Most liked posts in thread: Another WWII VET died. RIP. He is one of the Band of Brothers

I did a little googling on Currahee and found this. Very appropriate:

"I was that which others cared not to be. I went where others feared to go and did what others failed to do. I asked nothing from those who gave nothing. And, reluctantly, accepted the thought of eternal loneliness--should I fail. I have seen the face of terror, felt the chill of fear, warmed to the touch of love. I have hoped, pained, cried. But, foremost, lived in times others would say best forgotten. At the very least, in later days, I will be able to say with greatest pride, that I was indeed a soldier." -- Author Unknown

 

South Philly will miss wild Bill.

 

I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Colonel Winters a ways back. He signed my Band of Brothers book for me.

That was way cooler than meeting any Hollywood celebrity

Thank you for this post. Those guys are all true heroes.

 

Rest in Peace "Wild Bill". I will share a parting glass in memory of SSG Guarnere and Absent Comrades. I wish him eternal peace. He is in good company. I am proud that men such as him stood for us in time of need.

 

You know after reading these last few posts, well it gets to me and I think

that's due to me being older but god bless all of you from the bottom of my

heart.

 

Rick,

thanks very much for posting this. I have seen the series so many times I know most of the dialog. Frank John Hughes, the actor who portrayed him, looks and talks very much like him-amazing performance.

Obviously, anyone in a war zone at any period of time in history is doing something very special, but Omaha Beach, the Ardenne Forrest(Battle of the Bulge), with NONE of the high tech offensive and defensive systems available today-wow. Bill was there to see and experience it all.

Bravery to that degree can't be measured or completely understood except by those that were there, IMO.

They were all just regular Joes...........and they wound up saving the world.

RIP Bill....

Jeff

 

So true. The humility of the WWII vets is what is so striking. What I hear over and over from that generation is the message "we weren't heroes, your generation would've done the exact same thing."

I'm not so sure on that. Some have or would, but the way an entire generation pulled together, I don't know if we're capable of that anymore. These guys risked or lost their lives (I'm not a huge Andy Rooney fan, but his one quote, "those guys didn't give their lives, they had them taken away" is a reality check), gave up some of the best years of their lives doing it, and it genuinely isn't a huge deal to them, they aren't impressed with themselves while many of us understandably hold them in awe. The only hint I get from these guys is the universal sentiment that they're happy our generation won't ever have to go through it.

Fortunately there are still enough people like that to keep us safe.

I was never in the military, but Band of Brothers, and the opportunity to talk with vets during residency, and at the EAA every year, really drove home one point in particular--guys may join up, or be drafted over a principle worth fighting for, but once they're there, the guys out there on the front line aren't fighting for causes primarily anymore, they're fighting for the guy standing next to them. That resonates.

 

This American hero also passed last week. Watched a documentary on him, wow!

Major Kurt Chew-Een Lee, Asian-American Marines trailblazer dies at 88 - CNN.com

http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/sc/web/show/136060/uncommon-courage-breakout-at-chosin#from-lieutenant-to-legend


In 1950, he led five hundred Marines through a blizzard to save eight thousand more from certain capture. But his greatest victory may have been changing the way our country regards Asian Americans. Meet Lt. Chew-Een Lee, whose patriotism and bravery ushered in a new era in the Marines...and in America. (Special thanks to the City and County of San Francisco)

 

That is so sad...... I wonder how "Babe" Heffron is doing.

I am so glad that their story was told so that we all may know of their sacrifices.

Salute Wild Bill!

 

That guy was one crazy dude, and I mean that in a good way. If I had to pick one guy to have my back, he'd be on the short list.

 

:cornut: I've talked to a lot of those vets and most of them are intimidated by the new fangled night vision, smart weapons, and ballistic missile nukes etc. They consider us to have been in more danger. It's all in what devices one grows up with. The Greatest Generation, heroes all. R.I.P. Bill and all.

Jason

 

You're right, sad isn't it?

 

When stationed in Japan in the late 60's, early 70's I had the privilege to meet and work with a Gentleman of Hawaiian/Japanese descent who served in the 442nd Infantry in WW II. A true gentleman, and a better man than me. This was when I learned of the exploits of the 442nd, but not from him. He only mentioned his time in service in passing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/442nd_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States)

 

Wow.....guess I missed (or probably forgot...) that. And you are right, they are happily sitting at a table and giving the girls that walk by the old Philly look-see.

 

Citizen Soldiers is in my opinion the best book on WWII. It simply documents what that generation did and volunteered for.

 

Agree, I think what is so amazing about that era was the whole country was involved. From collecting metal, starting Victory gardens, buying war bonds to companies completely retooling to support the war effort. I don’t think that will ever happen again.