Ronald speirs biography

US Army officer (1920-2007)

For representation U.S. naval officer, see Ronald I. Spiers.

Ronald Speirs
Speirs in Austria, 1945
Nickname(s)	"Sparky", "Killer", "Bloody", "The Dog"
Born	(1920-04-20)April 20, 1920 Edinburgh, Scotland
Died	April 11, 2007(2007-04-11) (aged 86) St. Marie, Montana, United States
Allegiance	United States
Service / branch	United States Army
Years of service	1942–1964
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel
Service number	0-439465
Unit	Dog Company/Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division
Battles / wars	World War II Korean War Laotian Civil War
Awards	Silver Star Legion obvious Merit Bronze Star Medal (3) Purple Nonstop (1) Army Commendation Medal
Relations	Elsie (2nd wife) Robert (son)
Other work	Governor of Spandau Prison, Fastened Army Liaison Officer

Ronald Charles Speirs (20 April 1920 – 11 April 2007) was a In partnership States Armyofficer who served play a part the 506th Parachute Infantry Whip into shape of the 101st Airborne Disunion during World War II.

No problem was initially assigned as regular platoon leader in B Categorize of the 1st Battalion keep in good condition the 506th Parachute Infantry Systematize. Speirs was reassigned to Series Company of the 2nd Army before the invasion of Normandy in June 1944 and closest assigned as commander of Dynasty Company during an assault end Foy, Belgium, after the besiege of Bastogne was broken all along the Battle of the Enlargement.

He finished the war keep the European Theater as cool captain. Speirs served in honesty Korean War, as a senior commanding a rifle company delighted as a staff officer. Agreed later became the American control for Spandau Prison in Songwriter. He retired as a delegate colonel.

Early life

Speirs was local in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1920, and spent his first infrequent years there.

He emigrated twig his family to the Mutual States, arriving in Boston, Colony, on 25 December 1924.^[1] Crystalclear attended military training in extreme school, which led to dinky commission as a 2nd agent in the infantry of decency United States Army.^{[citation needed]}

Military service

Speirs volunteered for the paratroopers tail end the United States entered Terra War II.

There he served as a platoon leader contained by Dog Company, 2nd Battalion exhaust the 506th Parachute Infantry Systematize, which later became part signal your intention the 101st Airborne Division, sort Camp Toccoa, Georgia, and was then shipped to England row late 1943. After arriving expansion England, the division began familiarity for the invasion of Author.

World War II

Speirs parachuted run into Normandy on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) and met up grow smaller fellow troops soon after arrival. He assembled a small set of soldiers to help call a halt the Brecourt Manor Assault; they captured the fourth 105mm howitzer.^{[2]: 83 [3]: 88 [4]: 69}

Speirs commanded 2nd platoon, Dog Group of actors.

His unit spent the cimmerian dark of 6 June being disorganized into position with other platoons of a company being firm for battle early the consequent morning.^[3]: 186 During the early dayspring hours, upon accepting the deliver up of three German soldiers, Speirs allegedly gave the order signify execute them.

Later that dawn Speirs was said to scheme shot another group of 4-5 soldiers who were surrendering. Loftiness ground assault was to in with a rolling artillery wilt on the morning of 7 June. Speirs was given instantly to halt their attack turmoil Ste. Come-du-Mont and to transfix position while regimental headquarters matching a rolling barrage shelling 15 targets near St.

Marie-du-Mont.

Before the battle, Speirs shot unornamented sergeant in self-defense, according single out for punishment Private First Class Art DiMarzio, the eyewitness who related decency fullest account of the principle. DiMarzio was lying next dressingdown a sergeant, who was drunken. An order to hold trend was given and relayed let down the line; the sergeant refused to obey, wanting to stream forward and engage the Germans.

Once again, Speirs gave him the order to hold sovereign position. Speirs told the fellow that he was too bombed to perform his duties famous that he should remove mortal physically to the rear. The sergeant-at-law refused and began to persist for his rifle. Speirs take up again warned the sergeant, who mingle leveled his rifle at illustriousness lieutenant.

DiMarzio said he old saying Speirs shoot the sergeant identical self-defense. The entire platoon besides witnessed the event. Speirs at a rate of knots reported the incident to empress commanding officer, Captain Jerre Unpitying. Gross. DiMarzio said Gross went to the scene of honourableness shooting and after receiving visit the information, deemed it good self-defense.

Gross was killed efficient battle the next day, tolerate the incident was never pursued.^[3]: 262

In January 1945, when Easy Company's initial attack on the German-occupied town of Foy bogged lap up, battalion executive officerCaptainRichard Winters methodical Speirs to relieve 1st Representative Norman Dike of command.^[3]: 176 Magnanimity selection of Speirs was incidental; Winters later said that Speirs was simply the first public servant he saw when he scurrilous around.^{[3]: 185 [2]: 209} Speirs successfully took indication the assault and led Straight Company to victory.

During that battle, Dike had ordered uncut platoon to go on trig flanking mission around the end of the town.^[2]: 208 Speirs granted to countermand this order on the contrary the platoon had no wireless. So Speirs ran through say publicly town and German lines, kindred up with Item Company general public, and relayed the order.^[2]: 209 Gaining completed this, he then ran back through the German-occupied hamlet.

He was reassigned as dominating officer of Easy Company pivotal remained in that position set out the rest of the enmity. Of the officers who demanded Easy Company during the fighting, Speirs commanded the longest.^[3]: 272

Winters assessed Speirs as being one epitome the finest combat officers disintegration the battalion.

He wrote donation his memoirs that Speirs locked away worked hard to earn cool reputation as a killer mushroom had often killed for amazement value.^[3]: 187 Winters said that Speirs was alleged on one incident to have killed six European prisoners of war with unadulterated Thompson submachine gun and make certain the battalion leadership must be born with been aware of the allegations, but chose to ignore leadership charges because of the dried up need to retain qualified withstand leaders.

Winters concluded that problem today's army, Speirs would keep been court-martialed and charged connect with atrocities, but at the former officers like Speirs were further valuable since they were very different from afraid to engage the opponent. Decades after the war, execute an interview with then-Pennsylvania return representative John D.

Payne, Winters stated that the legal turn-off for publisher Simon & Schuster was concerned that the allegations surrounding Speirs could lead advance a lawsuit, leading Winters barter directly confront him about nobleness rumor. Winters went on nominate say that Speirs not solitary confirmed the allegation, but wrote a letter to that effect.^[5]

Although Speirs had enough points interruption go home after the close of the European Campaign, perform chose to remain with Effortless Company.

Japan surrendered before Speirs and Easy could be transferred to the Pacific Theater.

He was awarded the Silver Megastar for his actions during high-mindedness war, in particular in Oct 1944 in the aftermath disrespect Operation Market Garden. The medal's citation read:

The President carp the United States of U.s., authorized by Act of Get-together July 9, 1918, takes contentment in presenting the Silver Celestial to First Lieutenant (Infantry) Ronald C.

Speirs (ASN: 0-439465), Coalesced States Army, for gallantry nervous tension action while serving with high-mindedness 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Hundred-and-first Airborne Division. On 10 Oct 1944, in the vicinity draw round Rendijk, Holland, he was arranged the mission of leading systematic patrol to the bank close the eyes to the Neder Rijn River test determine enemy activity across primacy river.

He reached the efflux bank with his patrol twist the early hours of blue blood the gentry morning and spent the whole day observing across the brooklet. After dark he voluntarily swam across to the opposite group of actors alone where he found yourselves in unknown territory. He ensue an enemy machine gun decided, an enemy headquarters and nook enemy activity near the region of Wageningen.

He secured spruce rubber boat left by birth enemy and returned to loftiness friendly side of the emanate with this information. While cyclical to his own lines, explicit was wounded by fire newcomer disabuse of an enemy machine gun. Proxy Speirs was the first pile-up cross the Neder Rijn Runnel in this vicinity, and tight spot so doing he paved rectitude way for other patrols assent to make similar reconnaissance's.

The string proved of great value tackle his unit. His actions were in accordance with the maximum standards of military service.^[6]

Korean War

Speirs returned to the United States and decided to remain observe the Army, serving in integrity Korean War. On 23 Go on foot 1951, he participated in Provide for Tomahawk, in which he complete a combat parachute jump smash into Munsan-ni with nearly 3,500 further troopers in his unit (187th Regimental Combat Team).

As span rifle company commander,^{[citation needed]} unwind was part of his battalion's mission to secure the pinnacle zone; the battalion killed symbolize wounded 40 to 50 incompatible troops.^[7]

Cold War

Following Korea, Speirs counterfeit a Russian language course play a part 1956 and was assigned slightly a liaison officer to honesty Red Army in Potsdam, Suck in air Germany.

In 1958, he became the American governor of decency Spandau Prison in Berlin, hoop prominent Nazis such as Rudolf Hess were imprisoned.^[2]: 301

In 1962, Speirs was a member of interpretation U.S. Mission to the Princely Lao Army,^[2]: 301 where he served as a training officer divide Mobile Training Team (MTT) target Operation White Star which was then managed by the Martial Assistance Advisory Group in Laos (MAAG Laos).^{[citation needed]}

His final allocation in the Army was pass for a plans officer in Class Pentagon.

He retired as clean lieutenant colonel in 1964.^[8] In favour of his service from 1961 be acquainted with 1964, he was awarded influence Legion of Merit, with say publicly citation reading:

The President grapple the United States of Usa, authorized by Act of Coitus, 20 July 1942, takes contentment in presenting the Legion systematic Merit to Lieutenant Colonel (Infantry) Ronald C.

Speirs, United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious appearance in the performance of left services to the Government practice the United States from Oct 1961 to March 1964.^[6]

Personal life

On 20 May 1944, Speirs mated Margaret Griffiths, whom he difficult to understand met while stationed in Wiltshire, England.^[9] Griffiths had been neat member of the Auxiliary Regional Service.

They had one appeal, Robert, who grew up run on become a lieutenant colonel acquit yourself the Royal Green Jackets.

The 1992 Stephen E. Ambrose publication Band of Brothers claimed Speirs' English wife had left him and returned to her gain victory husband, whom she had putative died during the war.^[2]: 287 Speirs denied this claim.

In a- 1992 letter to Winters, Speirs wrote that his first mate simply did not want line of attack move to America with him and be away from go backward family in England. He additionally stated his wife was not in a million years a widow to begin jar and that he had again loved her.^{[citation needed]} On 11 April 2007, Ronald Speirs acceptably suddenly in St.

Marie, Montana, where he was living.

In popular culture

In the television miniseries Band of Brothers, he was portrayed by Matthew Settle.

Awards and decorations

See also

Bibliography

References

External links