Dick Winters on Saving Private Ryan, D-Day & Prayer | American Artifact Episode 130 

My wife and I stop by his grave a few times a year to pay our respects to him. This is the reason why we do it. His grave is in Ephrata Pennsylvania. We live close by.

Great way to spend a Sunday morning. I could listen to Dick Winters talk for hours.

Born and Raised in HAGUENAU, Dick Winters is a hero of mine. The day he passed was au sad day for me.Thank you for your service sir and to all WWII the veterans.

I was lucky enough to be at the 25th anniversary of D-day. The locals had quite a celebration on the plateau above the beach. On the bus leaving that evening, i sat next to Chuck, from Dayton OH who had landed on D-day. As we pulled away, he was crying. He said "you probably me just a crazy old man, but i never thought i'd see the of this hill the 1st time, let alone be here 25 years later". I still try to picture this kind, decent, gentle man being thrust into that noghtmare as a young man. God bless you, Chuck, & all the others that were beside you.

We are so blessed because of men like Dick Winters. Sadly people have forgotten. Thank You JD and Eric for reminding us.

Thursday, June 6, is the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the allied invasion of France to defeat Nazism. Very few veterans survive, but I was in Normandy for the 50th year observance, travelling with veteran paratroopers on D-Day eve. I was supposed to witness airborne veterans parachuting from a vintage aircraft into a VIP area, but I decided to leave my space to a veteran, so I walked into Ste Mere-Eglise, the first French town liberated by our paratroopers, to wait for the parade- the ceremonial re-enactment of the battle- to assemble in the church square where the carnival of American television- Bryant Gumbel and Joan Lunden- were all broadcasting to the US and the world. As I moved through the mass of people to photograph the parade, I was overtaken by a surging throng screaming “Vivre Americain! Merci Americain!.” I kept saying, “Je ne suis pas une veteran!” but it didn’t matter. They wanted to physically embrace Americans today. I have photos of the parade. A line of mounted Gendarmerie cleared the path. The 68-year-old airborne veterans who had jumped again raised beer cans and cheered. Then- General Hugh Shelton (future Chairman JCoS) led combat-ready detachments of contemporary American paratroopers, fresh from the fight against Iraq. The victors of Desert Storm saluted the victors of Normandy with a triumph that would have paled Ceasar. The best light infantry of any army, anywhere, at any time in history, were feted by thousands of grateful, free people from around the world, their clamor to render all honors and glory to the airborne forces of the United States.

Winters is and has always been my absolute definition of a hero. I strive every day to be like him and how he led his life. He died while I was in Marine Corps bootcamp and I found out through a letter from my friend to me, and cried because all I had wanted to do was meet him while I was in the service and have a conversation with him. So thankful to have so much footage of him.

Back in 2002 I had the absolute honor & privilige to be Dick Winters military escort at a "ringing of the bells" across America celebration on July 4th in Harrisbug, PA. I was a Sgt. in the Pa. Nat Guard and spent more than 4 hours alone sitting with Major Winters just talking. That long conversation has been so special & inspiring to me then as a young Sgt. That man is the epitome of what a Real Living Hero truly was. Living in Philly I also met Babe & Bill & they all signed my now treasured copy of Band of Brothers. Thank you Major for all of the great advice and stories. You are one of the Giants who's backs we combat vets all stood upon. I can never put a price upon that wise mans words and how much it helped me in combat.

Once I started watching this couldn't stop. Thank God we had Winters, and thank you Erik for preserving all these invaluable gems.

What a great man and service to this country. My grandfathers served in WWII. One was at Pearl Harbor and the Pacific Campaign and my second grandfather served in the Atlantic Campaign. I wish I could’ve sat down with Major Winters, had a cup of coffee, and discussed his experiences. May God Bless all of the Greatest Generation who saved the world from tyranny.

Dick Winters most certainly was a remarkable man, a man who would no doubt argue with you on the point, Godspeed Dick Winters and all the men of Easy Company, 101st Airborne Div. 506 PIR, and all our Veterans and the families that they came from and whom supported them.

What a great American soldier, I am honored to have spent a few moments with him before he passed, he is an inspiration

My great uncle Roland Galand was at D-Day, the day after his 21st birthday he landed on Utah Beach with the 4th Infantry Division as a rifleman. He survived and a few days in was wounded by an artillery shell. He received 2 Purple Hearts during the war and later had a military career in Korea and Vietnam. He died in 1993 at 70, right before the 50th anniversary. I wish I’d gotten to hear more of his story.

It makes me proud to be an American when i hear and see things like this.. Be sure to thank every Veteran you see please.

Major Winters was a man among men, a soldier's soldier, and the epitome of excellent leadership! That man left from the front by example! Preserving his collection for posterity is one of the most important things the Museum can do for him, and our Country! Keep up the outstanding work!

On June 6, 1994, I was travelling with the 101st Airborne Division veterans’ association when we drove into Carentan, encountering the Fallschirmjager Regiment Six 50-year reunion. Fans of the tv show, “Band of Brothers,” will recall the battle to capture and defend Carentan. We were looking for the turn from the Normandy highway to Les Moulins, Omaha Beach, for the international observance by the heads-of-state of 13 D-Day countries. We missed the turn, driving past the German cemetery at La Cambe, where a lot of people were gathered. We drove on to Carentan for refreshments, before turning back to Omaha. As I stepped off the bus, I saw the green banner with gold Teutonic lettering, “Fallschirmjager Regiment Six.” I assumed they were at La Cambe, but when I opened the door to the restaurant, there they were. Elite German infantry, now 68 years, drinking and talking. I held the door for a Screaming Eagle who walked with a cane, saying, “It looks like the Germans are having their reunion, too.” “Just the ones we didn’t kill,” a reference to the large tumulus at La Cambe. The sight of the Screaming Eagles patch on our veterans’ caps exploded like a hand grenade. Every German sprang to his feet and pulled table and chairs out of the way with a cacophony of squeaking and scraping. Now I was wearing a trench coat, so I acted like a security officer, holding the Hun at bay. After 50 years, this band of brothers just didn’t want to speak with Germans.

Wow, to hear him describe D-Day it just shows how accurate the series Band Of Brothers is. Dick Winters was a special human being who needed to be special for his men. It’s no wonder all the men in Easy absolutely loved him. God Bless him and the Greatest Generation. R.I.P. Major

That movie centered on a fictional character but it shook me up more than any other movie on war I saw and while in my 70s, I’ve seen many. Nothing I ever saw was as real as Saving Private Ryan. I left the theater in tears.

What an inspirational Man. After the things he witnessed and the battles he fought whilst leading men not much younger than himself he still has respect for his commanding officers and especially the men he led. If I can be a quarter of the man Dick Winters is I will die a happy man. A true leader and an inspiration to the younger generation of today who would do well to look to him rather than the social media cult which has taken over. Respect Sir.

My teen grandson renewed my interest in WWII History. Last year as a senior high school student he took an Advanced Placement WWII History Class & even did podcast on the war, his being on Operation Torch in N Africa. Being from New Orleans his teacher worked at the Museum & they were able to use the vast library for research & were able to attend conferences for History Professor from all over. They even attend 1 for the 20th Anniversary of Band Of Brothers & its on the Museum's RU-vid channel. BOB was written by my old professor Stephen Ambrose from UNO. My grandson is now a midshipman at a US Military Academy.

In the early 90ts I drove the root of Patton's 3rd army all the way to Bestow as I walked around I went into a Restaurant and in the back area where US & German veterans having a get together I stood at the Bar with tears in my eyes as they had there arms around each other remembering there storys of survival , One Gentleman on crouches walked over to me wondering why i was so tearful expecting my Dad was in the battle..I just said no I'm Irish and I wanted to thank you for your bravery travelling 3000 miles to liberate Europe .. he smiled and said there were a lot of Irish Americans mostly Sargent's in the front line remember that we shook hands nodded at each other as brothers I'll never forget that moment Love from Ireland

I recently unsubscribed from all my favorite RU-vid Channels because I thought I was spending too much time with them- Including THU. After watching this, I realized I made one mistake. It's content like this about men and women like Maj. Winters, my father, and several uncles that calls out to the heart and soul of our nation, and something I can't do without. Thank you JD and Erik- Like a wounded soldier, I'm glad to be back with this company!

Maj. Dick Winters went on to become one of the faces for WWII veterans. I'm sure he didn't seek it, but being the leader he was carried out the assignment for all WWII veterans. Quite the man he was. RIP

An Australian here, just wonderful the work you guys do at the museum. Such great poise when a man of this caliber speaks. Riveting stuff

They were greater and tougher than us. As a cop in S. FL, during the 80s and 90s, i had the honor of meeting real men like Dick and from the German side. Amazing people. God bless them all.

Just finished Band of Brothers episodes for 3rd time I think. Always impressed. These guys stood up for us. Also saw Private Ryan again yesterday. Wow, what bravery, devotion they showed. It was expected you'd do your best and they tried to fulfil that.

This was Dick Winters Gold !! Thank you, JD and Erik.

Talk about hanging on every word. He had a gleam in his eye when he noticed a fellow D-Day vet in the audience and showed great respect for his former foe when recalling the German commander and all of them singing together. 👍🏻

One of my personal heroes ..... the class and grace that this man always carried himself with is worth admiring ..... Awesome video .

What an absolute treasure and blessing that man was born and lived in the time he did.

one of the best youtube channels going ..thank you for all your hard work and efforts ..the world could learn so much from Dick Winters closing statement ...

Thanks JD. We can never forget what these brave men and women did for all of us.

Dick Winters was a great representative of all those who fought in WWII.

This was awesome hearing it directly from the legend himself

I'm 80 now and I shared my birthday with the "D-DAY NORMANDY" 80th anniversary. I was born on the 6th of June 1944 at Fort Riley, Kansas, as my father was fighting in the Pacific against the Japanese Empire. . They were indeed our nation's "Greatest Generation".....they are all gone now.... May they Rest In Peace with the gratitude of all the generations that follow....

What a fantastic video. Thank you for preserving and sharing this. Major Winters was a remarkable man who loved God, his fellow man and his country. I wonder what he would think of the mess we have made of our country and the world he and others sacrificed so much to save. What a tragedy.

Sitting here watching this around our camp fire on vacation and thank god for men like Dick Winters, my uncles and all the others that fought for freedom. The words Dick spoke about carrying yourself to be the best you can be are more true today than ever. Thank you JD and Erik!

What a gentleman. I only wish that there were more like you today. God bless.

JD, thank you for doing an amazing job preserving American and, essentially, world history and bringing history to the rest of us.

And the story about Nearer My God to Thee, in that church! Incredible-my eyes stung with tears!

Thank you for posting this video…. This was good way to celebrate the anniversary of D-day..

Please release these more frequently!!! even though it’s been years since his passing Winters still impacts my life just as he did when I was a younger boy seeing Band of Brothers for the first time. He’s inspired me to be mute best leader I could be since I was young. His insights on life and his expertise and thought process on the battlefield is still valuable valuable information. Guy had to have been one of the best to do his job.

Man it doesn't get any better than that. Thank you.

Richard Winters was a true leader, soldier, and gentleman! We could use some like him today!

Our nation needs the example of Major Winters and all of the veterans. He is real, and now his and their protection of our freedom has be reduced to slogans and dog whistles. May God bless and help America in protecting what they fought for.

So good to hear Dick Winters talk about his experiences and thoughts. Thanks for preserving this and other recordings so we can all learn from his experiences. Thanks for sharing and RIP Easy

Don Burgett mentions hearing the sickening thuds of troopers hitting the ground before their chutes could open. One guy survived when his partially opened canopy snagged on a tree and it acted like a bungee cord.

Thank you so much for sharing the saved interviews. A few years ago we saw quite a bit of the collection but understand more is added. We need to visit again.Thank you for preserving and honoring so many significant pieces of history!

Absolutely fantastic JD and Erik! Thank you so much for sharing this. It really makes me wish I had known more about Dick Winters back when the book was published. Something else I have often wondered about is whether someone found his leg bag? Wouldn't it be amazing if someone has his rifle? Again, this was awesome and wonderful to hear him speak about his experiences. What a great American and fine example of what we all should be molding ourselves after in life. As a teacher, I hope you are teaching your students about him and the men of Easy Company. Yes, they were just a part of the millions that served, but like he said in this speech, taking out those guns at Brecourt saved thousands of lives. Every student in our country should be taught about what he and those men did on D Day.

This channel has been one of the best finds I've ever had in over a decade of using RU-vid.

One of the best books I’ve ever read was from this man. Incredible life he led, as did most of these heroes.

I visited this museum. Easily the most spectacular WWII memorabilia and artifacts you will ever see. If you are in the area and you DON’T visit, you will have missed an incredible opportunity. Absolute bucket list visit. Awe inspiring.

Respect to the museum for preserving one of Americas most cherished hero's legacy.

One of my heroes without a doubt and not just because he was one hell of a warrior and leader of fighting men but because he was a good man after all the battles were over for him. I can’t imagine what else you could ask of a hero. I type this on the 80th anniversary of the D-day landings and most of our veterans are gone but in my home will never be forgotten.

What an amazing man. Thoughtful and a total gentleman. What an amazing generation of people who endured a depression and a horrific world war. Truly the greatest generation.

This is one man I would not want to piss off. He has such a commanding direct presence in his demeanor you can tell he was one tough individual.

I don’t know if anybody can see this do to RU-vid, but when Saving Private Ryan came out,?and I saw it in the movie theater, I felt (as a student of WW2 since I was 8) an intense immense feeling of “I was right all along when America realized what these kids did.” One of the few times in my life I got that special feeling.”

Finally made it to Gettysburg. Shriver House was amazing. Didn’t get to meet Erik at the museum though

thank you for all the videos you make, love waking up to a new THU video!

I wish i could have met Major Winters. He was truly a leader of The Greatest Generation. And I am Canadian and had several family members serve from 39 til after it ended, so, i have a sincere appreciation for ALL Allied servicemen and women. My mum worked for The Department Of Veterans Affairs for 30 years. The things she told me about our Veterans makes me love them even more. I have my Poppy tattooed on my chest, right where we pin them.

So good. Thank you for preserving this and sharing it. RIP

It's great that you were able to share this with us and more importantly, preserve the video in a format that will be around for much longer than the original. Thanks Erik and JD 👍

What is clear to me when I listen to our older veterans from WW1/2/Korea/Vietnam…. What is Crystal clear to me is that our Story. The story of the fighting young man, has changed very little over the years. We all did our part. We had responsibility far beyond our age. We were all tired, hungry, hot, cold, pist off -- but we Continued anyway. As an Infantryman for 8 years, (2001-2009) and Former U.S. Army Drill Sergeant. I wanted a war badly when I left for Fort Benning, GA. I wanted to prove to myself I had what it took. Fast forward a few years I found myself as a Sergeant in an Infantry Platoon patrolling the streets of Baghdad. I found myself thinking “what the hell did i get myself into”. RIP to my Soldier SPC Brian Derks. KIA 08/13/05

The greatest generation ❤️ Ty for our freedoms.

The loss of every one of those brave men that died on D-day was a loss for all of decent humanity...thank God for men like Mr. Winters who fought so bravely, did their job and lived to remind tell us their story and remind us all of what they were fighting for...FREEDOM. thank you Sir for what you did.

This was a great, l enjoyed seeing and listening to this interview. Nice one thank you

Amazing video. What an incredibble life he had. Nice to hear his accoun. A true hero. RIP Mr. Winters.

Incredible. Thanks for sharing another piece of Easy Company history 🇺🇸

Nice vid and timing to commemorate the 80th 🇺🇸

I was blessed to meet him at my church In Hummelstown PA. Inspirational. My dad was a WW2 Vet Navy aviator in PBY service they were the greatest generation. They are on my mind every day and inspired me to work hard and be a Christian.

I wish I met this man, he and his men are my heroes.

Thank you JD for posting this. And especially for its 80th anniversary of D-Day thank you. Dick Winters is a legend and in my book should have got the medal of Honor.

Nothing could be said better. We need more leaders like Duck Winters.

Good video Erik. Thanks for sharing! 💯👊👍❤️

I was just in Gettysburg. Please go see the museum! It has some amazing 506th memorabilia there!

Thank you and Eric so much for preserving history and making it available to us. I still need Eric's book. Been meaning to get it since released, maybe a father's day hint to my family is in order lol.

It amazes me that during all the destruction and chaos of battle, one very insignificant thing left an impression on Mr. Winters and that was the smell of the German tobacco. When your life is in danger, it's the little things that matter, I guess.

Best way to start Sunday morning with some coffee ☕️

This is absolutely phenomenal!!

Thank you for sharing that. I have a good suspension that it's the reason Winters left his collection with you. He knew you would not allow there sacrifice to be forgotten.

What a great man. His wisdom will be honored forever

What a great man, I bought the box set when it first came out and watched it with admiration, I then put it in storage and only dusted it off when my son (17) was studying WW2 history at school. He wants to be a history teacher and is very keen to learn WW2 history and tactics of that time along with factors that started (or continued from WW1) as well as politics involved. The main point of history is learning not to make the same mistakes which makes the current situation in Ukraine all the more important. Pray for peace but be ready to defend that peace because its not free !.

Thank you! The greatest generation ♥♥

What a great speech. Thanks for posting!

Wow!!! What a great speech and good man!

Thank you for sharing this

Somewhere, the character of that generation has been lost, subverted, transformed into something different. Good, honest, respectful men and women who exemplified what it means to be an American. Thank you for all you did for our Country Mr. Winters.

Amazing words from an amazing leader. I hope that there are men today who can rise to the occasion like Dick Winters and the other men of Easy Company.

This is absolute gold! Thank you so much for sharing!

One of my favorite guys talking about one of my favorite movies. 🍿😀

Very early on in my career, in the glass industry, I crossed paths with a very senior exec from the USA. He made an impression on me. He had what I can only call "presence". He dominated a room just by walking into it. He also had one of those strange American names, Carwood Lipton. This was a man that held Winters in high estime, so that speaks volumes about Winters.

I always tell people please don’t speak to me with certainty about anything today unless you have the wisdom gained by studying history. Until you have you have nothing to say.

I believe that Mr. Winters has a personel relationship with his Savior! God bless him and all that served with him on our behave!

Attentive as if I were sitting on that lawn that very day. A real hero, not Hollywood make believe. Great video posted thank you for your ongoing efforts. Never forget what we used to be.

12 year old me was 20 miles away missing an opportunity of a lifetime. Thanks for sharing

Thanks JD and Erik for these videos.

I wish I would've met him or actually any member of Easy Company. I've seen the miniseries, extra videos & read every book about them I could get my hands on. Amazing group of men. I appreciate their service!!! God bless their survivors!!

What a man. Respect Sir.

A true American hero and legend. I can’t wait to hear and watch more of these. To all the troops past and present we salute you!

Fine, I'll watch Band of Brothers again.