Posted on 06/06/2012 8:20:11 AM PDT by Kartographer
A statue in the likeness of a Pennsylvania native whose quiet leadership was chronicled in the World War II book and television miniseries "Band of Brothers" is being unveiled near the beaches where the D-Day invasion of France began in 1944.
The 12-foot (3.6-meter) tall bronze statue in the Normandy village of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont shows Maj. Dick Winters with his weapon at the ready, evoking the massive Allied operation that paved the way for the end of the war.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Band of Brothers was one of the greatest series ever put on TV.
Agreed. I love that series.
Agreed. I love that series.
Those who have read the book or watched the series will recall that Lt. Winters lost his weapon in para-drop. :)
Lt. Winters acquired a German rifle after a raid on a horsecart early in the morning of D-Day.
Can anyone tell if he’s holding a German rifle in the statue?
Looks like an M1 Garand to me. :) :)
That’s an M1 Garand. Any captured German rifle would have been discarded as soon as possible. Not a good idea to shoot an enemy rifle in hostile territory when your troops are scattered all over the place.
During the assault on the artillery pieces overlooking Utah beach, he was using the M1. He stated in his book it was stupid for officers to only carry the .45 since German snipers would know who to kill first. With the M1, he looked like any other soldiers.
I freaking missed that news while I was in the sandbox...sigh.
I can’t watch the interviews in each episode without crying.
Simply an entire generation of patriots...very different from today’s Occupy POS’s.
And today Google honors what? D-Day? No, of course not. They salute the opening of the first drive-in theater 79 years ago...
Thanks much, Chgogal.
Welcome to the official site of the National D-Day Memorial . Located in Bedford, Virginia— the town suffering the highest per capita D-Day losses in the nation. The National D-Day Memorial honors the Allied forces that participated in the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944 during World War II. With its stylized English Garden, haunting invasion tableau, and striking Victory Plaza, the Memorial stands as a powerful permanent tribute to the valor, fidelity, and sacrifice of D-Day participants. Surrounded by the beautiful majestic Blue Ridge mountains, this makes for a solemn and respectful tribute for our fallen heroes.
Visitors can expect both an educational experience as well as an emotional one, as they walk the grounds at the Memorial and leave with a clear understanding of the scale and sacrifices made during the largest amphibious landing the world has ever seen. On June 6, 1944, 150,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. General Dwight D. Eisenhower called the operation a crusade in which “we will accept nothing less than full victory.” More than 5,000 ships and 11,000 aircraft supported the invasion, and by day’s end, the Allies gained a foot-hold in France. The D-Day cost was high with more than 9,000 Allied soldiers killed or wounded as the march across Europe to defeat Hitler began.
The Memorial is supported by contributions to the National D-Day Memorial Foundation a 501(c)(3) not-for profit organization.
Makes sense. My Grandfather got rid of his because it was "Dammed Heavy, and all of the ammo for it even more so". He carried a carbine, instead.
The contrast between today's spoiled, self-important, entitlement-besotted crybabies and the dignified, humble, and eminently responsible members of the Greatest Generation is a painful one.
Many feel Major Winters, as well as Sgt. Harrison Summers both are deserving of The Medal of Honor for their D-Day actions. Nothing wrong with the DSC, but I feel it should be elevated to the medal of Honor...
Medal. Capital M...
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