My name is Sergeant Joseph Toye, and I had the privilege to fight alongside the amazing Major Richard Winters.
Dick was not only an
amazing soldier and leader, but he was an amazing person that was respected and
liked by practically everyone. He was a crucial part of the Easy Company since
the beginning days of training at Toccoa. He started as a 2d Lt. straight out
of Officer Candidates School and rose up to be a major who led one of the best
paratrooper regiment in the United States of America.
He grew up during the Great Depression.
When he volunteered for the paratrooper unit, he wanted the $100 monthly bonus,
but he really wanted to be alongside the best soldiers and to have a positive and
beneficial experience in the army.
Since the early days of Toccoa,
Winters grew in popularity and gained the respect of all of the officers and
soldiers. He needed to be the one to lead the company, not Sobel, the
disciplinarian leader who nobody liked. We all hated him for his cruelty and hardcore
training, yet all of the hardships we endured because of Herman Sobel made us
stronger and closer as a unit. Winters led by example whereas Sobel decided to
lead by fear. Both these methods were effective in producing an astounding
company, but the way Winters led created an environment where we could
really flourish.
He led the Easy Company through
Normandy to Bastogne to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest. The Battle of Normandy was our
first mission, and it was a wild affair, to say the least. Winters was ordered to
attack and take care of the German four-gun battery, and he did exactly this.
He gave out the orders needed to capture the battery, and we were more than
willing to comply. He put 2 people on each machine gun placed on the flanks. He
would take a group up the middle and there would be 2 other groups flanking
him. They all fought like a team, like a machine.
During this hectic battle, I was unaware of the grenade was heading my way. The grenade landed right
between my legs as I lay face down. Winters yelled at me to look out and thankfully
the grenade only hurt my gun. Winters saved my life. I remember this moment of
near-death so clearly. I’m here today because of Dick, and I could never repay this
debt to him.
Winters led the company with
perfection, and we were able to take the batteries because of his amazing
leadership on the battlefield. We had attacked all of the guns before
withdrawing. He was the last person to pull back, making sure all of the other
lives were safe before his own. He had put the lives of his comrades before his
own. Winter’s casualties were 4 dead, 2 wounded. We had killed 15 Germans,
wounded much more, and taken 12 prisoners. He was our leader since this battle.
During our fight on the Island in
Holland, we didn’t really know how many Germans were on the other side of
the road. The Americans had a bad position whereas the Germans had great positioning.
Winters made the decision to have 3 squads (left, middle, right) and they would
charge with machine guns laying a base of fire. He had 1 death and 4 wounded,
but they captured 11 German prisoners of war (P.O.W.s).
He told Joseph Liebgott to take the
prisoners back to the Command Post. Liebgott, though, has a reputation to be very
rough with prisoners. When Liebgott threw a fit when Winters said to bring back
all 11 prisoners to Command Post, Winters threw off the safety of his M-1 and
pointed it at Liebgott. He told him to drop all of his ammunition and empty his
rifle. Winters allowed for 1 round so if he shoots one prisoner he won’t have enough
for the rest. Then he would be jumped by the remaining P.O.W.s. Winters was a
stern man, and he wouldn’t allow for unnecessary deaths and he made sure his
orders were followed through.
On the Island, Winters made the right
decision consistently, time after time. He wouldn’t second guess or be caught with
indecision. He knew exactly what to do in the heat of an intense battle and
lead his regiment to victory.
Once Dick Winters became the
Executive Officer, the Commanding Officers that followed could never live up
the standards Winters had previously set. Nobody was as likable, decisive,
intelligent, and skilled as Dick. There was a long stretch of C.O.’s that just
weren’t good enough; they weren’t like Dick Richards. They couldn’t lead us to
victory as he had.
As an Executive Officer, Winters
couldn’t exactly be the one leading in the field. He stood by as he watched
weak and incapable lieutenants try to lead us. He saw Lieutenant Norman Dike
make wrong decisions and put Easy Company in bad situations. He couldn’t stand
it, so he grabbed Lieutenant Speirs to take over. There were many stories of
Speirs performing some inhumane and gruesome acts, which I’m not sure if I
believe, but Winters decided to forgive him for the possible actions he performed,
and he couldn’t judge him. He put the best person in charge, so we could have
the best chance of succeeding.
Whether Winters was a soldier,
commanding officer, or executive officer, he led the Easy Company amazingly. Whether
fighting in the battlefield or making the decisions on the outside, he led Easy
Company to victory after victory. The leadership he provided for us allowed for
the Easy Company to be successful.
Having a good leader in war or
anything is crucial in success, and Winters was the perfect leader for the Easy
Company. Winters was one of the main reasons we were able to win their battles.
In having a great leader, the Easy Company was one of the greatest Paratrooper
Infantry Regiments of U.S. history.
A good leader results in a higher
chance of success, and being a good leader can make everyone around you better
and more successful. Major Richard Winters was a prime example of how to be the
perfect leader to help everyone around you. He made us successful. We are all
thankful for the contributions he’s made in WWII. Richard Winters made everyone
around him better because he was an amazing leader, friend, and person. Thank
you, Dick, for being the best so we all could live in success today.
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