By any measure one might wish to employ, Mr. Winters is a hero. That is a distinction often designated to members of the Greatest Generation, perhaps too often. But in his humility, his bravery, and his equanimity, Mr. Winters stands out in a sea of souls.
There is, in some people, a fundamental goodness apparent to all those with eyes to see virtue. No, there are no saints -- everyone has moments of ugliness, of brutality --, but there are those blessed with a strength of spirit which causes the rest of us to line up behind them in hopes of having that serenity shield us from harm. And so it should come as no surprise that, in an ugly war, grinding to a painful conclusion, Mr. Winters, minus his gear and his commander, stepped up to gather his men scattered across the French countryside and lead them on a vital mission to help secure the Utah beachhead at the Battle of Normandy. His tactics in this action were so successful, they are still taught at the West Point Military Academy as a textbook example of an assault on a fixed position.
Mr. Winters went onto fame and modest fortune. The exploits of Easy Company, which he would eventually command, were chronicled in Band of Brothers, the 2001 HBO miniseries. But I gathered from these personal reflections of the man that he couldn't have cared less if he was remembered by the greater world. His faith and his upbringing prepared him to live his life fully and successfully, and in a way not defined by the epic events of 1944, where the fate's of continents were decided in blood.
Even if this effort had been poorly written, and it is assuredly not, its spirit would set it apart. Here is an example of a life lived well and with dignity. (4/5 Stars)
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