Dit kreeg ik van Piet van Hees, en heb ook de petitie getekend.
Kijk er eens naar als je wilt.
Rob
Ik houd er niet zo van om iets door te sturen, maar mijn liefde voor de
mannen van de 101ste Airborne divisie die op 18 september 1944 "mijn"
Eindhoven bevrijdden is groter.
De commandant van de exacte eenheid("E" of Easy-Company)die het deed,
Majoor Dick Winters leeft nog, en hoopt volgende maand 87 te worden.
Een ongelovelijke man. Zeer bescheiden, stil en gesloten, maar erg
vriendelijk. Hij roept als alle veteranen nog steeds dat hij alleen
maar zijn plicht deed, terwijl hij een jaar lang bijna continu, direct
in de vuurlinie ONZE vrijheid heeft bevochten. Een aantal mensen heeft
het plan opgevat om voor hem de hoogste amerikaanse medaille aan te
vragen.
Onderstaand bericht bevat een link naar een petitie daarvoor.
Voor hem wil ik het vragen: teken die petitie, hij heeft hem echt
verdiend! (maar ik neem het niemand kwalijk die het niet doet)
Piet van Hees
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Major Richard Winters was the third commanding officer (CO) of Easy
Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division.
While initially serving as a platoon leader of Easy as a 2nd
Lieutenant, he gained the mutual respect and the trust of the men
who later be part of one of the largest invasions known to mankind.
Colonel Sink, who was the first and only CO of the 506th Regiment,
promoted Winters to the rank of 1st Lieutenant, and the 1st CO of
Easy, Captain Herbert M. Sobel, made Winters the executive officer
(XO) of Easy.
When the airborne troops finished jump school and were shipped to
England, they prepared for the big invasion of Fortes Europe. Sobel
was promoted and transferred to a jump school for civilians
(chaplains, priests, doctors, etc.) called Chilton Foliat.
Lieutenant Meehan from Baker Company took over as CO of Easy
Company. He would remain CO until his plane was shot down during the
invasion.
When D-Day came, the paratroopers dropped deep into Normandy under
enemy territory. Their objectives were to secure a series of
causeways, or roads, that linked to the beaches of Normandy, where
the regular US Infantry would make their assault on Utah and Omaha
beach. The Germans flooded the fields inland, so securing those
causeways was the only option.
Easy Company's objective was to secure Causeway #2, which linked to
Utah Beach. However, during the drop, the planes, desperate to evade
the incoming flak from German anti-aircraft guns, dropped troops far
from the designated drop zone (DZ). Lieutenant Meehan's plane, which
also included E Company's First Sergeant, William Evans, was shot
down during the invasion. Lieutenant Winters lost his weapon, which
was located in his leg bag, when the bag was torn off from the
tether that it was attached to.
Prior to the main invasion, the 2nd Battalion of the 506th, which
consisted of Dog, Easy, and Fox Company, set up headquarters near a
secured farmhouse. Intelligence reported that 4 German 105mm
artillery cannons were aimed and firing at Utah Beach, where the 4th
Infantry Division was making their assault. Easy Company was ordered
to eliminate those cannons, which were causing massive damage to the
beach area.
90 % of Easy Company was still unaccounted for at that time.
Lieutenant Winters had no choice but to do his best given the
circumstances. He ordered machine guns to create an enveloping fire
on the guns, while another squad, led by Lieutenant Lynn "Buck"
Compton, took the left flank and tossed grenades into the trench
where the first gun was. Sergeant Lipton and PFC Myron Ranney took
the right flank. This base-of-fire technique would become a textbook
case for assault on a fixed position, and is still taught at West
Point Academy today.
When the Germans at the first gun were eliminated, Easy Company
began their main assault on the trenches. They spiked the guns with
TNT and completed their objective with the aid of Dog Company, led
by Lt. Ronald Speirs, who would later become the last CO of Easy
Company.
Lt. Winters received the Distinguished Service Cross for taking out
those artillery pieces. However, many believe that he deserved the
Congressional Medal of Honor because of the importance of this
assault. Colonel Sink submitted him for the CMOH and it was denied
because someone in the 101st AB Division had already been given the
Medal of Honor.
Go here to sign the petition for Major Winters having his DSC
upgraded to the CMOH. He will be 87 years old on 21 Jan 2005, Lets
give him a birthday present to remember.
http://www.petitiononline.com/Winters/petition.html Thanks to all the vets and prior military out there who understand.
The above was emailed to the President, V-President, 2 Senators from
TX and Senator John McClain, and most of the 32 Representatives from
Texas along with some retired friends from the Af and Army who'll
pick up the torch. Thanks
Ronald J. Dawley, MSgt(Ret), USAF