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RIP Major Winters.
Hershey native, Major Dick Winters, the World War two hero has died.
News 8 has learned about his passing through a close family friend.
Winters passed away January 2. He was laid to rest on Saturday, January 8.
He had requested a private, unannounced funeral service.
Winters grew up in Lancaster, attending Boys’ High School and Franklin and Marshall College.
After graduating, and a few months before the attack on Pearl Harbor, Winters joined the army.
Later, he commanded the group of World War II heroes known as “the band of brothers”.
The family said a public memorial service will be held at a later date.
In three weeks, Major Dick Winters would have turned 93-years-old.
More:
PennLive.com – Dick Winters, of ‘Band of Brothers’ fame, dies
PennLive.com – Dick Winters, who inspired ‘Band of Brothers,’ remembered as an American hero
The Washington Post – Dick Winters dies; WWII hero commanded ‘Band of Brothers’
Damian Lewis had this to say about the Major in the preface he wrote for Biggest Brother, a biography of Major Richard Winters:
… At boot camp I called him for the first time, and through a series of
phone calls I set about slowly trying to earn his trust. What emerged as I
got to know him was a man not given to late night in bars, reminiscing, not
given to romanticizing his past glories. He was a man whose recollections
were analytical, pragmatically ordered, not emotional, a man who was much
happier answering questions on technical maneuvers or what boot he wore his
knife on (the left by the way), than what he felt, as he found himself
isolated from his men, staring at a whole company of Germans, on top of that
dyke in Holland, for example. “I was always just concentrating on getting
the job done, ” would be his typical reply. It dawned on me what a happy
coincidence it was that I had felt slightly removed from the “hype” at the
beginning of the job, a little detached. For it was precisely his ability
to distance himself from any hysteria and to remain calm and lucid in
moments of danger that made Dick Winters a natural leader of men. But not
only that. Once I had his trust, I found a warmth, a wickedly dry sense of
humor and a willingness to listen that is not often found in men of
power.
After the series had filmed I went and visited Dick and Ethel at home in
Hershey, Pennsylvania. We chatted and joked as he showed me some of his
momentos and walked me around their beautiful farm (another major
achievement in his life). He treated me like a son and told me that he
thought I’d done a pretty good job portraying him, although he was unsure at first! I thought, yup, that’s him. Authoritative, nurturing and honest all at once. I felt immensely proud that I’d had the opportunity to portray this man, a decorated war hero whose story I’d been entrusted with. It had needed a precision and an unfailing commitment to the truth. It’s what Dick always demanded, of himself and others.
