A Hero Has Gone

It was with sadness that I read this morning of the death, on January 2nd, of Major Dick Winters, a World War Two veteran who was the central figure in Stephen Ambrose's book Band of Brothers and the HBO mini-series of the same name.

A few years ago, I was flipping throught Newsweek magazine at Mom and Dad's house when I saw an ad for the DVD set of Band of Brothers. I only noticed it because written on it in my dad's familiar scrawl were the words, "Father's Day."

I pointed it out to Mom. We had a good laugh because normally when you ask Dad what he wants, he says, "I don't need anything!"  We bought the DVD set and that was that.

They watched it bit by bit. I was living at home at the time and watched bits of it here and there with them. I was fascinated by this central character, and after missing a few episodes I remember asking Dad, "Is that one guy still alive?"

Eventually, I set a day aside and borrowed Dad's DVD, watching it from start to finish. It has since been one of my very favorite movies about World War Two, and one I view at least once a year. It's 10 hours long, so it's pretty time-consuming.

My respect and admiration for Major Winters know no bounds. He was a man of integrity and honor. He was a leader who led, instead of cowering behind the enlisted men.

'When he said "Let's go", he was right in the front. He was never in the back. A leader personified'. Sgt. Bill Guarnere

War is never a good thing. Sometimes its a necessary thing--and in the case of World War Two, a lot was at stake. Europe had to be liberated. And the men and women who helped in this liberation deserve thanks for being willing to do so. They were truly The Greatest Generation. Major Winters, in particular, was one of their greatest leaders.

Rest in peace, good man. And thank you.

Photo source: 101st Airborne