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Author Topic: RIP "Wild Bill" Guarnere  (Read 1663 times)

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Offline Splashdown

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RIP "Wild Bill" Guarnere
« on: March 09, 2014, 03:41:05 PM »
Oh no! I just saw that "Wild Bill" Guarnere just passed away! I had the pleasure of meeting him when he came to speak to my 20th Century literature class. What an amazing guy. A real hero! I have a couple of great memories. The first is when I asked if he needed help getting in my minivan (he lost his leg at Bastogne). He said, "I jumped out of airplanes. I think I can get in your van. Another memory is when we got to Sallies, he managed to smoke TWO Pall Malls (also my dad's brand) before he got into the building. The third memory is when he called my department chair Mary Ann Sianni a "broad" at lunch. What a great guy. That visit is one of the highlights of my career. RIP, Mr. Guarnere.

He was portrayed pretty prominently in the HBO Miniseries "Band of Brothers." He lost his leg rescuing his buddy Joe Toye during the battle of Bastogne.

RIP "Wild Bill."
« Last Edit: March 09, 2014, 04:42:23 PM by Splashdown »
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Offline marv

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Re: RIP "Wild Bill" Guarnere
« Reply #1 on: March 09, 2014, 04:32:35 PM »
From the Screaming Eagle magazine:


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In this photo, taken 21 September, 1987, Bill Guarnere of E/506th, remembers comrades slain during Market-Garden. This is their final resting place, at Margraten, Holland. Bill, who lost a leg at Bastogne, is carrying flowers and a list of grave locations. This photo is worth a thousand words. It appeared on the back cover of the Screaming Eagle magazine, November-December issue of 1987. I think of this photo often, and can't forget it.


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In September of 2002, I encountered Wild Bill at the German Military Cemetery at Recogne, Belgium, north of Bastogne. In this 'Soldatenfriedhof' are 6700 Germans who died in the Battle of the Bulge. It must be an odd feeling to stand there and to know that you personally put some of them there. For decades after WW2, German highschool students came to manicure the lawns and tend these graves, as a reminder of the cost of war.

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Offline Splashdown

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Re: RIP "Wild Bill" Guarnere
« Reply #2 on: March 09, 2014, 04:42:02 PM »
He told a story about one of the times when he went back to Belgium. He was in the woods outside of Foy (where he lost his leg) when he saw a little kid and his father walking around. The kid came up to him and asked him what happened to his leg. He told the kid he lost it in the woods. He gave the kid a few francs to help him find it...  :-)
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Let nothing trouble you,
Let nothing frighten you. 
All things are passing;
God never changes.
Patience attains all that it strives for.
He who has God lacks nothing:
God alone suffices.
--St. Theresa of Avila



"No crushed ice; no peas." -- Undies

Offline BlueStateSaint

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Re: RIP "Wild Bill" Guarnere
« Reply #3 on: March 09, 2014, 04:51:20 PM »
:taps: :salutearmy:
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Offline wasp69

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Re: RIP "Wild Bill" Guarnere
« Reply #4 on: March 09, 2014, 09:24:56 PM »
Another makes the last jump...  They don't build too many like Wild Bill anymore.
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Offline EagleKeeper

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Re: RIP "Wild Bill" Guarnere
« Reply #5 on: March 09, 2014, 09:38:42 PM »
FWIW If you get the BoB DVD set it includes interviews with most of the surviving E company soldiers from a few years ago.
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Offline obumazombie

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Re: RIP "Wild Bill" Guarnere
« Reply #6 on: March 09, 2014, 09:41:58 PM »
My boss from 4 jobs ago was a bombardier on a flying fortress. He loved the series BOB.
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Offline Airwolf

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Re: RIP "Wild Bill" Guarnere
« Reply #7 on: March 10, 2014, 12:22:28 AM »
When I was in Korea they deactivated my unit the 1st BN 9th Inf and made it the 1st BN 506 Inf. Heard some of the stories each monday before the Battalion run of what they did . Then years later saw the show Band Of brothers. Hard to believe what they went through. RIP sir. Your back with your brothers now.
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