Veterans Issues/Information
Current Topics of Interest to Currahee Veterans

506th Historical Artifacts Needed The 4th Brigade Combat Team and the 506th Council at Fort Campbell, KY are looking for 506th historical artifacts that they can display in the 506th regimental areas at Fort Campbell. If you have any 506th-related artifacts/momentos from WWII, Camp Breckinridge, Fort Jackson, Fort Campbell, Vietnam, South Korea, and/or Iraq that you would be willing to donate, contact 1SG(R) John E. Foley (C Co, 1st BN, 506th, 1990-1991) at 270-798-3215 or chagress@outdrs.net. John is the Museum Technician at the Don F. Pratt Museum at Fort Campbell.

GMU Scholarship Program for Career-Changing Military George Mason University is the nation's first and only civilian university-based entity offering a comprehensive academic and research program in military applications of information technology. More information about GMU’s Center of Excellence in Command, Control, Communications, Computing and Intelligence (C4I) can be found on the web site c4i.gmu.edu.

DLEG Launches Project H*E*R*O Pilot to Assist Disabled Michigan Veterans Michigan is the first state in the nation to offer statewide Project H*E*R*O applications.

The City of Bastogne, Belgium will conduct an OFFICIAL Medal Presentation at the City Hall of BASTOGNE, together with the City Council, for any WWII veteran and accompanying group of friends and family. To participate in one of these Medal Presentation Ceremonies, contact Filip WILLEMS (eMail: fiwi@tijd.com) at least 3 weeks before you plan to visit Bastogne and provide him the following information: - full name and units of the visiting veteran(s) - how many persons plan to attend the ceremony (family and friends are welcome) - what date and time can the veteran(s) attend at the ceremony - will they be staying at a hotel in Bastogne? If yes, which hotel? - do you want the Bastogne City Council to provide a local guide ? Filip is the webmaster for Clancy Lyall's Homepage, a web site honoring SFC(R) Clarence O. Lyall (E Co, 2nd BN, 506th PIR, 1944-1945; E Co, 1st ABG, 1956-1958). Medals have been awarded to several 506th PIR veterans.

The Battle Cry - CURRAHEE! Has Been Sounded On November 18, 2004, then Acting Secretary of the Army Romie Lee Brownlee issued a letter to Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum in which he stated, After careful consideration of all the input, my review concludes that Major (Ret.) Winters earned the correct award for his valor. There is no evidence of material error or impropriety in the original processing of Major (Ret.) Winters’ award. It is my determination that the previously approved award of the Distinguished Service Cross remains the appropriate award to recognize the heroic acts of Major (Ret.) Winters. So the Battle continues; an effort is being mounted for the introduction of a Congressional Bill, that if passed, would only require the President’s signature for the upgrading of Major Winters’ award to the CMH. An on-line petition to the Secretary of the Army has been put on the Internet at Support our Veterans!- Medal of Honor for Major Richard D. Winters . While this petition is addressed to the current Secretary of the Army, Francis J. Harvey, it is being monitored by Pennsylvania Congressman Curt Weldon, who is working on the bill. The on-line petition, along with its 8,394 signatories, was presented to Congressman Weldon on Monday 6th June 2005, and a Bill has now been presented to Congress. The reference number is HR2790, and everyone is encouraged to write to their Congressional Representatives and Senators, urging them to support this bill. HR 2790 IH 109th CONGRESS 1st Session IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 7, 2005 A BILL To authorize and request the President to award the Medal of Honor to Richard D. Winters, of Hershey, Pennsylvania, for acts of valor on June 6, 1944, in Normandy, France, while an officer in the 101st Airborne Division. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION AND REQUEST FOR AWARD OF MEDAL OF HONOR TO RICHARD D. WINTERS FOR ACTS OF VALOR ON JUNE 6, 1944. (a) Authorization- The President is authorized and requested to award the Medal of Honor under section 3741 of title 10, United States Code, to Richard D. Winters, of Hershey, Pennsylvania, for the acts of valor described in subsection (b). (b) Action Described- The acts of valor referred to in subsection (a) are the actions of Richard D. Winters on D-Day, June 6, 1944, in Normandy, France, while executive officer and acting commanding officer of Company E, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, in leading an assault to neutralize four enemy 105-millimeter cannon firing on Utah Beach. (c) Waiver of Time Limitations- The award under subsection (a) may be made without regard to the time limitations specified in section 3744(b) of title 10, United States Code, or any other time limitation with respect to the awarding of certain medals to persons who served in the Army. Also, check out the Official Major Dick Winters Website. The word "Currahee" means Stands Alone but it has also been used a battle cry when a member of the 506th is in need of help. Right now the Battle Cry - CURRAHEE is being called out for us to help Major (retired) Richard D. Winters obtain the Congressional Medal of Honor that he deserves, earned, and was nominated for during World War II. At the 506th Association's General Meeting held August 16, 2002 at the Holiday Inn Select in Timonium, Maryland the Members in attendance voted unanimously to support an afford to upgrade Major (retired) Winters' Distinguished Service Cross to the Congressional Medal of Honor, our nation's highest award for valor. His courage, heroic action and leadership on D-Day June 6, 1944, when he was a First Lieutenant in E (Easy) Company, 2nd Battalion 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Infantry Division is an example of conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. For his heroic leadership under fire during the attack at Brécourt Manor, Colonel Robert F. Sink, the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment Commander, recommended Winters receive the Congressional Medal of Honor, but the time it was a unwritten 101st Airborne Division policy that only one man in the 101st would to be awarded such medal during any one combat campaign. For the Normandy Campaign the Congressional Medal of Honor was posthumously awarded to Lieutenant Colonel Robert G. Cole - Commander, 3rd Battalion, 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment. Instead, Winters was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, with Silver and Bronze Stars awarded to the men of Easy Company who participated in the assault. Proposed Citation: First Lieutenant Richard D. Winters - Company E, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action on 6 June 1944 in the vicinity of Le Gran Chemin, Normandy, France. During the early phases of the airborne assault on D-Day, Lieutenant Winters assumed temporary command of Easy Company, then numbering twelve men, and advanced to destroy a German four-gun battery of 105mm artillery pieces that was placing indirect fire on UTAH Beach. Lieutenant Winters personally conducted a reconnaissance under direct enemy fire and quickly stabled that quick, violent action was required to destroy the battery and it's 50-man enemy garrison. Organizing his men into support and assault teams, Winters crawled toward the jump-off position. In the process, he noticed one German Soldier and killed him instantly. With the support team engaging one enemy gun. Winters placed himself in the lead of the assault column and charged across the fire swept open field into the hedgerow where they silenced the first gun. As the enemy crew retreated, Winters killed three more Germans and planned to assault the second howitzer. Placing a machine gun to fire down the trench, he gathered two soldiers and prepared to charge down the trench in the direction of the second gun. Crawling forward in the trench he noticed that his path was blocked by an enemy machine gun getting ready to fire. Without hesitation Winters fired and wounded both members of the enemy crew. Leaving three men to hold the first gun, Winters lead his remaining five on a charge directly down the enemy trench throwing grenades ahead of him. Urging his men forward by shouting encouragement and leading the assault team, Winters captured the second gun and discovered a map that depicted all the German artillery and machine gun positions throughout the Cotentin Peninsula. Sending the map back to headquarters, Winters then directed the assault on the third gun, which he quickly captured. With three guns under his direct control, Winters halted only long enough to destroy the barrels of the enemy guns. Still under direct fire, Winters then ordered another platoon to capture the final gun, which they did in short order. With his mission accomplished and now under intense fire from machine guns from the hedgerows adjacent to neighboring Brecourt Manor, Winters finally ordered a withdrawal. As was his custom, Winters was last out, but not before killing another German rifleman. With what amounted to a squad. Winters and his men had killed 15 German soldiers, wounded many more, and taken 12 prisoners. In all, Winters killed at least five Germans and his whirlwind hand-to-hand assault had resulted in the destruction of the complete battery and the entire fifty-man platoon of the elite German paratroopers defending the battery. Later that afternoon Winters harassed the enemy forces, preventing their return to the fortified position until armored forces from the amphibious forces secured Brecourt Manor. The superb leadership, conspicuous courage, and consummate devotion to duty demonstrated by Lieutenant Winters were directly responsible for the successful accomplishment of a hazardous mission and served as an inspiration to his men and exemplify the heroic traditions of the military service. The January 2003 issue of The Currahee! newsletter encouraged letters to US Senators soliciting support for the upgrade of MAJ Winters' Distinguished Service Cross to the Medal of Honor. As an example of this, Jim Mittica [son of 1SG Carmen A. Mittica, I Company (Training), 3rd BN, 506th Infantry, 1954-1955, Fort Jackson] sent an eMail to Tennessee Senator Bill Frist and received these two letters in reply.

The Shake 'n Bake Sergeant: True Story of Infantry Sergeants in Vietnam by Jerry S. Horton From the book's review by the late COL(R) David Hackworth (most-decorated Vietnam veteran): "In 1968, the U.S. Army was running out of sergeants in Vietnam. Throughout military history, as least as far back as the Revolutionary War, sergeants were the backbone of the Army. This shortage of sergeants meant disaster in Vietnam. The NCO candidate school was created to solve this serious problem by doing one thing – train soldiers to lead men in combat. It was modeled after the Officer’s candidate school but streamlined to meet this critical need for leaders in half the time. Graduates were known by most as “Shake 'N Bake sergeants” “Instant NCOs” since the got there rank fast from going to school. This book is the first time this important part of American history has ever been published. It is the first time anyone has given credit to Shake’N Bake sergeants – a credit that they so greatly deserved. At the time there were many who said they would fail. It seemed many did not respect them even though all destined for front line positions. The book documents how they proved their worth over and over again as front line infantry leaders even though for thirty some years their sacrifices have been unknown."

Post-Vietnam Air Assault Badge	Air Assault Parity Coalition: a group of 1st Cavalry Division and 101st Division veterans whose mission is to advocate for change of the criteria for the awarding of the Air Assault Badge to include awarding the badge for combat assaults.
Letter Writing Campaign for Retroactive Air Assault Badge The Air Assault Parity Coalition has begun a Letter Writing Campaign requesting the new Secretary of the Army make the current Air Assault Badge retroactive to the Vietnam war for former airmobile and air cavalry combat veterans. The Army previously “considered and rejected” the retroactive award of the current Air Assault Badge to former members of the air assault units. The Air Assault Parity Coalition is also seeking a congressional sponsor for a Retroactive Air Assault Badge bill. For more information and sample letters, visit the Air Assault Parity Coalition website. Please help obtain this long overdue recognition for the pioneers of the current Air Assault technology (“We Put The Air in Air Assault”).
Original Air Assault Badge	The Air Assault Badge was awarded only to members of the 11th Air Assault Division, and then for only a limited time before airmobile proficiency became an accepted army tactic. Though rare, recipients wore them in Vietnam. Most were transferred into the 1st Cavalry Division. The badge was unauthorized during the Vietnam era, but was authorized by the Department of the Army in 1979. Text and image from Vietnam Order of Battle