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment 101st Airborne
Rank: Major
Specializations:
Qualifications: Combat Infantryman Badge
Decorations: Distinguished Service Cross, Bronze Star, Presidential Unit Citation with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, WWII EMEA Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal, French Fourrager, Belgian Fourrager, Netherlands Orange Lanyard.
Discharge Date: Jul 1945

Other Information: Richard “Dick” Winters has been immortalized by the TV Mini-Series “Band Of Brothers” and is probably one of the best known paratroopers of World War II. Inducted into the army in 1941, Winters served his 13 week basic training at Camp Croft North Carolina, where his leadership skill were notice, ushering his selection into Officer Candidatures School in April 1942. Although Winters expected to join the paratroopers, upon graduation on 2 July 1942, he returned to Camp Croft as a trainer until his transfer to the Airborne came through in Late August 1942.

Winters made the long journey to Camp Toombs, later renamed Toccoa, to join the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, and the rest is history.

Winters left the Army in 1945 and went to work for the family of his close friend Lewis Nixon. He was later recalled briefly for duty during the Korean Conflict where he trained Rangers and Infantrymen with the US Army. On his final de-activation, Winters went into business for himself selling animal feed and, true to his promise to himself, purchased a farm in Pennsylvania, leading a much quieter life and raising two children.

There is now an active campaign to have Winters’ Distinguished Service Cross upgraded to a Medal of Honor in recognition of the daring and fine execution of the assault.