Basically true, just like O series automatically got a bronze star for just deploying overseas. In essence, it's who you know and partially what you did.
Spears jumped with the 187th combat regimental team in korea,and my uncle probably knew him very well.His name was james claude stover.He retired in 62 as a master sargent.He was in numerous airborne units like the 82nd,503rd,8th army,and was one of the first advisors in vietnam as a 1st special forces soldier ( AB) airborne in 1960.
Good video, great comments section thanks guy's. For me I knew a lot of Able Co vets and talked to 2nd lt. Fred Bahlau a lot over the years, we're all lower mid Michigan boys. And I grew up with a lot of other WW2 vet's. One thing I always thought about? After my entrance into the Army I went Airborne (my Dad was a rigger) so I wanted to wear his old wing's, got to blood wings, but I digress. After my first night jump it hit me and stuck with me. To have jumped into Normandy in the wee hours of the morning (darkness) under fire,going to fast,going to low? Shit that alone should got you a balls out bronz star!!!! In the early 80s we had lots of WW2 vet's walking around, all their stories were something else. Night jumps even for us were at least for me a scary event, no night vision like today. Great vids! Keep them coming. Cheers Airborne All the Way
I do believe that Speirs should have gotten that award but alot of crap happened back then and not everyone got what they truely deserved. I Love Band of Brothers and where you highlighted Speirs was my favorite story. Thank you💛
You are right that soldiers didn't always get recognition that they deserved. The only reason Winters didn't win the CMH for his actions at Brecourt was because the brass put a limit on how many would be handed out. There are probably countless actions on D-Day, Bastogne and other battles that merited the CMH or DSC and weren't handed out.
It is astonishing to me that so many of the combat veterans of WW2 came home after a year, two years or even three, of overseas service and much combat action, with so few ribbons and awards. These are men who fought in and survived some of the largest and most-pivotal battles of the war. Over in "The Pacific," Eugene Sledge returned home a corporal in the Marines after surviving the worst that Peleliu and Okinawa could throw at him. Moreover, he went to China, too, after the war in the Pacific ended, since once Japan surrendered the Chinese civil war re-started and the Marine Corps needed men there to safeguard Americans and others already in that nation. Did Sledge turn down a promotion? He should have been a sergeant or better by that time. He had fewer than two rows of ribbons, and no decorations for valor despite having repeatedly done extraordinary things in combat that saved other men's lives. Over in Europe, the best shot and best scout in Easy Company, Daryl "Shifty" Powers, who survived the war and a ton of action without being hit once, only returned home early on the points system because of winning the company lottery, and not because he had the points. By all accounts a superb paratrooper and very good man to have by your side in battle, Powers didn't receive so much as a bronze star for his heroism. Just the combat infantry badge, what they called their "badge of office." It is hard not to feel a certain cynicism or even contempt when looking at today's brass in the military, who are so weighted down with medals, awards and ribbons that they look as if they would sink if they tried to go swimming - medal inflation in other words - in comparison to those men of WW2 who did and suffered so much for so little formal recognition. If Ronald Speirs was not sufficiently recognized for his valor, he wasn't alone, that's for sure.
@@ericnaughton2348 I don't think Winters' action was worthy of a CMH. The DSC seems correct. Cpt Robert Rae of the 507th lead an attack across a 600 yard causeway and receiced a DSC. Much more impressive act, in my opinion. Others will likely disagree.
@@jeffbosworth8116 He was recommended for the CMH and was awarded the DSC instead, which is why I mentioned it. There were a lot of soldiers recommended for the CMH but the top brass put a limit on how many would be awarded. This was discussed in the book but I’ve also read about it in other WWII histories.
I for one very much look forward to your uploads and I really appreciate your getting the stories as square as they can be. Thanks again for the hard work, relentless research, and great presentation. Take care, Brother. Be safe.
While I was in the service, those who were browniehounds got far. Those of us that were tanker tough, got nada. I love everything I find in Spears. He was the real deal. Forever a fan.
He froze? HE WAS GOING INTO SHOCK AFTER BEING SHOT. I was an NYC EMS PARAMEDIC, and I have seen the bravest cops go into shock, especially after being shot.Thank you for this channel.
This is likely true based on the accounts that are available. It's worth noting that BOB is highly colored by Ambrose's opinion in more than a few areas, rather than by objective facts, or even reasonably acceptable opinion. He has a reputation for less than fully truthful accounts of history in his books - note the glaring factual aspects around Blythe for one - arguably from lazy interviewing and/or fact checking. Dike's portrayal is one of those moderately to heavily skewed perspectives.
@@chrispierdominici3891 You have to lay some of the inaccuracies at Winter's feet. He didn't do a lot to counter Ambose's narrative. Winter's should've insisted that Ambrose correct the record on Speirs.
@@lawrencefields7874The more videos I see from this guy, the more I have a horrible feeling that Winters portrayal about how good a leader he was came from Winters himself! Not saying he wasn’t good, just that he seems to have been the main source of information for Ambrose!
As always…great videos and information. As a current Field Grade Infantry officer with combat time with ABN, Stryker, and Special Operations, I won't change comment till after Speirs Korea war video comes on how he got side tracked. BLUF : Speirs had a lot of those “Yes men” career officers hate on him during WW2 that were still in the formation 1950s/60s.
Military awards have little to do with actual fighting and more to do with someone willing and able to write. If a high ranking officer did not witness the action it will not be officially recognized. This is why warriors care little for the “crap on someone’s uniform”. They know the real story and are are often satisfied with acknowledgment of their comrades who know the facts also. Many an enlisted man has missed out on an award for heroism in combat or had it down graded because his platoon or company commander was WIA or KIA in the action.
I can't for one minute imagine any man deciding to chance his life to win a bit of metal. It would be the last thing on their mind. That said, there are gong hunters, who are more than happy to risk the lives of others and then claim a honour for themselves. Some having not been within miles of the action.
As portrayed in "Band of Brothers" he would definitely merit an award for valor. Since he was appointed commander poste haste Col. Sink may have chosen to ignore his actions since he was not really a member of E company before that day. Sounds petty but Col. Sink was not above pettiness.
👍👍 Great video! I knew nothing about all the battle wounds Ronald Spiers received. On the issue you raised at the commencement of your video, I strongly disagree with any notion that people should refrain from publishing or discussing the wartime actions of soldiers. The logical extension of such a notion is that we ban all news and all history that might potentially embarrass someone. It is a very dangerous and poorly conceived notion. Please keep publishing.
Excellent video, but I must make one correction: At 6:42 you state that Speirs "...was worthy of the Distinguished Service Medal, which is what Winters was awarded at Brecourt Manor." There are two different medals involved here, and it is easy to be confused with the names. The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is awarded for meritorious SERVICE, and is the highest Army award for service. It ranks next above the Legion of Merit. The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is the second-highest award for VALOR, above the Silver Star and below the Medal of Honor. Winters, in fact, was awarded the DSC for the Brecourt action, not the DSM. Big difference. Also, having some influence on awards for valor in the 82nd and 101st was the command guidance that placed a cap on the number of awards by type for a given operation. The intent was to keep "inflation" down and thus keeping the meaning of the award from being cheapened. But the flip-side of that policy was that such an administrative and arbitrary number did not recognize the reality of the difficulty of the combat. For example, during Normandy, each division could award only two Medals of Honor. DeGlopper was one of two in the 82nd; Cole was one of two in the 101st. There was a "trickle-down" effect, such that only so many DSCs could be awarded. The sad result was that many acts of gallantry were not recognized as they should have been. As well, there were so many acts of valor by desperate acts of heroism, but no one lived to tell the tale. Or, by the time the tempo of combat cooled-off so that someone could write-up the award recommendation, there were no witnesses left--either KIA or WIA and evacuated. And of course, as others have mentioned there was pettiness on the part of some commanders in the approval chain: "If I don't have that award, then by golly I'm not gonna approve it for THAT guy." I spent 26 years in the Regular Army, all of it in the approval chain for awards and decorations. I served in company, battalion, brigade, group, division, corps, major command, and joint command. There always was, is, and will be some degree of unfairness and inequality. Some totally undeserving people receive awards. (Anecdote: In WWII, Lyndon Johnson received a Silver Star while a passenger on an Army medium bomber. MacArthur gave it to Johnson so as to curry political favor with Roosevelt, who Johnson knew. And no one would call MacArthur out on it, since MacArthur was an all-powerful demi-god). Pettiness and politics are soooo alive and well, thus well-deserving people have awards down-graded or receive nothing at all. Or someone has a "mentor" at a higher level and rank looking out for them and setting them up for higher advancement. Sorry to go on about this and bore you with details. But the awards system--back in the 1940s and in the 2020s--is far from objective and perfect. If you are in the Army for the medals, prepare to be disappointed!
@@War_And_Truth Hey, look, you're doing GREAT work, especially for someone without a military background. I really enjoyed your video. No worries about the DSC/DSM thing; it happens. As Dick Winters always said, "Hang tough!" By the way, I was just looking through a 511th Parachute Infantry yearbook from 1951. This was the 11th Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, KY. My dad was battalion exec officer in 2nd Battalion of the 511th, and.......drum roll please......Major Ron Speirs was battalion exec in 1st Battalion of the 511th. Having been in those duty positions myself, my dad and Speirs must have "rubbed elbows" with each other frequently during the week. Small world, indeed.
Spier lack of commendation is intwined with the Dike situation…. In my opinion Dike was suffering from PTSD after Normandy and the market Garden disaster. Before Being forced into Bastogne Easy company and the rest of the Airborne were on rest, recovery and occupation duty, awaiting the “Big Jump” into Berlin that Never Happened. Having an officer who is struggling with his own personal demons while in command of troops is never good, but it is more manageable when they are in this sort of situation….Now Dike may have being trying his best during Bastogne and in the Foy Assault up to the point where he was wounded but the simple fact is Spiers never should have HAD TO relieve Dike in the middle of an assault and thats why any commendation suggestions were buried, it would have exposed mistakes that command at Brigade and or Regimental had made that put Spiers, Dike, and easy company in the situation in the first place
Speirs received command of a company and, soon after, promotion to captain. That was reward enough. Way back during the Civil War, that’s how officers were rewarded for meritorious service by promotion in rank. These were called “brevits” so a soldier may have a permanent rank of captain but be a brevit lieutenant colonel and be allowed to wear that tank.
Speirs was the bravest of the brave ,the high Brass focus on Winters only he should have got the same decoration if not higher than Winters ,same happend to Paddy SAS got the DSO four times.The high Brass play the guitar in the military ,your series are awesome many thanks keep it going txs
As a follow up, some the guys commented on this one are on point. Basically politics and personalities get involved in the awards, did he deserve something more for his actions? Or did he deserve something more for following out his orders that day? That we like to think that his over and above maneuver earned it, his senior's may not, he was an officer that they all knew got shit done, it was something expected (get it done). I guess we'd had to have been there.
Two things: Dike was a 1LT while in command of Easy. Winters was awarded a Distinguished Service Cross for his action at Brecourt Manor. A Distinguished Service Medal is entirely a different decoration, usually associated with non-combat service.
The Bronze Star can be awarded for "Service" or "Valor". If awarded for valor, a small metal "V" device is added to the ribbon. His 3 Bronze Stars were for service, not valor. They were awarded for doing an exemplary job during a specific time period in a combat zone. Not for an act during a combat action where he displayed great bravery or valor.
I think the Army likes to promote tacticians with courage. Spears was courageous, bold, and aggressive. But his leadership style got a lot of men unnecessarily killed. As to where Winters while being brave and selfless with his own life really cared for the lives of his men. He was cool under pressure and found ways to always get the advantage over the enemy with as little loss of life as possible. At Brecourt Manor Winters was outnumbered 3 to 1 and yet still managed to take a fixed and fortified objective with an improvised attack loosing only 2 men. Sperars got all 4 of his men killed in a wreckless frontal assault on 1 target and did not seem to display any remorse for the loss of their lives. Is that good enough to remain and officer during a time of war? Yes. But was it good enough to make him battalion commander or potentially advance him down the line to General? No. You don't want to give a man like that to much power. That dose not take away from his service at all. It just means the Army recognized what Spears was good for and used him for that.
Major Speirs stands out as a shining example of real Leadership from the inside out. From 2nd Lieut to Major over 3 wars. Currahee Major! All the best from Downunder!
Yes, he should have been awarded for the attack on Foy. I get the sense that above Winter's, he might not have been well liked by those at regiment. While my active duty was limited, it was something I had noticed, those that were not part of the "in crowd" often got over looked or were reminded that "this was just part of your job." However, a colonel I previously worked for liked to remind folks that whatever (award, commendation, pat-on-the-pat) and $1.95 will get you a coffee from the snack shack....
I think a fair argument could be made his action were worthy of a Silver Star, seeing how above and beyond what he did was, with the intensity of machine gun, mortar and 88 fire occurring, to not only go over to I Company, but then come back. The DSC...that's probably a much tougher, more loaded discussion to hash out, esp. when factoring the politics of military life that determine how higher medals are frequently given vs. not.
So, his Bronze Star, has 3 Oak leaf clusters. That means that he was awarded 4 Bronze Stars, total. The Navy and Marines add stars, instead of Oak Leaves. We just don't wear multiple of the same medal. What surprises me, is that there is no V device, for valor. Perhaps the V device was introduced after WW2. I don't know.
I suppose nothing had changed in the history of the military awards system since it began. Who you are, who saw you do it, are you well liked/connected, how good was your write up, etc. It's also worth noting that when uncommon valour becomes more common, winning awards becomes harder. Whilst in Afghan lads were doing the kind of stuff that would've earnt you a Victoria Cross back in WW2, but as years had gone on the bar was raised so high hardly anything was awarded. My take on it is that maybe Spears just wasn't "one of the boys" and at that point in the war, people were doing things like that on a daily basis.
There are 2 views on awards, in one case, you don’t usually recognize someone for doing what was expected of them by virtue of their rank and position. Then you have the two categories of awards, impact and service. It is only when someone does something above and beyond their job description like when a junior soldier/officer does something that you expect from a more senior soldier. Impact awards, that would be Breaqourt Manor, a junior officer leading an inferior sized force against an unknown force of unknown size that impacted rounds landing (or not landing) on Utah beach. Then you have the awards that cover a soldiers time within an assignment, or their service. Thus, when you look at someone’s awards you can tell 2 things, where they have been and how their bosses felt about them. For example, by looking at Gov Walz’s awards, he was not well thought of; how do I glean this? He “retired” after 24 years and his retirement award was an Army Commendation Medal! That is what E4’s get when they leave the army after a 6 year enlistment! If he was worth a shit, he would have seen a Meritorious Service Medal, AT A MINIMUM, and the expected award would be a Legion of Merit. To me, without delving into the politics of it, his not getting the expected awards decries how the leadership felt about him, his decision to leave when and how he did it.
I have read some assessments of the action at Brecourt Manor as really just an officer applying the training and doctrine they had been taught. Yes it is taught at West point but that doesn't make it particularly heroic as they don't really teach that so much as applying lessons in real life situations. It didn't get the MoH because it really didn't hit that standard.
A Legion of Merit is typically reserved for high ranking officers, not enlisted, no matter how long they serve. MSM would be more called for, but it was also going through changes in the early 2000s which had commands basically confusing its role with a Bronze Star. Note that EOT awards are not given based on how much you are liked, they are given based off whether certain bullets within the individual command were fulfilled. Further, the MSM is also a fairly high-level award, typically reserved for command positions and might not have been available to a National Guard reservist position at the time or place, especially for an enlisted who is, regardless of rank, not the actual SEL. I urge you not to drag politics into subjects which don't have anything to do with them. I also urge you not to discuss aspects of those politics you do not have full understanding of.
@@Hobbes09R I have an issue with a person who signed a contract to serve 6 years who sought out the position of a CSM and facing a combat deployment-quit on his men, his commander, the Army and, at the end of the day, my country. I do NOT want such a quitter one event from being the commander in chief! He has earned the ire of anyone who ever faced a combat deployment who didn’t quit. That is exactly why this is connected to politics. I have scoured the internet and found no one who served under, with or commanded a unit with him willing to utter the words “I would follow or lead that man into combat.” Why? I believe the SILENCE speaks VOLUMES. My experience was different, I wrote and saw SEL’s, SEA’s & CSM’s retire with LOM’s I wrote for them. I will take your, very good, point that as a state (Title 38) he wasn’t going to get that or an MSM, I dare say that from I have read, no one was going to go out on a limb and seek an exception to policy for MSG A-WOLz.
@@longtabsigo Ah, so you claim to be a veteran. In a position high enough to write a Legion of Merit. And somehow you don't know better. And yet you're pushing the stolen valor narrative. Interesting. By the way, what has any of this got to do with Speirs?
Oh heck ya. Make it so America. If Speilberg and Hanks want to make up for their foopaws in BoBs, they should petition the U.S. Army to award his surviving family at least the DSC if not CMH imo. This man went way above his call of duty in WWII.
I don't think Winters could recommend Speirs for the DSM at Foy as he wasn't in Easy Company at the time but Strayer and Sink certainly could have and we know their record. Winters still didn't do much awarding while he was CO.
I'm deaf so I use text to speech. I would probably use it anyway. Historical content needs to be clear and precise and I can live with a few pronunciation hick ups.
@@War_And_Truth I am pretty deaf myself after working in Coal mines since 18 yo , thereafter in Oilfield standing between 2 supercharged V16 Detroit Diesel pumping units. I like your content ! Its new and exciting !
Spiers was a lone wolf and not an ass kisser. Yes he deserved the DSC at the very least. He may have been too effective at his job that it scared the careers of enough higher-ups they kept his Valour awards down below theirs.
For his actions at Foy, you're suggesting that Speirs should have been awarded the Distinguished Service CROSS -- not Distinguished Service MEDAL. Might want to correct that, if possible. As you stated, Winters was the recipient of the DSC. FWIW, I agree Speirs should have been decorated for Foy and it's very interesting why he wasn't -- except in the aftermath of Bastogne (multiple locations around the town), Foy, and Noville, the 506th had been in the shit for a very long time. Decorations might not have been as important as rest and refit.
I cant correct it. I got a date wrong on another video (1934 instead of 1943) and just have to cop every second post pointing it out. I am going to make mistakes sometimes with those sorts of things.
@@War_And_Truth No problem, and I hope you don't get bombarded. Can get irritating, I imagine. In your videos, you're asking questions and doing the heavy lifting with finding answers that I'd posit most of us benefiting from your work have also asked. Great job, and I'm looking forward to more.
The dates for that last oak leaf cluster may be a gimmee. Because of the disparity between the # of air medals v bronze stars every soldier awarded the Combat Infantry Badge was awarded the bronze star. at the end of the War. Question; The European Campaign medal shows an oak leaf cluster. Shouldn't that be a silver star device and an arrow head? Also, the # of times Speirs was wounded would indicate multiple clusters, no? And no V on his Bronze Star? I agree; Speirs should have received at least a DSC at Foy if not a MOH! You couldn't have made what he did up!
Slip of brain power. Its impossible to not make errors with that stuff at times. Dates are another one. They are very similar and not easy to pick up the mistake.
The airborne commanders (Taylor etc) made it virtually impossible to be awarded a MOH during WW2. I think from memory they agreed to one per division and that was awarded in Normandy where the 101st was concerned.
Promotion?? Not sure... Medals?? Most soldiers do it to do it, not thinking about getting medals and such, which is reflect in other movies and shows. And some, when asked about being a "hero", most say the real heroes are buried back in Europe, or where other conflicts took place...
If Lieutenant Speirs wasn't decorated for his spectacular actions at Foy, it was solely because Winters, by then a major, and his battalion commander, who personally witnessed that feat, did not want him decorated. As a battalion commander, Winters was well within his right to award a Silver Star, and he possessed the authority to recommend, and see through, the awarding of a Distinguished Service Cross. I've always felt the whole Band of Brothers story was a little too good and clean, and that Winters was just a little too perfect, that it was mostly Hollywood. But your yeoman's research exposing Winters being in bed with the author, and acting as a go-between for that author and the troopers, in effect a gatekeeper and quasi editor of the facts makes even more sense. Band of Brothers is by inherent bias basically Winters' story, and as you have so effectively shown, Winters was apparently a self-aggrandizing blowhard, with a moral compass (ie Nixon) swaying to his convenience.
Totally agree. Winters was not happy with Speirs shooting would be prisoners in Normandy so that may have been the catalyst but what he did at Bastogne was more brave than what Winters did at Brecourt IMO. I dont know of Winters recommending any awards. He might have been upset with not having been awarded the medal of honor on June 6th
with the idiot Walz controversey with stolen valor do you know of any incidents with these soldiers...times have changed, and i would guess there wasn't..also, just wanted to say thx for such fine reporting and content..
My experience in the military was who got awards was as much based on who was liked as much as achievement.
Absolutely saw it happen a lot in the U.S Army.
Yep. The popular kid is most often recognized.
Yup, I can second... both active duty Army and DoD civilian supervising military members in my office.
Basically true, just like O series automatically got a bronze star for just deploying overseas. In essence, it's who you know and partially what you did.
@@prdubi YEP.
Spears jumped with the 187th combat regimental team in korea,and my uncle probably knew him very well.His name was james claude stover.He retired in 62 as a master sargent.He was in numerous airborne units like the 82nd,503rd,8th army,and was one of the first advisors in vietnam as a 1st special forces soldier ( AB) airborne in 1960.
Good video, great comments section thanks guy's.
For me I knew a lot of Able Co vets and talked to 2nd lt. Fred Bahlau a lot over the years, we're all lower mid Michigan boys. And I grew up with a lot of other WW2 vet's.
One thing I always thought about?
After my entrance into the Army I went Airborne (my Dad was a rigger) so I wanted to wear his old wing's, got to blood wings, but I digress.
After my first night jump it hit me and stuck with me.
To have jumped into Normandy in the wee hours of the morning (darkness) under fire,going to fast,going to low?
Shit that alone should got you a balls out bronz star!!!!
In the early 80s we had lots of WW2 vet's walking around, all their stories were something else. Night jumps even for us were at least for me a scary event, no night vision like today.
Great vids!
Keep them coming.
Cheers
Airborne All the Way
I do believe that Speirs should have gotten that award but alot of crap happened back then and not everyone got what they truely deserved. I Love Band of Brothers and where you highlighted Speirs was my favorite story. Thank you💛
You are right that soldiers didn't always get recognition that they deserved. The only reason Winters didn't win the CMH for his actions at Brecourt was because the brass put a limit on how many would be handed out. There are probably countless actions on D-Day, Bastogne and other battles that merited the CMH or DSC and weren't handed out.
@@ericnaughton2348 I agree with you on that point.
It is astonishing to me that so many of the combat veterans of WW2 came home after a year, two years or even three, of overseas service and much combat action, with so few ribbons and awards. These are men who fought in and survived some of the largest and most-pivotal battles of the war.
Over in "The Pacific," Eugene Sledge returned home a corporal in the Marines after surviving the worst that Peleliu and Okinawa could throw at him. Moreover, he went to China, too, after the war in the Pacific ended, since once Japan surrendered the Chinese civil war re-started and the Marine Corps needed men there to safeguard Americans and others already in that nation.
Did Sledge turn down a promotion? He should have been a sergeant or better by that time. He had fewer than two rows of ribbons, and no decorations for valor despite having repeatedly done extraordinary things in combat that saved other men's lives.
Over in Europe, the best shot and best scout in Easy Company, Daryl "Shifty" Powers, who survived the war and a ton of action without being hit once, only returned home early on the points system because of winning the company lottery, and not because he had the points. By all accounts a superb paratrooper and very good man to have by your side in battle, Powers didn't receive so much as a bronze star for his heroism. Just the combat infantry badge, what they called their "badge of office."
It is hard not to feel a certain cynicism or even contempt when looking at today's brass in the military, who are so weighted down with medals, awards and ribbons that they look as if they would sink if they tried to go swimming - medal inflation in other words - in comparison to those men of WW2 who did and suffered so much for so little formal recognition.
If Ronald Speirs was not sufficiently recognized for his valor, he wasn't alone, that's for sure.
@@ericnaughton2348 I don't think Winters' action was worthy of a CMH. The DSC seems correct. Cpt Robert Rae of the 507th lead an attack across a 600 yard causeway and receiced a DSC. Much more impressive act, in my opinion. Others will likely disagree.
@@jeffbosworth8116 He was recommended for the CMH and was awarded the DSC instead, which is why I mentioned it. There were a lot of soldiers recommended for the CMH but the top brass put a limit on how many would be awarded. This was discussed in the book but I’ve also read about it in other WWII histories.
I for one very much look forward to your uploads and I really appreciate your getting the stories as square as they can be. Thanks again for the hard work, relentless research, and great presentation. Take care, Brother. Be safe.
Glad you enjoy it!
While I was in the service, those who were browniehounds got far. Those of us that were tanker tough, got nada. I love everything I find in Spears. He was the real deal. Forever a fan.
He froze? HE WAS GOING INTO SHOCK AFTER BEING SHOT. I was an NYC EMS PARAMEDIC, and I have seen the bravest cops go into shock, especially after being shot.Thank you for this channel.
This is likely true based on the accounts that are available. It's worth noting that BOB is highly colored by Ambrose's opinion in more than a few areas, rather than by objective facts, or even reasonably acceptable opinion. He has a reputation for less than fully truthful accounts of history in his books - note the glaring factual aspects around Blythe for one - arguably from lazy interviewing and/or fact checking. Dike's portrayal is one of those moderately to heavily skewed perspectives.
@@chrispierdominici3891 You have to lay some of the inaccuracies at Winter's feet. He didn't do a lot to counter Ambose's narrative. Winter's should've insisted that Ambrose correct the record on Speirs.
@@lawrencefields7874The more videos I see from this guy, the more I have a horrible feeling that Winters portrayal about how good a leader he was came from Winters himself! Not saying he wasn’t good, just that he seems to have been the main source of information for Ambrose!
Glad your back, on Spears no idea if higher decoration was warranted
I appreciate and really enjoy your videos. I'm glad you are calling out Hollywood and setting the record straight.
Thank you
Oak Leaf Clusters...should be a pair of Titanium Balls
Thank you for listening and doing patreon. And thank you for guarding history. 👊🏻✊🏾
Thanks for the suggestion.
Spiers was 24 years old in 1944.....his pictures, to me, look like he's 35 or more......
I noticed that too. Wonder how much of that was the combat aging him prematurely.
I think it was the photography of the time. Everyone seemed to be older even though they were barely out of their teens. 😊
As always…great videos and information. As a current Field Grade Infantry officer with combat time with ABN, Stryker, and Special Operations, I won't change comment till after Speirs Korea war video comes on how he got side tracked.
BLUF : Speirs had a lot of those “Yes men” career officers hate on him during WW2 that were still in the formation 1950s/60s.
Thanks, and also for your service (if I haven't said it before)
@@War_And_Truth it’s been an honor and privilege brother. Please 🙏🏽 keep up with your outstanding work and channel. Truly been a blessing. 🫡💥💯
Military awards have little to do with actual fighting and more to do with someone willing and able to write.
If a high ranking officer did not witness the action it will not be officially recognized.
This is why warriors care little for the “crap on someone’s uniform”. They know the real story and are are often satisfied with acknowledgment of their comrades who know the facts also.
Many an enlisted man has missed out on an award for heroism in combat or had it down graded because his platoon or company commander was WIA or KIA in the action.
I can't for one minute imagine any man deciding to chance his life to win a bit of metal. It would be the last thing on their mind. That said, there are gong hunters, who are more than happy to risk the lives of others and then claim a honour for themselves. Some having not been within miles of the action.
As portrayed in "Band of Brothers" he would definitely merit an award for valor. Since he was appointed commander poste haste Col. Sink may have chosen to ignore his actions since he was not really a member of E company before that day. Sounds petty but Col. Sink was not above pettiness.
Winters was the petty one
👍👍 Great video! I knew nothing about all the battle wounds Ronald Spiers received. On the issue you raised at the commencement of your video, I strongly disagree with any notion that people should refrain from publishing or discussing the wartime actions of soldiers. The logical extension of such a notion is that we ban all news and all history that might potentially embarrass someone. It is a very dangerous and poorly conceived notion. Please keep publishing.
It would seem to me by the citation he should have been awarded at least a Silver Star.
Winters received the DSC not DSM. Love the content BTW.
Thank you and yes I made an error with that one.
I really enjoy your content
Excellent video, but I must make one correction: At 6:42 you state that Speirs "...was worthy of the Distinguished Service Medal, which is what Winters was awarded at Brecourt Manor." There are two different medals involved here, and it is easy to be confused with the names. The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is awarded for meritorious SERVICE, and is the highest Army award for service. It ranks next above the Legion of Merit. The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is the second-highest award for VALOR, above the Silver Star and below the Medal of Honor. Winters, in fact, was awarded the DSC for the Brecourt action, not the DSM. Big difference.
Also, having some influence on awards for valor in the 82nd and 101st was the command guidance that placed a cap on the number of awards by type for a given operation. The intent was to keep "inflation" down and thus keeping the meaning of the award from being cheapened. But the flip-side of that policy was that such an administrative and arbitrary number did not recognize the reality of the difficulty of the combat. For example, during Normandy, each division could award only two Medals of Honor. DeGlopper was one of two in the 82nd; Cole was one of two in the 101st. There was a "trickle-down" effect, such that only so many DSCs could be awarded. The sad result was that many acts of gallantry were not recognized as they should have been. As well, there were so many acts of valor by desperate acts of heroism, but no one lived to tell the tale. Or, by the time the tempo of combat cooled-off so that someone could write-up the award recommendation, there were no witnesses left--either KIA or WIA and evacuated. And of course, as others have mentioned there was pettiness on the part of some commanders in the approval chain: "If I don't have that award, then by golly I'm not gonna approve it for THAT guy."
I spent 26 years in the Regular Army, all of it in the approval chain for awards and decorations. I served in company, battalion, brigade, group, division, corps, major command, and joint command. There always was, is, and will be some degree of unfairness and inequality. Some totally undeserving people receive awards. (Anecdote: In WWII, Lyndon Johnson received a Silver Star while a passenger on an Army medium bomber. MacArthur gave it to Johnson so as to curry political favor with Roosevelt, who Johnson knew. And no one would call MacArthur out on it, since MacArthur was an all-powerful demi-god). Pettiness and politics are soooo alive and well, thus well-deserving people have awards down-graded or receive nothing at all. Or someone has a "mentor" at a higher level and rank looking out for them and setting them up for higher advancement.
Sorry to go on about this and bore you with details. But the awards system--back in the 1940s and in the 2020s--is far from objective and perfect. If you are in the Army for the medals, prepare to be disappointed!
Yes its been pointed out a few times already and you are correct. Just a silly error on my part.
@@War_And_Truth Hey, look, you're doing GREAT work, especially for someone without a military background. I really enjoyed your video. No worries about the DSC/DSM thing; it happens. As Dick Winters always said, "Hang tough!"
By the way, I was just looking through a 511th Parachute Infantry yearbook from 1951. This was the 11th Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, KY. My dad was battalion exec officer in 2nd Battalion of the 511th, and.......drum roll please......Major Ron Speirs was battalion exec in 1st Battalion of the 511th. Having been in those duty positions myself, my dad and Speirs must have "rubbed elbows" with each other frequently during the week. Small world, indeed.
@@4325air Thats great info, thanks for sharing
@@4325airDon’t worry about the longness, it was interesting what you wrote and well written to boot!
@@samiam619 Thank you!
Spier lack of commendation is intwined with the Dike situation…. In my opinion Dike was suffering from PTSD after Normandy and the market Garden disaster. Before Being forced into Bastogne Easy company and the rest of the Airborne were on rest, recovery and occupation duty, awaiting the “Big Jump” into Berlin that Never Happened. Having an officer who is struggling with his own personal demons while in command of troops is never good, but it is more manageable when they are in this sort of situation….Now Dike may have being trying his best during Bastogne and in the Foy Assault up to the point where he was wounded but the simple fact is Spiers never should have HAD TO relieve Dike in the middle of an assault and thats why any commendation suggestions were buried, it would have exposed mistakes that command at Brigade and or Regimental had made that put Spiers, Dike, and easy company in the situation in the first place
Speirs received command of a company and, soon after, promotion to captain. That was reward enough. Way back during the Civil War, that’s how officers were rewarded for meritorious service by promotion in rank. These were called “brevits” so a soldier may have a permanent rank of captain but be a brevit lieutenant colonel and be allowed to wear that tank.
Speirs was the bravest of the brave ,the high Brass focus on Winters only he should have got the same decoration if not higher than Winters ,same happend to Paddy SAS got the DSO four times.The high Brass play the guitar in the military ,your series are awesome many thanks keep it going txs
As a follow up, some the guys commented on this one are on point.
Basically politics and personalities get involved in the awards, did he deserve something more for his actions? Or did he deserve something more for following out his orders that day?
That we like to think that his over and above maneuver earned it, his senior's may not, he was an officer that they all knew got shit done, it was something expected (get it done).
I guess we'd had to have been there.
Two things: Dike was a 1LT while in command of Easy. Winters was awarded a Distinguished Service Cross for his action at Brecourt Manor. A Distinguished Service Medal is entirely a different decoration, usually associated with non-combat service.
Yes my error on the DSC and DSM. I'm not military so it doesn't come to me automatically.
The Bronze Star can be awarded for "Service" or "Valor". If awarded for valor, a small metal "V" device is added to the ribbon. His 3 Bronze Stars were for service, not valor. They were awarded for doing an exemplary job during a specific time period in a combat zone. Not for an act during a combat action where he displayed great bravery or valor.
His Silver Star certainly was
I think the Army likes to promote tacticians with courage. Spears was courageous, bold, and aggressive. But his leadership style got a lot of men unnecessarily killed. As to where Winters while being brave and selfless with his own life really cared for the lives of his men. He was cool under pressure and found ways to always get the advantage over the enemy with as little loss of life as possible. At Brecourt Manor Winters was outnumbered 3 to 1 and yet still managed to take a fixed and fortified objective with an improvised attack loosing only 2 men. Sperars got all 4 of his men killed in a wreckless frontal assault on 1 target and did not seem to display any remorse for the loss of their lives. Is that good enough to remain and officer during a time of war? Yes. But was it good enough to make him battalion commander or potentially advance him down the line to General? No. You don't want to give a man like that to much power. That dose not take away from his service at all. It just means the Army recognized what Spears was good for and used him for that.
Major Speirs stands out as a shining example of real Leadership from the inside out.
From 2nd Lieut to Major over 3 wars.
Currahee Major!
All the best from Downunder!
I believe he retired a Lt. Col.
Yes, he should have been awarded for the attack on Foy. I get the sense that above Winter's, he might not have been well liked by those at regiment. While my active duty was limited, it was something I had noticed, those that were not part of the "in crowd" often got over looked or were reminded that "this was just part of your job." However, a colonel I previously worked for liked to remind folks that whatever (award, commendation, pat-on-the-pat) and $1.95 will get you a coffee from the snack shack....
Great series and video. Agree, he deserved the dsm or moh.
Hell yeh, he and the rest of them deserve the CMH
I think a fair argument could be made his action were worthy of a Silver Star, seeing how above and beyond what he did was, with the intensity of machine gun, mortar and 88 fire occurring, to not only go over to I Company, but then come back. The DSC...that's probably a much tougher, more loaded discussion to hash out, esp. when factoring the politics of military life that determine how higher medals are frequently given vs. not.
So, his Bronze Star, has 3 Oak leaf clusters. That means that he was awarded 4 Bronze Stars, total. The Navy and Marines add stars, instead of Oak Leaves. We just don't wear multiple of the same medal. What surprises me, is that there is no V device, for valor. Perhaps the V device was introduced after WW2. I don't know.
I suppose nothing had changed in the history of the military awards system since it began. Who you are, who saw you do it, are you well liked/connected, how good was your write up, etc. It's also worth noting that when uncommon valour becomes more common, winning awards becomes harder. Whilst in Afghan lads were doing the kind of stuff that would've earnt you a Victoria Cross back in WW2, but as years had gone on the bar was raised so high hardly anything was awarded. My take on it is that maybe Spears just wasn't "one of the boys" and at that point in the war, people were doing things like that on a daily basis.
There are 2 views on awards, in one case, you don’t usually recognize someone for doing what was expected of them by virtue of their rank and position. Then you have the two categories of awards, impact and service. It is only when someone does something above and beyond their job description like when a junior soldier/officer does something that you expect from a more senior soldier. Impact awards, that would be Breaqourt Manor, a junior officer leading an inferior sized force against an unknown force of unknown size that impacted rounds landing (or not landing) on Utah beach. Then you have the awards that cover a soldiers time within an assignment, or their service. Thus, when you look at someone’s awards you can tell 2 things, where they have been and how their bosses felt about them. For example, by looking at Gov Walz’s awards, he was not well thought of; how do I glean this? He “retired” after 24 years and his retirement award was an Army Commendation Medal! That is what E4’s get when they leave the army after a 6 year enlistment! If he was worth a shit, he would have seen a Meritorious Service Medal, AT A MINIMUM, and the expected award would be a Legion of Merit. To me, without delving into the politics of it, his not getting the expected awards decries how the leadership felt about him, his decision to leave when and how he did it.
Very interesting, thanks for sharing that !
😊
I have read some assessments of the action at Brecourt Manor as really just an officer applying the training and doctrine they had been taught. Yes it is taught at West point but that doesn't make it particularly heroic as they don't really teach that so much as applying lessons in real life situations. It didn't get the MoH because it really didn't hit that standard.
A Legion of Merit is typically reserved for high ranking officers, not enlisted, no matter how long they serve. MSM would be more called for, but it was also going through changes in the early 2000s which had commands basically confusing its role with a Bronze Star. Note that EOT awards are not given based on how much you are liked, they are given based off whether certain bullets within the individual command were fulfilled. Further, the MSM is also a fairly high-level award, typically reserved for command positions and might not have been available to a National Guard reservist position at the time or place, especially for an enlisted who is, regardless of rank, not the actual SEL.
I urge you not to drag politics into subjects which don't have anything to do with them. I also urge you not to discuss aspects of those politics you do not have full understanding of.
@@Hobbes09R I have an issue with a person who signed a contract to serve 6 years who sought out the position of a CSM and facing a combat deployment-quit on his men, his commander, the Army and, at the end of the day, my country. I do NOT want such a quitter one event from being the commander in chief! He has earned the ire of anyone who ever faced a combat deployment who didn’t quit. That is exactly why this is connected to politics. I have scoured the internet and found no one who served under, with or commanded a unit with him willing to utter the words “I would follow or lead that man into combat.” Why? I believe the SILENCE speaks VOLUMES.
My experience was different, I wrote and saw SEL’s, SEA’s & CSM’s retire with LOM’s I wrote for them. I will take your, very good, point that as a state (Title 38) he wasn’t going to get that or an MSM, I dare say that from I have read, no one was going to go out on a limb and seek an exception to policy for MSG A-WOLz.
@@longtabsigo Ah, so you claim to be a veteran. In a position high enough to write a Legion of Merit. And somehow you don't know better. And yet you're pushing the stolen valor narrative. Interesting.
By the way, what has any of this got to do with Speirs?
Ronald Speirs was a great soldier........
Oh heck ya. Make it so America. If Speilberg and Hanks want to make up for their foopaws in BoBs, they should petition the U.S. Army to award his surviving family at least the DSC if not CMH imo. This man went way above his call of duty in WWII.
It seems a Medal of Honor might even have been appropriate for that particular act.
I would say that would meet current qualifications for sure.
Sorry, not the medal of honor the DSC Yes, but not the medal of honor
I wonder if Winters didn’t want Speirs to outshine him or get even with a DSC and didn’t do anything to help recommend him for the award
I don't think Winters could recommend Speirs for the DSM at Foy as he wasn't in Easy Company at the time but Strayer and Sink certainly could have and we know their record.
Winters still didn't do much awarding while he was CO.
He should have gotten the DSC.
Sounds like Spiers was every bit the caliber of John Basilone. No pun intended
Should have been awarded several higher medals & promotions. Cink was a dick just wanted to make himself look good at his mens expense
I agree with you !
(PS is this your voice or AI) ?
I'm deaf so I use text to speech. I would probably use it anyway. Historical content needs to be clear and precise and I can live with a few pronunciation hick ups.
@@War_And_Truthi must commend you for an excellent text to speech program.
@@War_And_Truth I am pretty deaf myself after working in Coal mines since 18 yo , thereafter in Oilfield standing between 2 supercharged V16 Detroit Diesel pumping units. I like your content ! Its new and exciting !
I served with great men annd leaders as an Army Ranger and I would have followed Speirs into hell, he was definitely a badass!!
Spiers was a lone wolf and not an ass kisser. Yes he deserved the DSC at the very least. He may have been too effective at his job that it scared the careers of enough higher-ups they kept his Valour awards down below theirs.
His only real friend was Ed Shames and he was just as unpopular as Speirs. They were just a tough military breed.
For his actions at Foy, you're suggesting that Speirs should have been awarded the Distinguished Service CROSS -- not Distinguished Service MEDAL. Might want to correct that, if possible. As you stated, Winters was the recipient of the DSC. FWIW, I agree Speirs should have been decorated for Foy and it's very interesting why he wasn't -- except in the aftermath of Bastogne (multiple locations around the town), Foy, and Noville, the 506th had been in the shit for a very long time. Decorations might not have been as important as rest and refit.
I cant correct it. I got a date wrong on another video (1934 instead of 1943) and just have to cop every second post pointing it out. I am going to make mistakes sometimes with those sorts of things.
@@War_And_Truth No problem, and I hope you don't get bombarded. Can get irritating, I imagine. In your videos, you're asking questions and doing the heavy lifting with finding answers that I'd posit most of us benefiting from your work have also asked. Great job, and I'm looking forward to more.
The dates for that last oak leaf cluster may be a gimmee. Because of the disparity between the # of air medals v bronze stars every soldier awarded the Combat Infantry Badge was awarded the bronze star. at the end of the War. Question; The European Campaign medal shows an oak leaf cluster. Shouldn't that be a silver star device and an arrow head? Also, the # of times Speirs was wounded would indicate multiple clusters, no? And no V on his Bronze Star? I agree; Speirs should have received at least a DSC at Foy if not a MOH! You couldn't have made what he did up!
One of Easy company went on to work with Delta Force , I can’t remember his name
Thats interesting, I havent come across that yet.
Robert Burr Smith was his name
Distinguished Service Cross DSC not the Distinguished Service Medal DSM. The DSM is a good conduct medal for General Officers.
Slip of brain power. Its impossible to not make errors with that stuff at times. Dates are another one. They are very similar and not easy to pick up the mistake.
The way the scene is portrayed in BoB it almost seems like MoH worthy
The airborne commanders (Taylor etc) made it virtually impossible to be awarded a MOH during WW2. I think from memory they agreed to one per division and that was awarded in Normandy where the 101st was concerned.
@@War_And_Truth That's interesting and nice to know. Thanks
Yes. Spiers is old school.
🤘
Promotion?? Not sure... Medals?? Most soldiers do it to do it, not thinking about getting medals and such, which is reflect in other movies and shows. And some, when asked about being a "hero", most say the real heroes are buried back in Europe, or where other conflicts took place...
Wasn't market/ garden Sept 1944?
Yes it was happening 80 years ago today.
If Lieutenant Speirs wasn't decorated for his spectacular actions at Foy, it was solely because Winters, by then a major, and his battalion commander, who personally witnessed that feat, did not want him decorated. As a battalion commander, Winters was well within his right to award a Silver Star, and he possessed the authority to recommend, and see through, the awarding of a Distinguished Service Cross.
I've always felt the whole Band of Brothers story was a little too good and clean, and that Winters was just a little too perfect, that it was mostly Hollywood. But your yeoman's research exposing Winters being in bed with the author, and acting as a go-between for that author and the troopers, in effect a gatekeeper and quasi editor of the facts makes even more sense. Band of Brothers is by inherent bias basically Winters' story, and as you have so effectively shown, Winters was apparently a self-aggrandizing blowhard, with a moral compass (ie Nixon) swaying to his convenience.
Totally agree. Winters was not happy with Speirs shooting would be prisoners in Normandy so that may have been the catalyst but what he did at Bastogne was more brave than what Winters did at Brecourt IMO. I dont know of Winters recommending any awards. He might have been upset with not having been awarded the medal of honor on June 6th
MOH❤
It is possible that Ronald Speirs didn’t write self-aggrandizing after action reports.
He was Scottish! I wonder why he didn't try to join the British Army in 1939 or possibly he did.
There is a rumor that he served with the British Commando's but I'm pretty sure that is just a myth.
He was another officer doing his job. Why would that mean a decoration?
I didn't join to get medals or honors
no
Is this voice AI generated? I have never heard it pronounced Koko cola.
Yes I use text to speech as I'm deaf.
@@War_And_Truth Ok.......got ya. Keep up the good work, I really enjoy your videos.
with the idiot Walz controversey with stolen valor do you know of any incidents with these soldiers...times have changed, and i would guess there wasn't..also, just wanted to say thx for such fine reporting and content..
you be the idiot.
There's no stolen valor there.
You need to climb out of your Faux hole. There is no stolen valor.
Still a fucking communist
He's still a commie