He didn't return to Europe until 1987, when he revisited Normandy and the field at Brecourt Manor where he and the other members of Easy Company had captured the German guns targeting Utah Beach on D-Day: " Here, I finally felt I had found the peace and quiet that I had promised myself on D-Day," wrote Winters. In 1951 he had purchased a farm in Pennsylvania, in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, and by 1960 he was able to move himself and his family out there permanently. Shortly before Winters was set to be deployed to Korea on active duty, there was a change of orders that permitted him to resign from his commission - an opportunity he took gladly. "Training new officers who couldn’t care less about attending classes exceeded my patience." " Compared to my wartime experience, training at Fort Dix was simply terrible," Winters wrote. In lieu of active duty, he agreed to report to Fort Dix in New Jersey in a training role, but quickly grew frustrated by the quality of the officers he was supposed to be turning into battalion commanders. " I had seen enough of war," Winters wrote in his autobiography, Beyond Band of Brothers. Winters had never planned to return to the military, but the draft meant that he was still in the army reserves, and when the Korean War began in 1951 he was called to service again - much to his dismay. Winters realized he was " in for the duration."Īs depicted in Band of Brothers, Winters' accomplishments and his rise through the ranks meant that he was faced with a choice as World War II came to an end: stay in the military, or return to his original plan of a career in business. He opted for the latter, going to work at his friend Lewis Nixon's family company, Nixon Nitration Works. In 1948 Winters married a woman named Ethel, and they had two children together. Then I don't have to worry about interrupting my livelihood." Just a few months after he enlisted, however, Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese military, prompting America's entry into World War II. " And then when I have that taken care of, then go get a job. In 1941 Winters had just completed a business degree, but with the war going on and the possibility of America becoming involved, Winters was concerned that he might begin a career only to have it interrupted by the draft and compulsory military service. " I made a decision, 'Look, I'm going to volunteer, take care of this military obligation,'" Winters recalled in an interview featured in the documentary Dick Winters: Hang Tough. His decision to enlist was driven by the Selective Service Act of 1940, which required men between the ages of 21 and 35 to serve on active duty for 12 months if they were drafted. His wife Donna passed away in 1994.Though Richard Winters may seem like a born military leader in Band of Brothers, he originally had no aspirations to serve in the US Army. He was in ROTC at UCLA and became an active serviceman in February 1943.Ĭompton is survived by two daughters and four grandchildren. He was a basketball and football star at UCLA, playing in the 1943 Rose Bowl. Lynn Compton was born in Los Angeles on Dec. Governor Ronald Reagan appointed Compton to California’s 2nd District Court of Appeals in 1970, where he was known for his conservative views. Kennedy at the Ambassador Hotel on June 5, 1968, just as the senator learned he had won the California Democratic presidential primary. His most famous case was the successful prosecution of Sirhan Sirhan for the assassination of Robert F. We’re celebrating longevity more than anything.”Ĭompton won a Purple Heart and a Silver Star for his service.Īfter World War II, Compton joined the Los Angeles Police Department and attended Loyola Law School at night. “We didn’t expect anything more than those other guys. Compton said he was flattered and embarrassed by the attention. The actor said he spoke with Compton for hours on end during filming to get the details right and he was so impressed by the man that he nicknamed his son Morgan “Buck.” McDonough and three other stars of the show attended Compton’s 90th birthday party in January.Īfter the mini-series the still-living veterans of Easy Company became mini-celebrities in their own right. Compton was winningly portrayed by Neal McDonough ( Boomtown, Justified) as a good soldier and inspiring leader.
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