Major Richard Davis Winters

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Major Richard Davis Winters

Also Known As: "Dick"
Birthdate:
Birthplace: New Holland, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Death: January 02, 2011 (92)
Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States (Parkinson's disease)
Place of Burial: Ephrata, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Immediate Family:

Son of Richard Nagle Winters and Edith S. Winters
Husband of Ethel Winters
Brother of Beatrice Winters and Private

Occupation: Major (US Army), Businessman, guest lecturer (West Point)
Managed by: Alex Moes
Last Updated:
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Immediate Family

About Major Richard Davis Winters

from Wikipedia

Major Richard Davis "Dick" Winters (January 21, 1918 – January 2, 2011)[1] was an officer of the United States Army and a decorated war veteran. He is best known for commanding Easy Company of the 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the 101st Airborne Division, during World War II, eventually being promoted to major rising to command of the entire 2nd Battalion.

As first lieutenant, Winters parachuted into Normandy in the early hours of D-Day, June 6, 1944, and later fought across France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and eventually Germany. After the German surrender in May 1945, he left the 506th and was stationed in France, where senior officers were needed to oversee the return home. In 1951, during the Korean War, Winters was recalled to the army from the inactive list and briefly served as a regimental planning and training officer on staff at Fort Dix, New Jersey. Winters was issued orders for deployment and was preparing to depart for Korea, but instead left the army under a provision that allowed officers who had served in World War II but had been inactive since to resign their commission.

Winters was discharged from the army and returned to civilian life, working first in New Jersey and later in Pennsylvania, where he set up his own company selling chocolate byproducts from The Hershey Company to producers of animal feed. He was a regular guest lecturer at the United States Military Academy at West Point until his retirement in 1997. He was the last surviving Easy Company commander.

Winters was featured in a number of books and was portrayed by English actor Damian Lewis in the 2001 HBO mini-series Band of Brothers.

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Major Richard Davis Winters's Timeline

1918
January 21, 1918
New Holland, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
2011
January 2, 2011
Age 92
Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States
January 8, 2011
Age 92
Bergstrasse Cemetery, Ephrata, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States