"Black and white 8x10 photo of the "Band of Brothers" jumping into Holland during Operation Market Garden hand signed by original member Sgt. Wild Bill Guarnere."
Posted on 12/13/2014 2:26:42 PM PST by llevrok
In a bedroom lay a white silk pillow - yellowed with age and emblazoned with the screaming eagle emblem of the Army's 101st Airborne Division.
On the walls were pictures and plaques telling the story of a World War II veteran; in another room was an adjustable hospital bed and, on a windowsill, a worn Bible.
That October day, Jim Bennett was looking for an investment, a house to buy, rehab, then rent or resell, as he has done with about 500 others over more than 20 years.
But Bennett found much more at the modest, two-story rowhouse on Winton Street in South Philadelphia.
A framed collage of photos revealed the name of the house's late owner: William "Wild Bill" Guarnere, a hero made famous by the best-selling book Band of Brothers and the HBO miniseries of the same name.
Tears welled in his eyes and he called downstairs to Realtor Linda Tosto: "Hey, Lin . . . this is Wild Bill's house!" Tosto came upstairs.
"I could tell by the tone of his voice that it was something urgent," she said. "We were in awe."
The collage showed a photo of a solemn, elderly Guarnere holding a display of his medals. It was sandwiched between a picture of him as a helmeted young soldier holding a machine gun, and another of him in recent years, sitting on his couch as he often did, smoking.
Guarnere, who fought on D-Day during Operation Market-Garden in the Netherlands and during the Battle of the Bulge, died this year at age 90, and his family had placed the house on the market.
(Excerpt) Read more at philly.com ...
"Black and white 8x10 photo of the "Band of Brothers" jumping into Holland during Operation Market Garden hand signed by original member Sgt. Wild Bill Guarnere."
SALUTE!
God Bless Wild Bill and all of the Greatest Generation.
Thank you, brother.
I live in such a home. We bought it from the Widow of a WWII Airborne Vet and close friend. My father was even closer friend to them.
He came down behind German lines at Normandy, jumped into Holland, was trucked into the Bulge.
His widow is now gone too.
I often wear 2 of his hunting jackets. Always remember what a tough little man he was.
I still have my father, he is a WWII vet. We often talk about that time.
Geronimo. God Bless Them.
Currahee.
Wow
Mine is a Korean War POW - Bob - will not state last name for privacy. In 2008 Bob passed away from Cancer. To this day I honor Bob at the cemetary where he was buried. I have many objects from Bob too. A marine that served his country became a Korean War POW developed his own business sold the business and the business is till thriving today. May father served in Korea too. He survived came back to this country and than served as a missionary in the Middle East for many years. The Greatest generation was the young men whom served in WWII and also the Korean War.
ping!
You are so fortunate to still have your dad and more so, talking to him about his experiences.
My dad is gone now for 10 years. One of my biggest regrets is knowing little of what he did in WW2 and Korea. He was of the school that when you came home, you didn't talk of your experiences. That was "then". You got on with life and built a better world. And for 50 years he did just that, in his case practicing medicine, getting on with his life, the humble generation
William "Wild Bill" Guarnere... who fought on D-Day during Operation Market-Garden in the Netherlands and during the Battle of the Bulge, died this year at age 90, and his family had placed the house on the market.Well, at least the family didn't just put it all in the dumpster.
Al Schmid, also from Philly.
Al Schmid (20 October 1920 – 1 December 1982) was a United States Marine awarded the Navy Cross for his heroism at the Battle of the Tenaru (Ilu River) during the Guadalcanal campaign in World War II. Credited with killing over 200 Japanese attackers during a night-long assault, he was blinded in action by a grenade blast and endured multiple surgeries and extended rehabilitation upon his return to the U.S..
His life story appeared in the American news magazines of the time,[1] the book Al Schmid, Marine by Roger Butterfield, and the 1945 film Pride of the Marines, in which he was played by American actor John Garfield.
Saw this movie a while back on TCM. Outstanding. Found it on You Tube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DpoOHUHTwg
Mine is 89. He still works most days. We often work together at the family farm. He was also a general contractor. Mostly residential, but did a fair amount of commercial projects. He was an artist at that.
He was here his entire life, except for his 2+ years in Europe in WWII.
Only time we talk about that period is where he and I see parallels today. He is a quiet modest man, has always been so. He had several friends who saw much worse duty than he did.
Family has owned/operated farms here since 1889. One of ancestors was born in “the Republic” of Texas.
There were a lot of brave men who fought in terrible action.
They get fewer daily. Most of the survivors are 90+.
At 19 my father was packing an M1 pursing Fascists across Germany & Belgium. He ended the war in CZ.
Two years ago on D Day, I was out for my daily walk. There was an elderly gentleman, age 91 then, who I would often see on my route and we’d chat. I knew he was career Army and spent some time in Alaska towards the end of his military career but that’s about all.
On that particular day, he said (out of the clear blue) “You know where I was 69 years ago today, kid?! (Kid! I was 62 at the time to his 91) “I was coming ashore on Omaha Beach.”
My mouth literally fell open. For five years it was “Hi Dan! How ‘bout them ##@! Mariners??” and we’d discuss baseball and some of his travels when he retired from the military. Nothing previous about landing in Europe.
I had a few more chats with him regarding D Day when I felt he’d talk about it and wasn’t likewise pissed off at the Seattle Mariners lack of hitting. I found that he was from “Hell’s Kitchen” (Manhattan) and signed up January 1942 with 30 guys from his neighborhood. They all pretty much stayed together into Europe (as was often done in those days). About half came home including Dan the Man.
We lost this hero on Oct 30, 2013.
salute.
to Dan the Man and his friends.
My father was at A&M for short time, was delayed shipping to Europe by secondary tech school. It kept him from being in the worst of the war. He was singled out with a very few others because of some tests they took.
He was trained to set up field communication equipment. But was an armourer later, worked on Quad 50’s and Bofors.
He turned 89 in October. Super guy. Quiet, honorable.
But DON’T back him in a corner. I have seen the results of that before. You simply don’t want to go there.
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