William Guarnere
Encyclopedia
Staff Sergeant William J. Guarnere (born April 28, 1923) was a non-commissioned officer
with Easy Company
, 2nd Battalion
, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment
, in the 101st Airborne Division
of the United States Army during World War II
. Guarnere was portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by Frank John Hughes
. Guarnere wrote Brothers in Battle, Best of Friends: Two WWII Paratroopers from the Original Band of Brothers Tell Their Story with Edward Heffron
and Robyn Post in 2007.
, Pennsylvania
, the youngest of 10 children to Joseph "Joe" and Augusta Guarnere. He joined the Citizens Military Training Camp
(CMTC) program during the Great Depression
. Guarnere's mother told the Government that he was 17 while he was, in fact, only 15. He spent three summers in the CMTC, which took four years to complete. The plan was that upon completing his training he would become an officer
in the United States Army
. Unfortunately, after his third year the program was canceled due to the pending war in Europe
.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor
, and six months before graduation from South Philadelphia High School, Guarnere left and worked for Baldwin Locomotive Works
making Sherman tanks for the Army. His mother was very upset because none of the other children had graduated from high school. He switched to the night shift and returned to school, getting his diploma in 1941. Because of his job he had an exemption from military service, but did not use it.
On August 31, 1942 in his hometown, Guarnere enlisted in the paratroops and started training at Camp Toccoa, Georgia.
, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. He made his first combat jump on D-Day
as part of the Allied invasion of France
. He earned the nickname “Wild Bill” because of his reckless attitude towards the Germans
. Another nickname for him was "Gonorrhoea" because of its similarity to his last name (this was used in the mini-series Band of Brothers). He displayed strong hatred for the Germans because one of his elder brothers, Henry, had been killed fighting the German Army in the Italian campaign
at Monte Cassino
.
Guarnere lived up to his nickname of "Wild Bill." A terror on the battlefield, he fiercely attacked the Germans he came into contact with. In the early morning hours of June 6, he joined up with Lieutenant Winters and a few other men trying to reach their objective, to secure the small village of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont
and the exit of causeway number 2 leading up from the beach. As the group headed south, they heard a German supply platoon coming and took up an ambush position. Winters told the men to wait for his command to fire, but Guarnere was eager to avenge his brother and, thinking that Winters might be a Quaker and hesitant to kill, opened fire first killing most of the unit.
Later, on the morning of June 6, he was also eager to join Richard Winters
in assaulting a group of four 105mm Howitzers at Brécourt Manor
. Winters named Guarnere Second Platoon Sergeant as a group of about 11 or 12 men attacked a force of about 50. The attack led by Winters was later used as an example of how a small squad-sized group could attack a vastly larger force in a defensive position.
He was wounded in mid-October 1944 while Easy was securing the line on "The Island" on the south side of the Rhine. As the sergeant of Second Platoon, he had to go up and down the line to check on and encourage his men, who were spread out over a distance of about a mile. While driving a motorcycle that he had stolen from a Dutch farmer across an open field, he was shot in the right leg by a sniper. The impact knocked him off the motorcycle, fractured his right tibia, and also lodged some shrapnel in his right buttocks. He was sent back to England on October 17.
While recovering from injuries, he didn't want to be assigned to another unit, so he put black shoe polish all over his cast, put his pants leg over the cast, and walked out of the hospital in severe pain. He was caught by an officer, court martialed, demoted to private, and returned to the hospital. He told them he would just go AWOL again trying to leave the hospital to rejoin Easy Company. They kept him a week longer and then sent him back to the Netherlands to be with his outfit.
He arrived at Mourmelon-le-Grand
, just outside Reims
, where the 101st was on R and R
(rest and recuperation), about December 10, just before the company was sent to the Battle of the Bulge
in Belgium
, on December 16. Because the paperwork did not arrive from England about his court-martial and demotion, he was put back in his same position.
While holding the line just up the hill south west of Foy
, a massive artillery barrage hit the men in their position. Guarnere lost his right leg in the incoming barrage while trying to help his wounded friend Joe Toye
(who could not get up because he had also lost his right leg). Due to this injury, Guarnere's participation in the war came to an end.
Guarnere received the Silver Star
for combat during the Brecourt Manor Assault
on D-Day, and was later decorated with two Bronze Star
s and two Purple Heart
s, making him one of only two Easy Company members (the other being Lynn Compton
) to be awarded the Silver Star throughout the duration of the war while a member of Easy. A third man, Gerald J. Loraine (27 March 1913—19 May 1976), received the Silver Star for his participation on D-Day, he was a member of Service Company, 506th, not a member of Company E.
In his recent autobiography entitled Beyond Band of Brothers; Memoirs of Major Richard Winters, Richard Winters
refers to Ronald Speirs
and Bill Guarnere as being "natural killers". When making those statements about both men, Winters says it in a way that reflects respect, not in a negative manner.
, threw away the limb and retired. He became an active member of many veterans organizations, and presides over many Easy Company reunions.
Guarnere wrote Brothers in Battle, Best of Friends: Two WWII Paratroopers from the Original Band of Brothers Tell Their Story with Edward Heffron
and Robyn Post, outlining activities of Easy Company. The book was published by Berkley Publishing Group, Penguin Books in 2007.
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
with Easy Company
E Company, 506th Infantry Regiment (United States)
Easy Company, 2nd Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, the "Screaming Eagles", is one of the most well-known companies in the United States Army. Their experiences in World War II are the subject of the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers based on the book...
, 2nd Battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment
506th Parachute Infantry Regiment
The 506th Infantry Regiment is a unit assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division. During World War II, the unit was designated the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment ....
, in the 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
of the United States Army during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Guarnere was portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by Frank John Hughes
Frank John Hughes
Frank John Hughes is an American film and television actor best known for his portrayal of "Wild Bill" Guarnere in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers, Tom Fox in Catch Me If You Can, Tim Woods in 24 and Walden Belfiore in The Sopranos.-Early life and career:A native of the South Bronx, Hughes...
. Guarnere wrote Brothers in Battle, Best of Friends: Two WWII Paratroopers from the Original Band of Brothers Tell Their Story with Edward Heffron
Edward Heffron
-External links:**...
and Robyn Post in 2007.
Youth
William Guarnere was born in South PhiladelphiaSouth Philadelphia
South Philadelphia, nicknamed South Philly, is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south, and the Schuylkill River to the west.-History:...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, the youngest of 10 children to Joseph "Joe" and Augusta Guarnere. He joined the Citizens Military Training Camp
Citizens Military Training Camp
Citizens' Military Training Camps were military training programs of the United States. Held annually each summer during the years 1921 to 1940, the CMTC camps differed from National Guard and Reserves training in that the program allowed male citizens to obtain basic military training without an...
(CMTC) program during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Guarnere's mother told the Government that he was 17 while he was, in fact, only 15. He spent three summers in the CMTC, which took four years to complete. The plan was that upon completing his training he would become an officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. Unfortunately, after his third year the program was canceled due to the pending war in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, and six months before graduation from South Philadelphia High School, Guarnere left and worked for Baldwin Locomotive Works
Baldwin Locomotive Works
The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...
making Sherman tanks for the Army. His mother was very upset because none of the other children had graduated from high school. He switched to the night shift and returned to school, getting his diploma in 1941. Because of his job he had an exemption from military service, but did not use it.
On August 31, 1942 in his hometown, Guarnere enlisted in the paratroops and started training at Camp Toccoa, Georgia.
Military service
William Guarnere joined Easy CompanyE Company, 506th Infantry Regiment (United States)
Easy Company, 2nd Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, the "Screaming Eagles", is one of the most well-known companies in the United States Army. Their experiences in World War II are the subject of the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers based on the book...
, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. He made his first combat jump on D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
as part of the Allied invasion of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He earned the nickname “Wild Bill” because of his reckless attitude towards the Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
. Another nickname for him was "Gonorrhoea" because of its similarity to his last name (this was used in the mini-series Band of Brothers). He displayed strong hatred for the Germans because one of his elder brothers, Henry, had been killed fighting the German Army in the Italian campaign
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
at Monte Cassino
Monte Cassino
Monte Cassino is a rocky hill about southeast of Rome, Italy, c. to the west of the town of Cassino and altitude. St. Benedict of Nursia established his first monastery, the source of the Benedictine Order, here around 529. It was the site of Battle of Monte Cassino in 1944...
.
Guarnere lived up to his nickname of "Wild Bill." A terror on the battlefield, he fiercely attacked the Germans he came into contact with. In the early morning hours of June 6, he joined up with Lieutenant Winters and a few other men trying to reach their objective, to secure the small village of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont
Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, Manche
Sainte-Marie-du-Mont is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.-World War II:It is best known for being the scene of military engagement between the American 101st Airborne Division and the German Wehrmacht on D-Day, June 6, 1944.-Heraldry:-References:*...
and the exit of causeway number 2 leading up from the beach. As the group headed south, they heard a German supply platoon coming and took up an ambush position. Winters told the men to wait for his command to fire, but Guarnere was eager to avenge his brother and, thinking that Winters might be a Quaker and hesitant to kill, opened fire first killing most of the unit.
Later, on the morning of June 6, he was also eager to join Richard Winters
Richard Winters
Major Richard "Dick" D. Winters was a United States Army officer and decorated war veteran. He commanded Company "E", 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, during World War II....
in assaulting a group of four 105mm Howitzers at Brécourt Manor
Brécourt Manor Assault
The Brécourt Manor Assault during the U.S. parachute assault of the Normandy Invasion of World War II is often cited as a classic example of small-unit tactics and leadership in overcoming a larger enemy force.-Objective:...
. Winters named Guarnere Second Platoon Sergeant as a group of about 11 or 12 men attacked a force of about 50. The attack led by Winters was later used as an example of how a small squad-sized group could attack a vastly larger force in a defensive position.
He was wounded in mid-October 1944 while Easy was securing the line on "The Island" on the south side of the Rhine. As the sergeant of Second Platoon, he had to go up and down the line to check on and encourage his men, who were spread out over a distance of about a mile. While driving a motorcycle that he had stolen from a Dutch farmer across an open field, he was shot in the right leg by a sniper. The impact knocked him off the motorcycle, fractured his right tibia, and also lodged some shrapnel in his right buttocks. He was sent back to England on October 17.
While recovering from injuries, he didn't want to be assigned to another unit, so he put black shoe polish all over his cast, put his pants leg over the cast, and walked out of the hospital in severe pain. He was caught by an officer, court martialed, demoted to private, and returned to the hospital. He told them he would just go AWOL again trying to leave the hospital to rejoin Easy Company. They kept him a week longer and then sent him back to the Netherlands to be with his outfit.
He arrived at Mourmelon-le-Grand
Mourmelon-le-Grand
Mourmelon-le-Grand is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France.-Camp Châlons:'Camp Châlons' is a military camp of circa 10,000 hectares nearby Mourmelon-le-Grand...
, just outside Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
, where the 101st was on R and R
R&R (military)
R&R, military slang for rest and recuperation , is a term used for the free time of a soldier in the US military or International UN staff serving in non-family duty stations. R&R includes various forms, including mail, sports, film screenings, using the services of prostitutes and leave time...
(rest and recuperation), about December 10, just before the company was sent to the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, on December 16. Because the paperwork did not arrive from England about his court-martial and demotion, he was put back in his same position.
While holding the line just up the hill south west of Foy
Foy, Belgium
Foy is a village in Belgium, near Bastogne.-Battle of the Bulge:In World War II, Foy was occupied by German forces during the Battle of the Bulge. The American 101st Airborne Division held the Bois Jacques just outside of town. After being relieved by George S. Patton's Third Army, the 101st retook...
, a massive artillery barrage hit the men in their position. Guarnere lost his right leg in the incoming barrage while trying to help his wounded friend Joe Toye
Joe Toye
-External links:*...
(who could not get up because he had also lost his right leg). Due to this injury, Guarnere's participation in the war came to an end.
Guarnere received the Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
for combat during the Brecourt Manor Assault
Brécourt Manor Assault
The Brécourt Manor Assault during the U.S. parachute assault of the Normandy Invasion of World War II is often cited as a classic example of small-unit tactics and leadership in overcoming a larger enemy force.-Objective:...
on D-Day, and was later decorated with two Bronze Star
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
s and two Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
s, making him one of only two Easy Company members (the other being Lynn Compton
Lynn Compton
Lynn D. "Buck" Compton is a retired California Court of Appeals judge who served as the lead prosecutor in Sirhan Sirhan's trial for the murder of Robert F. Kennedy. From 1946-1951, Compton served with the Los Angeles Police Department...
) to be awarded the Silver Star throughout the duration of the war while a member of Easy. A third man, Gerald J. Loraine (27 March 1913—19 May 1976), received the Silver Star for his participation on D-Day, he was a member of Service Company, 506th, not a member of Company E.
In his recent autobiography entitled Beyond Band of Brothers; Memoirs of Major Richard Winters, Richard Winters
Richard Winters
Major Richard "Dick" D. Winters was a United States Army officer and decorated war veteran. He commanded Company "E", 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, during World War II....
refers to Ronald Speirs
Ronald Speirs
Lieutenant Colonel Ronald C. Speirs was a United States Army officer who served in the U.S. 101st Airborne Division during World War II. He was initially a platoon leader in Company either "C" or "B" of the 2nd Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment...
and Bill Guarnere as being "natural killers". When making those statements about both men, Winters says it in a way that reflects respect, not in a negative manner.
Later years
Guarnere returned to the USA in March 1945 and took on many odd jobs. He wore an artificial right leg until he was able to secure full disability from the ArmyArmy
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
, threw away the limb and retired. He became an active member of many veterans organizations, and presides over many Easy Company reunions.
Guarnere wrote Brothers in Battle, Best of Friends: Two WWII Paratroopers from the Original Band of Brothers Tell Their Story with Edward Heffron
Edward Heffron
-External links:**...
and Robyn Post, outlining activities of Easy Company. The book was published by Berkley Publishing Group, Penguin Books in 2007.
External links
- WildBillGuarnere.com Bill's Official web site
- Bio on Normandy 1944 website
- Photos from "Wild Bill" Guarnere's 2008 USO trip to the Middle East
- Interview excerpt: "William "Wild Bill" Guarnere". - World War II Magazine. - c/o Men of Easy Company.