Richard Winters

4. Letting go of what is dear
1. “I am extremely happy to put the army behind me… and I am a different man that I was when I joined the army more than four years earlier” (255). His military experience is one defining factor in his life, and Winters would not have it any other way.
2. “We came back as better men and women as a result of being in combat, and most would do it again if called upon… but each of us earnestly hoped that it would never happen again” (292). The events he and many others had to endure were some that no individual should go through. But sometime during those experiences Winters found out that someone has to endure it so others do not.
3. “I grabbed my M1 and moved out… I had only taken a few steps when I decided that my job was to lead the battalion, not the company” (185). Winters wanted to save his comrades, but that was not his job anymore. His job was to lead the whole battalion, not a single company. Originally, Winters despised the military. Now, Winters was willing to abandon his safe post to save his men. But Winters knew he had a more important job, so he had to stay behind. Going against his original instinct in order to help his men even more is something that Winters would not have originally done when he signed up for service in 1941.
1. The minimum required
1. “It was my intention to serve my time, and then be free of my commitment” (6). Winters wanted no part in the military, but if he had to, he would do it quick.
2. “Rather than having the draft interrupt a promising business career, I immediately volunteered for the U.S. Army” (Winter 6). Winters originally joined the military as a way to free himself as quickly as possible, not to actually help in the war effort.
3. “Volunteering for military service was merely the quickest way to rid myself of compulsory service” (6) . Simply put, Winters was not invested in the war, and felt no need to contribute other than to remove himself from the draft.
2. What needs to be done
1. “Don’t tell me it is someone else’s fault. Just get the job done!” (37). This quote shows how Winters just wanted the job to be done, he did not permit any deviation towards failure.
2. “Easy Company’s mission was to silence the battery… (84). The mission was given to him, and he completed it as textbook as possible.
3. “I worked hard and did my duty as I should” (64). Winters simply did what he was told and nothing else.
3. To keep his comrades alive
1. “I found life on battalion staff extremely boring in contrast to commanding Easy Company… I can no longer let myself become involved in a firefight” (153). Winters knew he could no longer directly keep his friends alive. He would rather put his life on the line to help his friends than sit in some comfy post doing paperwork.
2. “Toye told me ‘I want to go back with the fellows.’ I knew he should not be on the line, due to his injury, but I so admired his devotion to his squad that I stepped aside” (178). Winters devotion to his Company inspired the men so much that they themselves modeled Winters courageous behavior.
3. “Colonel Sink, who was observing the attack, turned and hollered, ‘what are you going to do, Winters?’... ‘I’m going’ I yelled and I grabbed my M1 in order to get Easy Company moving again” (185). Winters could easily tell anyone to go out instead of himself, but he knew his leadership was what kept people alive, so he risked his life once again to save others.

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Richard Winters

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