Major Richard Davis Winters - Distinguished Service Cross, World War II

Name of Veteran: Richard Davis Winters

Rank and Military Branch: Major, United States Army

Award Name: Distinguished Service Cross

Date of Action Leading to the Commendation: June 6th, 1944

Description of Veteran:

Renowned American military commander Richard "Dick" Winters was born in New Holland, Pennsylvania, on January 21, 1918, and fought in World War II. He joined the US Army in 1941 after earning a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Franklin and Marshall College in 1937. Winters's contract was under 12 months until the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, marking the formal start of the American entry into the war. After completing infantry training and basic training at Camp Croft, South Carolina, Winters was chosen to attend Army Officer Candidate School in April 1942. On July 2, 1942, he received his OCS graduation and was commissioned as a 2d Lt of Infantry. He later served as a training officer back at Camp Croft before being admitted into the parachute infantry. At Camp Toccoa, Georgia, he was assigned to Easy Company, 2nd Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment in August 1942. The Regiment was activated and then linked to the 101st Airborne Division in June 1943.

Winters left with his unit for England in September 1943, and on June 6, 1944, he took part in the invasion of Normandy. Winters rallied his soldiers swiftly and took over as acting commanding officer following his ranking officer's absence. With the help of his thirteen troops, he eliminated a German artillery consisting of fifty platoons operating 105mm cannons. Winter's unit did retreat in search of reinforcements, but they came back with tank support, which lessened resistance to the soldiers landing on the beachhead. At the time, First Lieutenant Richard D. Winters, United States Army, received the Distinguished Service Cross from Lieutenant General Omar Bradley on June 6, 1944, in recognition of his valiant conduct during the D-Day military operations in Normandy, France. 

Furthermore, under Winter's leadership, the E company took part in two significant assaults: Operation Garden Market in September 1944 and the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. In March 1945, Winters received a promotion to Major and assumed leadership of the 506th PIR's 2nd Battalion. He remained in this role until the conclusion of the war. Winters stayed in Europe when the occupation and demobilization process got underway after the conclusion of hostilities. He was informed that he was required in Germany even though he had enough credit to go back to the United States. Ultimately, on November 4, 1945, he set off on the Wooster Victory. On November 29, 1945, he was officially discharged from the Army, but his discharge was not formal until January 22, 1946.

Picture of Veteran:

    

Bibliography:

“Major Richard D. ‘Dick’ Winters.” Military Medals, April 18, 2016. https://www.militarymedals.com/warhero/richard-d-dick-winters/.

“Maj Richard D. Winters.” Military Hall of Honor, Honoring Those Who Honor Us, n.d. https://militaryhallofhonor.com/honoree-record.php?id=3239.

“‘Outstanding Veterans’: Major Dick Winters.” National Archives and Records Administration. n.d. https://reagan.blogs.archives.gov/2023/06/09/outstanding-veterans-major-dick-winters/.

“Richard D. Winters.” Veteran Tributes, n.d. http://veterantributes.org/TributeDetail.php?recordID=674.

“Richard Winters.” Eisenhower Foundation, n.d. https://www.eisenhowerfoundation.net/ikessoldiers/richard-winters.

“Richard Winters, Recipient.” The Hall of Valor Project, n.d. https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/22799.