Title
Recognizing and Celebrating the Band of Brothers Family Reunion in Philadelphia.
Body
WHEREAS, The E Company, 506th Parachute Regiment, 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army, nicknamed "Easy Company," fought in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Austria. Its courage and heroism became the subject of Band of Brothers, a best-selling book by Stephen E. Ambrose which inspired an award-winning HBO miniseries; and
WHEREAS, The men of the Easy Company parachuted into Normandy early on the morning of D-Day and destroyed a German battery on Utah Beach; they parachuted into Holland for Operation Market Garden; they held the line in the Battle of the Bulge and led the counterattack; they captured Hitler's Eagle's Nest. In short, their service was anything but easy. According to Robyn Post, the Easy Company was "arguably the bravest, toughest, most physically fit, closest-knit group of soldiers the Army has ever produced"; and
WHEREAS, Two of the members of Easy Company, the late Edward "Babe" Heffron and the late William "Wild Bill" Guarnere, hailed from South Philadelphia. Having met only after joining the Army, the two became fast friends and forged a close relationship that would last for the rest of their lives in South Philadelphia after the war. Together with Robyn Post, the two authored a memoir entitled, Brothers in Battle, Best of Friends which featured a foreword by Tom Hanks; and
WHEREAS, William "Wild Bill" Guarnere was a staff sergeant in the Easy Company. He earned his nickname due to his reckless attitude and strong hatred towards the enemy. For example, he went against direct orders and opened fire on a German platoon, leading to an eventual court martial and demotion to private. "Wild Bill" lost his leg in the Battle of the Bulge from German 88 shrapnel while attempting to pull his great friend Joe Toye, who also lost his leg that very same day, from the snow; and
WHEREAS, Edward "Babe" Heffron joined the Easy Co...
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