Lost among the week's headlines that were dominated by the senseless killings in Arizona, was news of the quiet passing of an American who represented the best of his generation.
Richard Winters, who spent the vast majority of his life as a Pennsylvania farmer, died at age 92. Few people had ever heard of him until a decade or so ago, when a book, and eventually a miniseries, documented a short period of his youth and brought universal respect and admiration to the man.
Winters was the commander of Easy Company, leading one of the many 160-man infantry units that made up the 101st Airborne Division in World War II. Like many of his generation, he was a citizen soldier who volunteered to fight in the war in the aftermath of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.
At first, Winters' background and personality perplexed some of the men he served with. He was a teetotaler, and some thought he was a pacifist. His humble nature seemed out of character for a combat leader.
His first test of mettle, which came only a few hours after he was parachuted into Normandy in the first stage of the D-Day invasion, would set the tone. He led an outnumbered band of soldiers against a German artillery position that threatened to do great harm to American troops landing on nearby Utah Beach. Winters quickly devised a brilliant plan that destroyed the guns, a plan that West Point students have studied as a model for problem solving on the battlefield. He was recommended for the nation's highest award, the Medal of Honor, but a policy had been put in place to allow only one medal per regiment, and it had already been given to a higher-ranking officer.
Throughout the remainder of the war, the men under his command counted on his unique blend of bravery, leadership, humility and common sense to get them through. He never let them down. Biographies written by his comrades are unanimous in their admiration of him.
By the 1950s, he had realized the goal that he had promised for himself during the war — to buy a piece of land and peacefully farm it. He stayed in the farming industry for the rest of his working life. Fame finally found him the the early 1990s, when historian Stephen Ambrose featured Winters in his book "Band of Brothers," which later became the basis of a popular HBO series.
Fame didn't change him. He remained a humble man and shied away from the limelight that sought him. He distanced himself from an effort by his admirers to have a Medal of Honor bestowed on him.
Winters had suffered from Alzheimers in the last years of his life and died Jan. 2. Per his request, his funeral was private.
The youngest of his generation of World War II veterans is now in their mid-80s to early 90s. Compared to the millions who served, there are relatively few left. Winters' story is one that represents well the sacrifice and bravery of his generation.
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