Major Dick Winters is an extraordinary human being. Very self-effacing and very professional in a soldierly manner. When I met him I had showed him my training schedule and said, “Sir can you look and suggest anything I might do differently?” And he had read it the night before. He said, “You know Captain - I think this would be adequate. Of course it’s not really the aspect of the training, it’s the quality of the training. It’s the Leadership.” And I said, “Yes sir. I understand that full well.” And he said, “I don’t have anything particular to add - except do it well - and hang tough.” And I said, “Yes sir. Absolutely will do that.”
And I wanted him to come and observe. And in the moment he said, “No, I don’t think I will.” What I sensed was, not that Dick Winters wasn’t interested - Lord knows he was - but he trusted me, as a subordinate, as a fellow officer - he trusted me to do it right. And to me that was the world’s greatest compliment. That he would say, “ No I don’t want to come out and monitor what you’re doing. I trust you to do it. You are a young company commander. I’m the old battalion commander. I was fired up because nothing inspires a leader more than being given a basic mission and no further guidance. “This is what I want you to do. It is up to you as a professional to get it done.” And that’s what Dick Winters did with me.
Band of Brothers Podcast, Episode 3 "Carentan" with Capt. Dale Dye & Matthew Settle. hosted by Roger Bennett.
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