Winters, Richard D.

Major (MAJ) Richard Davis Winters was born on 21 January 1918 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. On 25 August 1941, he was inducted in the United States Army in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania. Winters was assigned to Camp Croft, South Carolina for basic training. On 6 April 1942, Winters was sent to Fort Benning, Georgia to attend Officer Candidate School (OCS). He was commissioned a second lieutenant on 3 July 1942. In August 1942, Winters was assigned to paratrooper training at Camp Toombs (later, renamed Camp Toccoa), Georgia with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR).

On 6 June 1944, Winters jumped into Normandy as part of the D-Day Invasion. Winters was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for leading the assault at Brécourt Manor which eliminated a German battery of four 105 mm artillery guns. On 12 June 1944, Winters was wounded in action in the battle for Carentan. During the war, Winters was credited with participation in the following campaigns: Normandy, Holland, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe. On 22 January 1946, Winters was discharged from the Army.

Winters was recalled to active duty in June 1951. After receiving a six-month deferment, Winters reported to Fort Dix, New Jersey as a regimental plans and training officer on 3 January 1952. In the spring, Winters attended the U.S. Army Ranger School in Fort Benning, Georgia. In September 1952, Winters was assigned to Fort Lawton, Washington for deployment to Korea. On 22 September 1952, Winters resigned his commission.

In 1992, Stephen E. Ambrose published his book, BAND OF BROTHERS: E COMPANY, 506TH REGIMENT, 101ST AIRBORNE FROM NORMANDY TO HITLER'S EAGLE'S NEST, which told the wartime experiences of Winters and his men. In 1998, Tom Hanks and Stephen Spielberg brought the rights to BAND OF BROTHERS and turned it into the Emmy Award-winning HBO mini-series.

From the description of Richard D. Winters collection, 1930-2005, bulk 1943-1945, 1990-2004. (US Army, Mil Hist Institute). WorldCat record id: 156887292