#moose heyliger

[yourspeirs]

"Yeah well you oughta! You know you are officers, you are grown-ups, you oughta know!"

[airborneinfantry]

BAND OF BROTHERS (2001) ↳ Part Five: Crossroads

[dontirrigateme]

Happy Moose Heyliger Day

CPT Frederick "Moose" Heyliger, 23 Jun 1916 - 03 Nov 2001

[pastlivesandpurplepuppets]

Poor Moose.

~ Jared Frederick & Eric Dorr

[bleedingcoffee42]

Red Wright talking about the Nashville reunion. Dec. 1980

"5 o'clock shadow" Nixon

"Moose" Heyliger - (I remember his evening courses in astronomy)

Winters Files

[alyygx]

Band of Brothers Easy Company Sorted Between Surviving and Not Surviving WWII: Part 1 of 2

Hey all! Here is part 1 of my big BoB post!!! I still have some work to do on part 2 but I will try to have it up as soon as I can. I hope you all find this useful and also a little bit interesting. I had so much fun doing the research for it. 🙂❤️

Enjoy!!! xoxo

Died During the War:

Company Commanders:

First Lieutenant Thomas Meehan III

Born: July 8th, 1921 (Philadelphia, PA)

Enlisted: March 16th, 1941 (Philadelphia, PA)

Died: June 6th, 1944/ D-Day (Normandy, France)

Age at Death: 22 years old

Cause of Death: Plane shot down and crashed after being hit by German anti-aircraft fire.

• His remains were finally returned to the U.S. in 1952 and he is currently buried at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery just south of St. Louis, Missouri

Awards/Medals:

• Parachutists Badge (aka Jump Wings)

• Combat Infantry Badge

• American Campaign Medal

• Purple Heart

• European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (with 2 service stars)

• World War II Victory Medal

• French Liberation Medal

• Croix de guerre with palm

Wounded?: No (died before seeing any combat)

Family:

• Thomas Meehan II (Father)

• Marion Opp Meehan (Mother)

• Anne Shore (Wife)

• Barrie Meehan Meller (Daughter)

Non-commissioned Officers:

Sergeant Warren Harold "Skip" Muck

Born: January 31st, 1922 (Tonawanda, NY)

Enlisted: August 17th, 1942 (Buffalo, NY)

Died: January 10th, 1945 (Foy, Bastogne, Belgium)

Age at Death: 22 years old

Cause of Death: Killed when an artillery round hit his foxhole, shared with Alex Penkala, and exploded.

• Skip Muck is buried at the Luxembourg American Cemetery in Hamm, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.

Awards/Medals:

• Parachutists Badge (aka Jump Wings) with 2 combat stars

• Combat Infantryman Badge

• Bronze Star

• Purple Heart

• Presidential Unit Citation (with one Oak Leaf Cluster)

• European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (with 3 service stars and arrow device)

• World War II Victory Medal

• Army of Occupation Medal

• Croix de guerre with palm

• French Liberation Medal

• Belgian World War II Service Medal

Fought:

• D-Day/Battle of Normandy (Normandy, France)

• Operation Market Garden (Einhoven, Holland)

• Battle of the Bulge (Ardennes Forrest, Bastogne, Belgium)

Wounded?: Never wounded until KIA in Bastogne

Family:

• Elmer Julius Muck Sr. (Father)

• Loretta M. Muck (Mother)

• Elmer J. Muck Jr. (Older Brother)

• Ruth Muck (Younger Sister)

• Faye Tanner (Fiancée)

Enlisted Men:

Corporal Donald B. "Hoob" Hoobler

Born: June 28th, 1922 (Manchester, OH)

Enlisted: July 22nd, 1942 (Fort Thomas, KY)

• Joined the Ohio National Guard on October 15th, 1940 and served until October 1941.

Died: January 3rd, 1945 (Bastogne, Belgium)

• Don Hoobler is buried at Manchester IOOF Cemetery with his father (d. 1941), mother (d. 1976), and brother George (d. 1932).

Age at Death: 22 years old

Cause of Death: After acquiring a German Luger and placing the gun in his pocket the gun discharged due to the pressure of the multiple layers of clothing he was wearing and severed the femoral artery in his right leg. He bled out and died before he was able to be transported to an aid station.

Awards/Medals:

• Parachutists Badge (aka Jump Wings)

• Combat Infantryman Badge

• Purple Heart

• American Defense Medal

• European Theater of Operations Ribbon

Fought:

• Battle of Normandy/D-Day (Normandy, France)

• Operation Market Garden (Einhoven, Holland)

• Battle of the Bulge (Ardennes Forrest, Bastogne, Belgium)

Wounded?: No. Not until his fatal non-combat related gunshot wound to his leg in Bastogne.

Family:

• Sergeant Ralph Brenton Hoobler (Father)

• Kathryn Phyllis [Carrigan] Hoobler (Mother)

• John R. Hoobler (Brother)

• George B. Hoobler (Brother)

• Mary Kathryn [Hoobler] Lane (Sister)

Private First Class Alex Mike Penkala Jr.

Born: August 30th, 1924 (Niles, Michigan)

Drafted: February 27th, 1942 (Toledo, OH)

Died: January 10th, 1945 (Foy, Bastogne, Belgium)

Age at Death: 20 years old

Cause of Death: Killed when an artillery round hit his foxhole, shared with Skip Muck, and exploded.

• Alex Penkala is buried at the Luxembourg American Cemetery in Hamm, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.

Awards/Medals:

• Parachutists Badge (aka Jump Wings)

• Combat Infantryman Badge

• Purple Heart

• Bronze Star

• American Campaign Medal

• European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (with 3 service stars and arrowhead)

• World War Two Victory Medal

• Reconnaissance de la France Libérée

• Croix de guerre with palm

• Médaille commémorative de la Guerre

• Good Conduct Medal

Fought:

• Battle of Normandy/D-Day (Normandy, France)

• Operation Market Garden (Einhoven, Holland)

• Battle of the Bulge (Ardennes Forrest, Bastogne, Belgium)

Wounded?: Wounded by a mortar explosion in the arm in Bastogne.

Family: Alex Penkala's parents emigrated from Poland in 1906 and his father barely spoke English. All the Penkala children (including Alex) were fluent in Polish.

• Alexander Penkala Sr. (Father)

• Mary [Kinski] Penkala (Mother) *died in childbirth in 1927 delivering her 13th child

• Angela M. [Penkala] Sobczyk (Oldest Sister)

• Mary [Penkala] Setlak (2nd Oldest Sister)

• Helen E. [Penkala] Hawblitzel (3rd Oldest Sister)

• Matilda V. [Penkala] Budney (4th Oldest Sister)

• Genevieve A. [Penkala] Glujas (5th Oldest Sister)

• Edward F. Penkala (Oldest Brother)

• Clem J. Penkala (2nd Oldest Brother)

• Evelyn A. [Penkala] Tatay (6th Oldest Sister)

• Irene [Penkala] Lichatowich (7th Oldest Sister)

• Rose L. [Penkala] Kaczmarczyk (2nd Youngest Sister)

• Gertrude E. [Penkala] Picking (Youngest Sister)

• Sylvia (Girlfriend)

Survived the War:

Company Commanders:

Captain Herbert Maxwell Sobel

Born: January 26th, 1912 (Chicago, IL)

Enlisted: March, 7th 1941

Died: September 30th, 1987 (Waukegan, IL)

Age at Death: 75 years old

Cause of Death: Malnutrition

• In 1970 Sobal shot himself in the head in an attempted suicide. The bullet entered his temple and severed his optic nerve rendering him blind for the rest of his life.

• He died a Lieutenant Colonel; serving in both WWII & Korea

• Sobel was cremated after his death

• Sobel is buried at Montrose Cemetery-Crematorium in Chicago, IL

• No one attended his funeral

Awards/Medals:

• Parachutists Badge (aka Jump Wings)

• Combat Infantryman Badge

• Bronze Star Medal

• American Campaign Medal

• European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal

• World War II Victory Medal

• Croix de guerre (France)

Fought:

• Battle of Normandy/D-Day (Normandy, France)

• Operation Market Garden (Einhoven, Holland)

• Battle of the Bulge (Ardennes Forrest, Bastogne, Belgium)

Wounded?: No

After the War: Worked as a credit manager for a telephone equipment company in Chicago.

• Sobel was born into a Jewish family, his wife was devoutly Catholic. This was a major problem for his family.

• Sobel and his wife divorced sometime in the late 1960s and he became estranged from his family shortly after.

Family:

• Max H. Sobel (Father)

• Dora Friedman (Mother)

• Julian Sobel (Brother)

• Maxine Sobel (Brother)

• Ruth Sobel (Sister)

• Rose Sobel (Wife)

• Michael Sobel (Son)

• Herbert Sobel Jr. (Son)

• Rick Sobel (Son)

• 1 daughter (died a few days after birth)

Major Richard Davis "Dick" Winters

Born: January 21st, 1918 (New Holland, PA)

Enlisted: August 25th, 1941 (place unknown)

Died: January 2nd, 2011 (Campbelltown, PA)

Age at Death: 92 years old

Cause of Death: Parkinson's disease

• Dick is buried at Bergstrasse Evangelical Lutheran Church, Ephrata Township, PA and was laid to rest on January 8th, 2011.

Awards/Medals:

• Parachutists Badge (with 2 Combat Stars)

• Combat Infantryman Badge

• Medal of the City of Einhoven

• Distinguish Service Cross [The second highest medal awarded by the US Military]

• Bronze Star with one Oak Leaf Cluster

• Purple Heart

• Presidential Unit Citation with one Oak Leaf Cluster

• American Defense Medal

• National Defense Medal

• European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal

• World War II Victory Medal

• Army of Occupation Medal

• Croix de guerre with palm

• French Liberation Medal

• War Cross (Belgium) with palm

• Belgian World War II Medal

Fought:

• Battle of Normandy/D-Day (Normandy, France)

• Operation Market Garden (Einhoven, Holland)

• Battle of the Bulge (Ardennes Forrest, Bastogne, Belgium)

• Western Allied invasion of Germany

Wounded?: Took a ricochet sniper bullet to the leg in Carentan.

After the War: Became a production assistant at Nixon Nitration Works, a plastics adhesive factory, in Raritan, NJ

Family:

• Richard Winters (Father)

• Edith Winters (Mother)

• Beatrice Winters (Sister)

• Ann Sheehan (Younger Sister)

• Ethel Estoppey Winters (Wife)

• Richard T. Winters (Son)

• Jill Peckelun (Daughter)

First Lieutenant Frederick Theodore "Moose" Heyliger

Born: June 23rd, 1916 (Acton, MA)

Enlisted: November 25th, 1940

Died: November 3rd, 2001 (Concord, MA)

• Moose is buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery

Age at Death: 85 years old

Cause of Death: Stroke

Awards/Medals:

• Parachutists Badge (aka Jump Wings)

• Bronze Star

• Purple Heart

• American Campaign Medal

• European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal

• Military Cross

Fought:

• Battle of Normandy/D-Day (Normandy, France)

• Operation Market Garden (Einhoven, Holland)

Wounded?: Was accidentally shot by one of his own men (a replacement) on October 31st, 1944. His wounds caused him to need to undergo skin and nerve grafts. He was discharged from the army in February 1947 after being in military hospitals for nearly 3 years.

After the War: Worked as a salesman for landscape and agriculture chemical companies.

Family:

• Theodore Godet Heyliger (Father)

• Bertha Louise Heyliger (Mother)

• Johannes Almon Heyliger (Older Brother)

• Pauline Louise Heyliger (Older Sister)

• Howard Francis Heyliger (2nd Oldest Brother)

• Vic Heyliger (Younger Brother)

• Evelyn Davis (First Wife) [divorced early 1960s]

• Frederick Heyliger Jr. (Son)

• Diane Heyliger (Daughter)

• Mary Heyliger (Second Wife)

• Jon Heyliger (Son)

First Lieutenant Norman Staunton "Foxhole Norman" Dike Jr.

Born: May 19th, 1918 (Brooklyn, NY)

Enlisted: January 22nd, 1942

Died: June 23rd, 1989 (Rolle, Switzerland)

• Dike is buried at West Thompson Cemetery, Thompson Windham County, North Grosvenor Dale, Connecticut.

Age at Death: 71 years old

Cause of Death: "A long illness" is all the info I could find

Awards/Medals:

• Silver Star

• Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster

• Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster

• Order of Orange-Nassau Netherlands 2nd class

Fought:

• Operation Market Garden

• Battle of the Bulge

Wounded?: Shot in the right shoulder in Foy

After the War: Dike opened his own law practice in Switzerland

Family:

• Norman S. Dike Sr. (Father)

• Evelyn M. Biddle (Mother)

• Barbra Tredick Dimmick McIntire (Wife) (m. June 20th 1942 - divorced June 1946)

• Catherine Pochon (2nd Wife) (m. March 12th, 1957)

• Anthony Randolph Dike (Son)

• Robin Dike Auchincloss (Daughter)

• Barbra Matilda Dike (Daughter)

• Deborah Ann Dike (Daughter)

Captain Ronald Charles Speirs

Born: April 20th, 1920 (Edinburgh, United Kingdom)

Enlisted: April 11th 1942

Died: April 11th, 2007 (Saint Marie, Montana)

Age at Death: 86 years old

Cause of Death: Died suddenly; cause unknown

• Burial details unknown

Awards/Medals:

• Master Parachutist Badge with 4 combat jump devices (stars)

• Combat Infantry Badge 2nd Award

• Silver star

• Legion of Merit

• Bronze Star with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters

• Purple Heart with ne Oak Leaf Clusters

• Army Commendation Medal

• Presidential Unit Citation with one Oak Leaf Cluster

• American Campaign Medal

• European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with four Service Stars and Arrowhead Device

• World War II Victory Medal

• Army of Occupation Medal

• National Defense Service Medal with Service Star

• Korean Service Medal with four Service Stars and Arrowhead Device

• Croix de Guerre with palm

• French Liberation Medal

• Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation

• United Nations Korea Medal

• Korean War Service Medal

Fought:

• Battle of Normandy/DDay

• Operation Market Garden

• Battle of the Bulge

Wounded?: Wounded by fire from an enemy machine gun in Rendijk, Holland

After the War: After WWII Spiers stayed in the army for 22 years and served in both the Korean and Cold Wars. Once out of the army Speirs served as the Governor of Spandau Prison (where Nazi war criminals were held).

Family:

• Robert Spiers (Father)

• Martha McNeil (Mother)

• Margaret Griffiths (Wife) (m. May 20th, 1944 - 1946) * Divorced bc she was British and didnt't want to move to America with him.

• Leonie Gertrude Hume Fritz (2nd Wife) (m. 1958)

• Ramona Dolores Pujol Strumph (3rd Wife) (m. 1987)

• Robert (Son from 1st wife)

Junior Officers:

Captain Lewis Nixon

Born: September 30th, 1918 (New York, NY)

Enlisted: January 14th, 1941 (Trenton, NJ)

Died: January 11th, 1995 (Los Angeles, CA)

Age at Death: 76 years old

Cause of Death: Complications from diabetes

• Lew is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills

Awards/Medals:

• Parachutist Badge (Jump Wings) with 3 combat stars

• Combat Infantyman Badge

• Purple Heart

• American Defense Medal

• European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Ribbion with 3 Battle Stars and a Bronze Arrowhead

• World War Two Victory Medal

• World Was Two Army of Occupation Award with Germany Clasp

• French Criox de Guerre (Cross of Valor)

• Presidential Unit Citation with Bronze Oak Leaf

• 5 Overseas Service Stripes

• Ruptured Duck Patch (WWII Discharge Patch)

Fought:

• Battle of Normandy/DDay

• Operation Market Garden

• Battle of the Bulge

• Operation Varsity

Wounded?: In the Netherlands he was hit by a bullet from a German MG 42 machine gun. The bullet went through his helmet, grazed his forehead, and left a burn mark.

After the War: Nix worked at his family's Nixon Nitration Works in Edison, New Jersey alongside his father and friend Dick Winters.

Family:

• Stanhope Wood Nixon (father)

• Doris Ryer Nixon (mother)

• Fletcher Ryer Nixon (brother)

• Blanche Nixon (sister)

• Katharine Page (1st Wife) (m. December 20th, 1941 - 1944)

• Irene Miller (2nd Wife) (m. June 1946 - 1962)

• Grace Umezawa (3rd Wife) (m. 1962)

• Michael Nixon (Son with 1st Wife)

First Lieutenant Lynn Davis "Buck" Compton

Born: December 31st, 1921 (Los Angeles, CA)

Enlisted: Was already ROTC (started 1940) when the war broke out (graduated in 1943 and assigned to the 176th Infantry Regiment)

Died: February 25th, 2012 (Burlington, WA)

Age at Death: 90 years old

Cause of Death: Complications from a heart attack he had in January 2012

• Buck was cremated after his death and his ashes were given to his family

Awards/Medals:

• Parachutist Badge (Jump Wings) with 2 jump stars

• Combat Infantryman Badge

• Silver Star

• Bronze Star

• Purple Heart

• Presidential Unit Citation with one Oak Leaf Cluster

• American Defense Service Medal

• American Campaign Medal

• European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with arrow device (airborne assult) and 3 campaign stars

• World War II Victory Medal

• Army of Occupation Medal

• French Croix de guere with palm

• French Liberation Medal

Fought:

• Battle of Normandy/DDay

• Operation Market Garden

• Battle of the Bulge

Wounded?: In 1944, during Operation Market Garden, Buck was shot in the backside. Then, in January 1945, Buck suffered severe battle fatigue after witnessing two close friends (Joe Toye and Bill Guarnere) badly wounded by artillery fire.

After the War: He attended Loyola Law School in Los Angeles and joined the LA Police Department in 1946 becoming a detective in the Central Burglary Division. He left the LAPD for the District Attorney's office in 1951 as a deputy district attorney. He was promoted in 1964 to chief deputy district attorney. In 1970, Governor Ronald Reagan appointed him an Associate Justice of the California Court of Appeal. He retired in 1990.

• (Fun Fact/Before the War) Buck played as the catcher on his college baseball team his junior year. One of his teammates was Jackie Robinson. Also, Bucks mother worked on movies and Buck was present on set with his mother and met actor Charlie Chaplin. Buck, being a child at the time, was so rowdy and disruptive that Charlie Chaplin kicked him off set.

Family:

• Roby Franks Compton (Father)

• Ethel Camille Compton (Mother)

• Geraldine Compton (1st Wife)

• Donna Faye Newman Compton (2nd Wife)

• Tracy Compton (adopted daughter w/ 2nd wife)

• Syndee Compton (adopted daughter w/ 2nd wife)

[aliciax3]

Me finding out that Moose Heyliger was born/lived/is buried 3 towns over from me 😭

[luckyreds]

“Little moose” 🥺 brb crying cuz why is this so cute

[isakvaltersnake]

the way moose heyliger was exactly the kind of character who would’ve been my forever girl, and then he went and got himself shot 20 mins after I got him. unacceptable.

[teabights]

Tbh your boi moose heyliger needs more love and the cutest.

Moose Heyliger is pretty great. Not a huge Moose girl. But I support the him needing more love. He definitely does.

[pfctipper]

funniest thing in speirs’ biography is that ‘The officer’s round face and receding hairline inexplicably accentuated his toughness’ is on the first page and describing a man who is at best twenty-five by the end of the war. brutal

[dontirrigateme]

As requested by @1waveshortofashipwreck

[pastlivesandpurplepuppets]

Fred Heyliger Jr., his eldest son, laughs good-naturedly at how quick-witted his father could be. Years ago they were at a Boy Scout meeting. Heyliger was the leader and told the boys to recite the creed. When they came to the part about being “morally straight,” some kid piped up: “What does that mean?” “It means you can’t sleep on a spiral staircase,” Heyliger said. “That line captures his personality,” Fred Jr. said. “He could be very funny, on the good side of things. But also, he could choose to not deal with serious issues. Avoidance was one way he coped with life. He simply sidestepped certain subjects.”

[rockpaperscissuhs]

Band of Brothers Birthdays

January

1 John S. Zielinski Jr. (b. 1925)

21 Richard D. “Dick” Winters (b. 1918)

26 Herbert M. Sobel (b. 1912)

30 Clifford Carwood "Lip" Lipton (b. 1920)

31 Warren H. “Skip” Muck (b. 1922) & Robert B. Brewer (b. 1924)

February

8 Clarence R. Hester (b. 1916)

18 Thomas A. Peacock (b. 1920)

23 Lester A. “Les” Hashey (b. 1925)

March

1 Charles E. “Chuck” Grant (b. 1922)

2 Colonel Robert L. “Bob” Strayer (b. 1910)

4 Wayne “Skinny” Sisk (b. 1922)

10 Frank J. Perconte (b. 1917)

13 Darrell C. “Shifty” Powers (b. 1923)

14 Joseph J. “Joe” Toye (b. 1919)

24 John D. “Cowboy” Halls (b. 1922)

26 George Lavenson (b. 1917) & George H. Smith Jr. (1922)

27 Gerald J. Loraine (b. 1913)

April

3 Colonel Robert F. “Bob” Sink (b. 1905) & Patrick S. “Patty” O’Keefe (b. 1926)

5 John T. “Johnny” Julian (b. 1924)

10 Renée B. E. Lemaire (b. 1914)

11 James W. Miller (b. 1924)

15 Walter S. “Smokey” Gordon Jr. (b. 1920)

20 Ronald C. “Sparky” Speirs (b. 1920)

23 Alton M. More (b. 1920)

27 Earl E. “One Lung” McClung (b. 1923) & Henry S. “Hank” Jones Jr. (b. 1924)

28 William J. “Wild Bill” Guarnere (b. 1923)

May

12 John W. “Johnny” Martin (b. 1922)

16 Edward J. “Babe” Heffron (b. 1923)

17 Joseph D. “Joe” Liebgott (b. 1915)

19 Norman S. Dike Jr. (b. 1918) & Cleveland O. Petty (b. 1924)

25 Albert L. "Al" Mampre (b. 1922)

June

2 David K. "Web" Webster (b. 1922)

6 Augusta M. Chiwy ("Anna") (b. 1921)

13 Edward D. Shames (b. 1922)

17 George Luz (b. 1921)

18 Roy W. Cobb (b. 1914)

23 Frederick T. “Moose” Heyliger (b. 1916)

25 Albert Blithe (b. 1923)

28 Donald B. "Hoob" Hoobler (b. 1922)

July

2 Gen. Anthony C. "Nuts" McAuliffe (b. 1898)

7 Francis J. “Frank” Mellet (b. 1920)

8 Thomas Meehan III (b. 1921)

9 John A. Janovec (b. 1925)

10 Robert E. “Popeye” Wynn (b. 1921)

16 William S. Evans (b. 1910)

20 James H. “Moe” Alley Jr. (b. 1922)

23 Burton P. “Pat” Christenson (b. 1922)

29 Eugene E. Jackson (b. 1922)

31 Donald G. "Don" Malarkey (b. 1921)

August

3 Edward J. “Ed” Tipper (b. 1921)

10 Allen E. Vest (b. 1924)

15 Kenneth J. Webb (b. 1920)

18 Jack E. Foley (b. 1922)

26 Floyd M. “Tab” Talbert (b. 1923) & General Maxwell D. Taylor (b. 1901)

29 Joseph A. Lesniewski (b. 1920)

31 Alex M. Penkala Jr. (b. 1924)

September

3 William H. Dukeman Jr. (b. 1921)

11 Harold D. Webb (b. 1925)

12 Major Oliver M. Horton (b. 1912)

27 Harry F. Welsh (b. 1918)

30 Lewis “Nix” Nixon III (b. 1918)

October

5 Joseph “Joe” Ramirez (b. 1921) & Ralph F. “Doc” Spina (b. 1919) & Terrence C. "Salty" Harris (b. 1920)

6 Leo D. Boyle (b. 1913)

10 William F. “Bill” Kiehn (b. 1921)

15 Antonio C. “Tony” Garcia (b. 1924)

17 Eugene G. "Doc" Roe (b. 1922)

21 Lt. Cl. David T. Dobie (b. 1912)

28 Herbert J. Suerth Jr. (b. 1924)

31 Robert "Bob" van Klinken (b. 1919)

November

11 Myron N. “Mike” Ranney (b. 1922)

20 Denver “Bull” Randleman (b. 1920)

December

12 John “Jack” McGrath (b. 1919)

31 Lynn D. “Buck” Compton (b. 1921)

Unknown Date

Joseph P. Domingus

Richard J. Hughes (b. 1925)

Maj. Louis Kent

Father John Mahoney

George C. Rice

SOURCES

Military History Fandom Wiki

Band of Brothers Fandom Wiki

Traces of War

Find a Grave

[oatflatwhite]

BOBSTROLOGY

A completely serious presentation by @pegasusdrawnchariots and oatflatwhite

written version under the cut!

♈️Patrick O’Keefe [April 3 1926] ♈️Robert Sink [April 3 1905] ♈️John Julian [5 April 1924] ♈️Renée Lemaire [10 April 1914] ♈️James Miller [11 April 1924] ♈️Walter “Smokey” Gordon [April 15 1920] ♉️~Ronald Speirs [April 20 1920] ♉️Alton More [April 22 1920] ♉️Henry Jones [27 April 1924] ♉️Edward “Babe” Heffron [May 16 1923] ♉️John Martin [May 12 1922] ♉️Joseph Liebgott [May 17 1915] ♉️Norman Dike [May 19 1918] ♉️William Guarnere [April 28 1923] ♊️David Webster [June 2 1922] ♊️George Luz [June 17 1921] ♊️Roy Cobb [June 18 1914] ♋️Frederick “Moose” Heyliger [June 23 1916] ♋️Albert Blithe [June 25 1923] ♋️Donald Hoobler [28 June 1922] ♋️Thomas Meehan [8 July 1921] ♋️John Janovec [9 July 1925] ♋️Robert “Popeye” Wynn [July 10 1921] ♋️James "Moe" Alley [July 20 1922] ♌️~Burton “Pat” Christenson [July 23 1922] ♌️Eugene Jackson [29 July 1922] ♌️Donald Malarkey [July 31 1921] ♌️Edward Tipper [3 August 1921] ♍️Floyd Talbert [August 26 1923] ♍️Alex Penkala [August 30 1922] ♍️William Dukeman [3 September 1921] ♎️Eugene Roe [October 17 1922] ♎️Harry Welsh [September 27 1918] ♎️Lewis Nixon [September 30 1918] ♎️Ralph Spina [October 5 1919] ♎️Thomas Peacock [October 9 1923] ♏️Denver “Bull” Randleman [November 20 1920] ♑️Lynn “Buck” Compton [December 31 1921] ♑️Antonio Garcia [January 17 1925] ♒️Richard "Dick" Winters [January 21 1918] ♒️Herbert Sobel [January 26 1912] ♒️Carwood Lipton [January 30 1920] ♒️Warren “Skip” Muck [January 31 1922] ♓️Lester Hashey [23 February 1925] ♓️Charles “Chuck” Grant [1 March 1922] ♓️Robert Strayer [March 2 1912] ♓️Wayne “Skinny” Sisk [March 4 1922] ♓️Frank Perconte [March 10 1917] ♓️Darrell “Shifty” Powers [March 13 1923] ♓️Joseph Toye [March 14 1919]

6 Aries 🥉 8 Taurus 🥇 3 Gemini 7 Cancer 🥈 4 Leo 3 Virgo 5 Libra 1 Scorpio 0 Sagittarius 🥄 2 Capricorn 4 Aquarius 7 Pisces 🥈

10 🔥 13 🪨 12 💨 15 💧

20 cardinal 17 fixed 13 mutable

22 masculine 28 feminine

[holdingforgeneralhugs]

Bitter Pill to Swallow

Chapter 24 (Chapter Masterlist)

Screencap from the ever lovely @tvserie-s-world it's been awhile but I hope this chapter makes up for the very long wait 💕

There was something off about Colonel Dobie. Dick had been watching him since he'd walked into HQ with Lewis, and though he couldn't put his finger on what the issue was, he'd taken an immediate dislike to the man. There was just… something about him that put Dick on edge. It didn't take too long for Dobie to prove his suspicions correct.

"So, chaps," he started once they were in the jeep back to battalion, "I'm to have Easy Company along on this excursion?"

"Yes," Lewis replied, placing a hand on Heyliger’s shoulder. "Easy is one of the finest outfits in all the army, ain't that right, Dick?"

"Sure is," he smiled, a little bubble of pride forming in his chest at the thought of Easy. He may not be their CO anymore, but they would always be his company, and he'd always be happy to sing their praises.

"Isn’t it the company with the lady lieutenant?" Dobie continued, a curious glint in his eye that put Dick's nerves on edge. Surely he wasn't going to make an issue of a female lieutenant after he had asked for their help on his rescue operation?

"Yes," Dick replied, a sharp edge to his voice. "Lieutenant Landry has been with Easy from the beginning and she's a model officer."

"Oh, I'm sure she's quite the model officer, alright," Dobie smirked as the jeep pulled to a stop. "I shall look forward to working closely with her, then. Who knows, perhaps we'll become rather friendly after all this. Now, how about we source a spot of tea and run through the intelligence for this operation, Nixon?"

"Eh… sure," Lewis agreed after a moment's hesitation, his gaze lingering on Dick as he waited to see if he'd respond. "Heyliger and I will go through it with you in my office. Dick here has a mountain of paperwork to do, so he gets a free pass." Lewis spared a final glance at Dick before leading the British Colonel away, Heyliger falling into step beside them.

Dick remained silent throughout this exchange, his temper continuing to rise in response to the Colonel's flippant comment. Clearly Dobie had a few ideas about Valerie and how he could… befriend her, but Dick would be damned if he'd let him have the chance.

"Moose, can I have a quick word?" He called at the retreating party as he finally climbed from the jeep. Lewis glanced back at him with a raised eyebrow, but continued on his way without comment. Dick knew he'd ask Heyliger about it as soon as he had a free moment.

"What can I do for you, Dick?" Heyliger asked, straight to the point. Dick appreciated that about him, that and his all-in style of leadership. Dick had often seen him out on patrols and doing nightly checks on the outposts since he'd taken over Easy, and it eased his worries somewhat to know that they were in good hands now.

"Keep Lieutenant Landry out of this operation, yeah?" Dick instructed. Heyliger’s brows rose in momentary surprise before furrowing in confusion.

"But Lieutenant Landry would be…"

"I know she would," Dick agreed with a sigh, "but she can sit this one out, alright? There'll be other operations."

"Yes, sir," Heyliger conceded after a terse moment. He looked like he wanted to question the order, but ultimately thought better of it and followed after Lewis and Dobie.

Dick watched him go with mixed emotions. Knowing Valerie, she'd be the first to volunteer for the operation, and she'd have no fear in questioning why she wasn't permitted to go. Heyliger would of course tell her the reason, and he fully expected her to be banging his door down by the end of the day to give him an earful about it. He stood by his decision, though. Dobie clearly had plenty of ulterior motives when it came to Valerie, and Dick could not in good conscience let her walk into something like that. He'd happily take a hundred of her angry tirades if it meant she was safe from Dobie's wandering hands.

~~~~

"Alright, listen up," Heyliger called as he walked into the barn. "The Brits are staging a rescue operation across the river in three days, and they want Easy to run it. Welsh and Shames, you'll be on this one with me, so pick out fifteen men and bring them to CP for briefing at 1700."

Valerie knew it was irrational and childish, but she couldn't help her frustration at being left out of the mission. She'd been with Easy longer than them both, yet she had been completely overlooked. This would be a hugely important mission for Easy and it grated her that she'd been excluded. She tried to get Heyliger’s attention then, but he quickly averted his eyes and looked anywhere but her before walking out of the barn. Valerie narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously before following him out.

"Hey, Moose, wait up," she called as she jogged to catch up with him. He came to a reluctant stop, sighing quietly before turning around to face her. "What's up, Valerie?" He asked carefully.

"At the risk of insubordination," she started, "I was wonderin' why you passed me up for the rescue mission?"

"Well, I..." he started, clearing his throat awkwardly before stumbling on. "I just..."

"If you think I'm not capable or somethin', then I..."

"Jesus, no, Valarie," he interrupted, shaking his head vehemently. "You're one of the most competent officers in this outfit."

"Then why did you pass me over?"

"You're not going to like it..." he sighed, defeated, "And if I tell you, you have to promise to not get angry..."

"Moose," she deadpanned, "spit it out."

"Well, ya see, Dick he… He told me to leave you out of it. I dunno why, but..."

"He what?" She whispered, deadly calm. She clenched her fists so tight her nails dug into her palms, hard enough to draw blood. The pure unadulterated rage was rising so quickly inside her it burned in her chest, and her body began to tremble with the effort of holding it all in.

"Now, Valerie, you promised you..."

"I promised no such thing," she quipped sharply. "Now I'm sorry, but I have somethin' I need to do."

Without waiting for a response, she marched purposefully towards the house where the battalion officers had set up shop. She drew immediate attention as she stormed into the house, but nobody made a move to stop her, too wary of drawing her obvious ire in their direction.

"I'm looking for Captain Winters," she said tersely to the first aide she came across. "Can you point me in his direction?"

"Uh… in the attic, ma'am. It’s the only door on the top floor," the aide replied warily. She gave him a rigid nod in thanks before purposefully marching up the stairs, her heavy, stomping footsteps rattling the wooden frame. When she finally reached the top floor, she rapped her knuckles on the door and barely waited for the “come in” before entering the room and closing the door harshly behind her.

Dick stiffened as his eyes met hers, his fingers crumpling the edges of the report he was holding in his hand. "Valerie..." he started warily.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" She cut him off abruptly. "What goddamn right do you have to tell Moose to exclude me from that operation?"

"Valerie, please..."

"I've been here since the goddamn beginning, and I've worked my goddamn ass off every goddamn day for this goddamn company and you," she spat furiously, pointing an accusatory finger at him, "have the goddamn gall to order Moose to cut me out of an important mission."

"Valerie, if you'll just..."

"How dare you," she hissed. "I knew you were on some kinda newfound power trip, but this just takes the..."

"Dammit, Valerie, I did it to protect you!" He snapped, slamming his palms on the desk with an audible smack, his chair banging off the wall as he stood up abruptly. Valerie was stunned into silence by the sudden outburst, and Dick's heaving breaths were the only sound to pierce the thick blanket of silence that had come between them.

His eyes softened when he saw the perplexed look on her face, and he pushed himself away from the desk with a sigh before coming to stand in front of her. "I knew you'd come storming in my door to chew me out the minute I made the call, but I had to, alright? Colonel Dobie was a little too interested in the Lady Lieutenant from Easy and he heavily implied he wanted to get a bit more than friendly with you. And after what happened in London… I didn't want you to be in a position like that again, so I made the call. I'm sorry I upset you and made you feel like you're being overlooked, but I won't apologise for trying to protect you from unnecessary discomfort or harm."

Valerie found that for once in her life she was unable to speak. Her heart was hammering a mile a minute in her chest and her throat was tight. This wonderful man, despite all the grief she had given him and all the spiteful comments she had thrown at him, had without hesitation done his best to keep her safe from harm. It was the most thought anyone besides the Gene family had ever given her, and her heart felt like it was going to burst with the weight of it.

Before she could second guess herself, she flung her arms around his neck and burrowed her face in his shoulder. She closed her eyes and exhaled shakily as he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight against him. She turned her head slightly, her nose brushing gently against the edge of his collar, and she heard his breath hitch. "Thank you, Dick," she whispered against his neck, and he gave an involuntary shudder. "Thanks for lookin' out for me."

"No need to thank me, Val," he murmured, his thumb rubbing small, gentle circles on her spine. "Just trying to do right by you. I… I care about you too much to stand by and let someone take advantage of you."

Valerie could feel his heart thumping against his ribs, and her own started to beat in tandem with it. She knew they had been holding each other far too long for it to be considered normal, but she didn't want to be the one to break away first.

"I'm sorry for what I said the other day," she said quietly after a moment. "I didn't mean any of it. You know me by now, sometimes my mouth starts runnin' before my head catches up. I just… I guess it just took me by surprise and I worried that with your fancy new desk job… Well, I guess I worried I wouldn't see you anymore because you wouldn't have the time."

It was a rare moment of vulnerability from Valerie, and she felt embarrassed that she'd perhaps been a bit too honest, that he'd read between the lines and see the feelings she was hiding. She squeezed her eyes shut and hoped he wouldn't notice the blush rising rapidly on her cheeks, but alas he pulled back far enough so he could give her an earnest look.

"There's no desk job they could put me on that would allow that to ever happen," he promised quietly, and Valerie felt the knot in her stomach tighten as though he'd grabbed it and tugged it sharply. 

"Well, I'm glad about that," she whispered.

They were far too close together, she realised, with her arms around his shoulders and his hands resting on her spine. It was all far too cozy, just the two of them in his tiny attic office, and her heart began to thump so hard and fast she was certain he'd feel it through her back. For the first time, she noticed the subtle little flecks of green in his eyes. She was so intently focused on his eyes that she noticed when they briefly flickered down before coming back up to meet hers again. If she didn't know better she'd think he'd glanced at her lips, and they parted unconsciously at the thought.

"Val, I..."

A loud bang from downstairs caused them to spring apart, their eyes widening. Valerie's cheeks felt like they were about to melt straight off, and Dick ran his fingers through his hair roughly.

"We'd better go check that out," Dick said hoarsely, clearing his throat and looking anywhere but at her.

"Uh, yeah, we should," Valerie agreed, her voice pitching. She spun around and made to grab the door, Dick following behind her, but she stopped abruptly in her tracks as the door swung open and Lewis appeared at the other side. Her sudden stop sent Dick crashing into the back of her, and he instinctively put his hands on her waist to steady both her and himself.

Nobody spoke for a beat. Lewis’ eyes flitted between them and a slow, amused grin lit up his face. "Well, if I knew I was interrupting something, I'd have come back later."

"You're not," they said in unison, and Valerie cringed as Lewis’ grin widened.

"In fact, I was just leaving," she continued, side stepping around Lewis and out the door. "I'll see you both around." She walked down the stairs and out the door without a backwards glance, her heart stuttering unevenly in her chest. For a brief second, she'd thought maybe he was going to… no. That was a completely ridiculous thought, which she needed to forget all about.

--------

Dick watched her go down the stairs, pointedly ignoring Lewis and his ridiculous, smug expression.

"Hell, Dick, about time you made a move," Lewis chuckled.

"Nothing happened," Dick insisted, the tips of his ears burning red hot.

"Sure, whatever you say," he teased, "but based on how flustered you both looked, I think it's safe to assume something almost happened."

"Shut it, Nix," Dick said tersely, rubbing the back of his neck and walking back towards his desk. "She just came to chew me out about leaving her out of the rescue mission. When I explained why I'd left her out, she was actually grateful."

"Yeah, a regular knight in shining armour you are, Dick Winters," he snorted. "Never thought you'd let jealousy get the better of you."

"It was not jealousy," Dick huffed. "Dobie had less than professional interests in Valerie and I didn't want her to end up in an uncomfortable situation, so I stepped in."

"Yeah, I know," Lewis agreed. "He did seem a little too interested in Val. Kept asking about her in the briefing too. Was a good call you made on that one."

Dick stayed silent for a beat, and Lewis knew there was something else on his mind that he was debating telling him.

"Val, she..." Dick started, scuffing his boot on the floorboard. "She apologised for what she said the other day..."

"Val's spent an awful lot of time apologising to you lately," Lewis laughed. "Did she explain why she lost it when she heard about your promotion?"

"She..." Dick hesitated. "She said she was worried that she wouldn't see me anymore, that I wouldn't have time for her now I've got a 'fancy battalion desk job'. But I don't know, maybe I picked her up wrong. She's probably worried that Easy will..."

"Christ, Dick," Lewis laughed incredulously, shaking his head. "The woman basically told you she has feelings for you and you're standing here trying to explain it away. She couldn't have made it more obvious if she'd slapped you with it."

"Nix, we've been over this," Dick sighed. "I can't…"

"Yeah yeah yeah, duty and honour and commanding officer and all that crap, I know. But Dick, she clearly likes you, so..."

"So nothing," Dick insisted. "I can't put her in that position. It's bad enough I almost..."

"Almost what?" Lewis jumped in, raising an eyebrow. "You may as well spit it out, Dick, because I knew the minute that door opened and I saw your guilty looking face that something had happened."

"I… almost… Well, what I mean is I considered..." he stuttered before his shoulder sagged in defeat. "For a brief moment I thought about kissing her. But it was a stupid idea, and I..."

"You're completely hopeless," Lewis sighed, rolling his eyes fondly. "Trust you to over complicate it. You like her and she likes you, it shouldn't be so difficult."

"Yeah, I know," Dick sighed in defeat, "but we've had this discussion before and I'm too tired and too busy to have it again, so just drop it, alright?"

"Fine, fine," Lewis conceded, holding his hands up. "But just think about it, alright? Now, why don't you hand over those reports you have due before the good Colonel gets a stroke? You know he loves his paperwork."

Dick was glad the subject had circled back to work matters, but he knew the warm feeling of her in his arms would be haunting him long into the night.

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