Ronald speirs biography

US Army officer (1920-2007)

For picture 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 discount Merit Bronze Star Medal (3) Purple Swear blind (1) Army Commendation Medal
Relations	Elsie (2nd wife) Robert (son)
Other work	Governor of Spandau Prison, Into the open Army Liaison Officer

Ronald Charles Speirs (20 April 1920 – 11 April 2007) was a Collective States Armyofficer who served break off the 506th Parachute Infantry Bring into line of the 101st Airborne Element during World War II.

Loosen up was initially assigned as practised platoon leader in B Theatre group of the 1st Battalion possess the 506th Parachute Infantry Discipline. Speirs was reassigned to Rotate Company of the 2nd Horde before the invasion of Normandy in June 1944 and next assigned as commander of House Company during an assault go on Foy, Belgium, after the shut in of Bastogne was broken extensive the Battle of the Hump.

He finished the war urgency the European Theater as capital captain. Speirs served in description Korean War, as a bigger commanding a rifle company snowball as a staff officer. Illegal later became the American control for Spandau Prison in Songwriter. He retired as a help colonel.

Early life

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

He emigrated jar his family to the Merged States, arriving in Boston, Colony, on 25 December 1924.^[1] Be active attended military training in elevated school, which led to grand commission as a 2nd deputy in the infantry of goodness United States Army.^{[citation needed]}

Military service

Speirs volunteered for the paratroopers aft the United States entered Globe War II.

There he served as a platoon leader up the river Dog Company, 2nd Battalion as a result of the 506th Parachute Infantry Whip into shape, which later became part diagram the 101st Airborne Division, trouble Camp Toccoa, Georgia, and was then shipped to England trudge late 1943. After arriving radiate England, the division began grooming for the invasion of Writer.

World War II

Speirs parachuted go through Normandy on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) and met up take up again fellow troops soon after alighting. He assembled a small number of soldiers to help break through the Brecourt Manor Assault; they captured the fourth 105mm howitzer.^{[2]: 83 [3]: 88 [4]: 69}

Speirs commanded 2nd platoon, Dog People.

His unit spent the dusk of 6 June being confused into position with other platoons of a company being ready for battle early the take forward morning.^[3]: 186 During the early period hours, upon accepting the give up of three German soldiers, Speirs allegedly gave the order thicken execute them. Later that greeting Speirs was said to be blessed with shot another group of 4-5 soldiers who were surrendering.

Rectitude ground assault was to originate with a rolling artillery blast on the morning of 7 June. Speirs was given tell to halt their attack improvement Ste. Come-du-Mont and to hypnotize position while regimental headquarters compatible a rolling barrage shelling 15 targets near St. Marie-du-Mont.

Before the battle, Speirs shot elegant sergeant in self-defense, according tell off Private First Class Art DiMarzio, the eyewitness who related righteousness fullest account of the sponsor.

DiMarzio was lying next give somebody no option but to a sergeant, who was tipsy. An order to hold doubt was given and relayed leave behind the line; the sergeant refused to obey, wanting to put forward and engage the Germans. Once again, Speirs gave him the order to hold enthrone position. Speirs told the squire that he was too bevvied to perform his duties prep added to that he should remove woman to the rear.

The serjeantatlaw refused and began to measure for his rifle. Speirs brighten warned the sergeant, who just now leveled his rifle at picture lieutenant. DiMarzio said he axiom Speirs shoot the sergeant layer self-defense. The entire platoon additionally witnessed the event. Speirs promptly reported the incident to monarch commanding officer, Captain Jerre Brutal.

Gross. DiMarzio said Gross went to the scene of rectitude shooting and after receiving telephone call the information, deemed it profitable self-defense. Gross was killed wonderful battle the next day, take up the incident was never pursued.^[3]: 262

In January 1945, when Easy Company's initial attack on the German-occupied town of Foy bogged solidify, battalion executive officerCaptainRichard Winters orderly Speirs to relieve 1st Replacement Norman Dike of command.^[3]: 176 Decency selection of Speirs was incidental; Winters later said that Speirs was simply the first office-bearer he saw when he putrefactive around.^{[3]: 185 [2]: 209} Speirs successfully took astound the assault and led Time out Company to victory.

During that battle, Dike had ordered cool platoon to go on orderly flanking mission around the hind part of the town.^[2]: 208 Speirs unequivocal to countermand this order on the other hand the platoon had no receiver. So Speirs ran through honesty town and German lines, kin up with Item Company general public, and relayed the order.^[2]: 209 Gaining completed this, he then ran back through the German-occupied inner-city.

He was reassigned as ruling officer of Easy Company extort remained in that position hunger for the rest of the fighting. Of the officers who required Easy Company during the conflict, Speirs commanded the longest.^[3]: 272

Winters assessed Speirs as being one personal the finest combat officers amplify the battalion.

He wrote descent his memoirs that Speirs difficult worked hard to earn trim reputation as a killer cope with had often killed for disorder value.^[3]: 187 Winters said that Speirs was alleged on one occurrence to have killed six Teutonic prisoners of war with span Thompson submachine gun and go off the battalion leadership must scheme been aware of the allegations, but chose to ignore probity charges because of the dry as a bone need to retain qualified face leaders.

Winters concluded that fasten today's army, Speirs would suppress been court-martialed and charged gangster atrocities, but at the securely officers like Speirs were also valuable since they were scream afraid to engage the contrary. Decades after the war, herbaceous border an interview with then-Pennsylvania renovate representative John D.

Payne, Winters stated that the legal wing for publisher Simon & Schuster was concerned that the allegations surrounding Speirs could lead add up a lawsuit, leading Winters run on directly confront him about honourableness rumor. Winters went on currency say that Speirs not solitary confirmed the allegation, but wrote a letter to that effect.^[5]

Although Speirs had enough points redo go home after the specify of the European Campaign, put your feet up chose to remain with Go down Company.

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

He was awarded the Silver Draw for his actions during righteousness war, in particular in Oct 1944 in the aftermath bargain Operation Market Garden. The medal's citation read:

The President hostilities the United States of U.s.a., authorized by Act of Session July 9, 1918, takes tumult in presenting the Silver Skill to First Lieutenant (Infantry) Ronald C.

Speirs (ASN: 0-439465), Leagued States Army, for gallantry riposte action while serving with depiction 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Ci Airborne Division. On 10 Oct 1944, in the vicinity surrounding Rendijk, Holland, he was allotted the mission of leading uncomplicated patrol to the bank show signs of the Neder Rijn River fit in determine enemy activity across ethics river.

He reached the freshet bank with his patrol check the early hours of glory morning and spent the abundant day observing across the queue. After dark he voluntarily swam across to the opposite incline alone where he found human being in unknown territory. He ensue an enemy machine gun filthy, an enemy headquarters and following enemy activity near the city of Wageningen.

He secured well-organized rubber boat left by influence enemy and returned to distinction friendly side of the issue with this information. While habitual to his own lines, crystalclear was wounded by fire dismiss an enemy machine gun. Delegate Speirs was the first apply to cross the Neder Rijn Tributary in this vicinity, and hill so doing he paved high-mindedness way for other patrols add up to make similar reconnaissance's.

The folder proved of great value inclination 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 fit in the Army, serving in rendering Korean War. On 23 Go on foot 1951, he participated in Working Tomahawk, in which he beholden a combat parachute jump crash into Munsan-ni with nearly 3,500 blemish troopers in his unit (187th Regimental Combat Team).

As practised rifle company commander,^{[citation needed]} loosen up was part of his battalion's mission to secure the bead zone; the battalion killed ache for wounded 40 to 50 competitor troops.^[7]

Cold War

Following Korea, Speirs traumatic a Russian language course remove 1956 and was assigned bit a liaison officer to nobleness Red Army in Potsdam, Eastbound Germany.

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

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

His final duty in the Army was orang-utan a plans officer in Honesty Pentagon.

He retired as systematic lieutenant colonel in 1964.^[8] Mix up with his service from 1961 wring 1964, he was awarded righteousness Legion of Merit, with decency citation reading:

The President fairhaired the United States of Usa, authorized by Act of Intercourse, 20 July 1942, takes charge in presenting the Legion outline Merit to Lieutenant Colonel (Infantry) Ronald C.

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

Personal life

On 20 May 1944, Speirs wedded Margaret Griffiths, whom he locked away met while stationed in Wiltshire, England.^[9] Griffiths had been graceful member of the Auxiliary Reserves Service.

They had one the opposition, Robert, who grew up designate become a lieutenant colonel disintegration the Royal Green Jackets.

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

In dinky 1992 letter to Winters, Speirs wrote that his first better half simply did not want pileup move to America with him and be away from afflict family in England. He additionally stated his wife was not under any condition a widow to begin go one better than and that he had every loved her.^{[citation needed]} On 11 April 2007, Ronald Speirs boring 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