Lt. Stephenson
05-20-2006, 05:18 AM
This response is from Donald R. Burgett of A Company, 506th about E company.
In my four books I wrote of the 101st Div. many times and of the Rgts., Bns., and Cos., assigned or attached to the Div. or any unit that A Co. 506 had contact with.
I also mentioned the 969th an all Afro-American 155 Artillery Bn. that fought with us in Bastogne as well as other Divs. IE, the 17th Abn, 82nd. Abn., the 4th Div. which came in on Utah Beach 6 June 1944, the 3rd Div., etc. The 4th Div. relieved our members of A and E co's., 506 7 June 44 in Ravenoville as well the 82nd troopers who were on hand at the same time so we could continue our missions.
Stephen Ambrose homed in on one Company (E Co.)as his personal preference and subject. Ambrose and I spoke to one another many times by phone and letter but we never met in person. I did make an appearance as guest of honor and Key-Note Speaker in the D-Day Museum, New Orleans on the first anniversary of their opening at the request of Steve Ambrose to me. Ambrose attended the Premier of Band of Brothers at that time and sort of conned me into running his museum for him while he was having a good time in France. I was there from 5:30 AM to 9;30 that night.
Ambrose by choice wrote exclusively of the men of E Co. 506, 101st Abn. As I mentioned to Ambrose later. "the reader would believe that the 101st Division was attached to E Company." The men of E Company are not Gods, they are human beings as we all are, they were just another company of troopers in a full division of troopers and they, as well as all the troopers did their job to the best of their ability, which was more than just a step above the regular infantryman.
We all put our lives on the line and many times in the same battles, stepping in one and anothers foot prints during that battle. There was not then and I hope there is no prejuidiced feelings between paratroopers today. The Troopers of E Co. who survived the war returned home as thankful survivors and went to work and raised families. Years later because a writer chose them as his subject (it could have been A Co.) in a very successful book and movie they were thrown into a limelight that offers many perks, and they accepted. Let's face it. All of us to the person would accept those same perks if earned and offered. I would. Today E Co. men are symbolic of the American Airborne.
But it took not only E Company to win the war; it took sixteen million Americans, each doing his job as well as the Americans on the home front. Many men died in WWII and many, as my brother Elmer, 11th Airborne, South Pacific WWII, were seriously wounded. My brother had his lower left leg shattered and stripped of flesh in the Battle for Leyte. Medics chopped off what was left of his leg with a machette. Elmer underwent eleven amputations which ended at his hip in a final successful attempt to get ahead of the gangrine and save his life. Elmer finally died years later as a result of his wounds.
I am as proud of being a member of A Company 506 as are the troopers of Easy Company being proud of their company and both rightfully so. We, members of A and E Cos. (not the entire companies) received our baptism to fire in Ravenoville, France. We fought side by side to successfully liberate that small town 6 June 1944. Reportedly the first TOWN to be liberated in Europe in WWII. St. Mere Eglise, a large city, not a town, was the first CITY to be liberated, in Europe. (82nd Abn.) That city was liberated the night of 6 June 1944. Ravenoville was liberated at daylight 6 June 1944.
Question re: Ambrose "Borrowing" from my books:
Two of my books were published and copyrighted well BEFORE BoB, the first book Currahee, 25 years BEFORE BoB. My third book was published and copyrighted the same year, 2001, as BoB but preceeded BoB by some months that same year. My fourth book was also published and copyrighted 2001, the same year as BoB just AFTER BoB was copyrighted, but that manuscript was in my publishers hands at that time being printed when BoB came out.
It would have been impossible for ME to have borrowed anything from BoB at anytime to be included in my books.
Copyright dates are included in print in the first pages of a book.
I have been informed the two books copyrighted by me in 2001 qualifies me as being the ONLY American writer ever to have written and published TWO non-fiction hardcover books in one year.
CURRAHEE.
TOGETHER WE STAND ALONE! A phrase I coined to end a taped and filmed speech I presented in Wash., DC. two years ago before a large audience.
Donald R. Burgett, Sgt. WWII
Response from Mark Bando
Last Sunday, I visited Steve Vella (D/506), who was probably the smallest trooper to serve in the WW2 506th PIR, from Toccoa to Austria. According to his discharge, Steve was 5'1 and weighed 112 lb when he left the service. Steve is quite a story in himself, but he has never received ANY public recognition. I hope to correct that injustice in my future books.
As we discussed various things, Steve asked me WHO had written 'Band of Brothers' and WHY the author had chosen 'E' company in particular? He told me that he was deeply angered that any one company was being put forward as being better, more significant, or more important than any other company of the 101st. A friend of Steve's who knew he was in the 506th/101st gave Steve a copy of the 'Band of Brothers' book some years ago. Steve told me that after a brief look at the contents, he became very angry and threw the book in his trash can. He brought this up twice during our visit and he repeated the story about shitcanning the book.
I want to state that this was all unsolicited info from Steve and I was neither prompting him to say this, nor fishing for any anti-BoB comments.
But it is interesting to know that a member of the same battalion, in the adjacent company, feels this way. He went on to comment that the public now probably THINKS Easy Co. won the war, that they were the only important part of the 101st Airborne and he went on to mention the part played by the Air Corps, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard, in winnng WW2.
Steve's WW2 buddy Frank Anness told me last year, that when he first heard about BoB, in a phonecall from yet another Dog Co. vet, his first reaction was to state:
"Wasn't E Company the guys who were always calling for us to come help them out in combat???"
Bear in mind, these guys are entitled to have an opinion on the BoB craze-they all went from Toccoa to Austria with the 506th. Is jealousy part of the reason for their attitude? Possibly, but the reasons for what they perceive as an injustice in recognition or lack thereof, are understandable.
Don Zahn of H and C/506th, DSC winner, battlefield commission, another Toccoa to Austria man, told me when I visited him in Colorado in 2004, that one of his daughters gave him the DVD set of BoB and asked him to watch it. I asked what he thought about the series.
Don told me he watched part of a training episode and part of one Bastogne episode and decided he had seen enough. I was really hoping he'd make some insightful comments on the series, but he has not watched most of it. He told me with a smile:
"I'd rather do something USEful, like take a NAP..."
Same reaction from Fred Bahlau, also B.C. from H to C Co., two Silver Star Medals, Toccoa to Austria.
Fred will sometimes watch a short part of the series, but his curiosity about how a part of his regiment is portrayed, is outweighed by other emotions, which cause him to keep turning the series-off and/or/ delaying the watching of it, until later.
Just some info for your consideration...I found it interesting. MB
In my four books I wrote of the 101st Div. many times and of the Rgts., Bns., and Cos., assigned or attached to the Div. or any unit that A Co. 506 had contact with.
I also mentioned the 969th an all Afro-American 155 Artillery Bn. that fought with us in Bastogne as well as other Divs. IE, the 17th Abn, 82nd. Abn., the 4th Div. which came in on Utah Beach 6 June 1944, the 3rd Div., etc. The 4th Div. relieved our members of A and E co's., 506 7 June 44 in Ravenoville as well the 82nd troopers who were on hand at the same time so we could continue our missions.
Stephen Ambrose homed in on one Company (E Co.)as his personal preference and subject. Ambrose and I spoke to one another many times by phone and letter but we never met in person. I did make an appearance as guest of honor and Key-Note Speaker in the D-Day Museum, New Orleans on the first anniversary of their opening at the request of Steve Ambrose to me. Ambrose attended the Premier of Band of Brothers at that time and sort of conned me into running his museum for him while he was having a good time in France. I was there from 5:30 AM to 9;30 that night.
Ambrose by choice wrote exclusively of the men of E Co. 506, 101st Abn. As I mentioned to Ambrose later. "the reader would believe that the 101st Division was attached to E Company." The men of E Company are not Gods, they are human beings as we all are, they were just another company of troopers in a full division of troopers and they, as well as all the troopers did their job to the best of their ability, which was more than just a step above the regular infantryman.
We all put our lives on the line and many times in the same battles, stepping in one and anothers foot prints during that battle. There was not then and I hope there is no prejuidiced feelings between paratroopers today. The Troopers of E Co. who survived the war returned home as thankful survivors and went to work and raised families. Years later because a writer chose them as his subject (it could have been A Co.) in a very successful book and movie they were thrown into a limelight that offers many perks, and they accepted. Let's face it. All of us to the person would accept those same perks if earned and offered. I would. Today E Co. men are symbolic of the American Airborne.
But it took not only E Company to win the war; it took sixteen million Americans, each doing his job as well as the Americans on the home front. Many men died in WWII and many, as my brother Elmer, 11th Airborne, South Pacific WWII, were seriously wounded. My brother had his lower left leg shattered and stripped of flesh in the Battle for Leyte. Medics chopped off what was left of his leg with a machette. Elmer underwent eleven amputations which ended at his hip in a final successful attempt to get ahead of the gangrine and save his life. Elmer finally died years later as a result of his wounds.
I am as proud of being a member of A Company 506 as are the troopers of Easy Company being proud of their company and both rightfully so. We, members of A and E Cos. (not the entire companies) received our baptism to fire in Ravenoville, France. We fought side by side to successfully liberate that small town 6 June 1944. Reportedly the first TOWN to be liberated in Europe in WWII. St. Mere Eglise, a large city, not a town, was the first CITY to be liberated, in Europe. (82nd Abn.) That city was liberated the night of 6 June 1944. Ravenoville was liberated at daylight 6 June 1944.
Question re: Ambrose "Borrowing" from my books:
Two of my books were published and copyrighted well BEFORE BoB, the first book Currahee, 25 years BEFORE BoB. My third book was published and copyrighted the same year, 2001, as BoB but preceeded BoB by some months that same year. My fourth book was also published and copyrighted 2001, the same year as BoB just AFTER BoB was copyrighted, but that manuscript was in my publishers hands at that time being printed when BoB came out.
It would have been impossible for ME to have borrowed anything from BoB at anytime to be included in my books.
Copyright dates are included in print in the first pages of a book.
I have been informed the two books copyrighted by me in 2001 qualifies me as being the ONLY American writer ever to have written and published TWO non-fiction hardcover books in one year.
CURRAHEE.
TOGETHER WE STAND ALONE! A phrase I coined to end a taped and filmed speech I presented in Wash., DC. two years ago before a large audience.
Donald R. Burgett, Sgt. WWII
Response from Mark Bando
Last Sunday, I visited Steve Vella (D/506), who was probably the smallest trooper to serve in the WW2 506th PIR, from Toccoa to Austria. According to his discharge, Steve was 5'1 and weighed 112 lb when he left the service. Steve is quite a story in himself, but he has never received ANY public recognition. I hope to correct that injustice in my future books.
As we discussed various things, Steve asked me WHO had written 'Band of Brothers' and WHY the author had chosen 'E' company in particular? He told me that he was deeply angered that any one company was being put forward as being better, more significant, or more important than any other company of the 101st. A friend of Steve's who knew he was in the 506th/101st gave Steve a copy of the 'Band of Brothers' book some years ago. Steve told me that after a brief look at the contents, he became very angry and threw the book in his trash can. He brought this up twice during our visit and he repeated the story about shitcanning the book.
I want to state that this was all unsolicited info from Steve and I was neither prompting him to say this, nor fishing for any anti-BoB comments.
But it is interesting to know that a member of the same battalion, in the adjacent company, feels this way. He went on to comment that the public now probably THINKS Easy Co. won the war, that they were the only important part of the 101st Airborne and he went on to mention the part played by the Air Corps, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard, in winnng WW2.
Steve's WW2 buddy Frank Anness told me last year, that when he first heard about BoB, in a phonecall from yet another Dog Co. vet, his first reaction was to state:
"Wasn't E Company the guys who were always calling for us to come help them out in combat???"
Bear in mind, these guys are entitled to have an opinion on the BoB craze-they all went from Toccoa to Austria with the 506th. Is jealousy part of the reason for their attitude? Possibly, but the reasons for what they perceive as an injustice in recognition or lack thereof, are understandable.
Don Zahn of H and C/506th, DSC winner, battlefield commission, another Toccoa to Austria man, told me when I visited him in Colorado in 2004, that one of his daughters gave him the DVD set of BoB and asked him to watch it. I asked what he thought about the series.
Don told me he watched part of a training episode and part of one Bastogne episode and decided he had seen enough. I was really hoping he'd make some insightful comments on the series, but he has not watched most of it. He told me with a smile:
"I'd rather do something USEful, like take a NAP..."
Same reaction from Fred Bahlau, also B.C. from H to C Co., two Silver Star Medals, Toccoa to Austria.
Fred will sometimes watch a short part of the series, but his curiosity about how a part of his regiment is portrayed, is outweighed by other emotions, which cause him to keep turning the series-off and/or/ delaying the watching of it, until later.
Just some info for your consideration...I found it interesting. MB