Last Surviving Member of Easy Company, “Wild Bill” Guarnere Dies

A long-time friend of the Toccoa-Stephens County Historical Society and the Camp Toccoa Military Weekends, William “Wild Bill” Guarnere, has died.

Guarnere was one of the World War II veterans whose exploits were dramatized in the TV miniseries “Band of Brothers.”

According to a Fox News report, his son, William Guarnere Jr., confirmed Sunday that his father died at Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia.  http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/03/09/bill-wild-bill-guarnere-band-brothers-fame-dies-at-0/

Guarnere was rushed to the hospital early Saturday and died of a ruptured aneurysm early Saturday night.

The younger Guarnere told FoxNews.com that like so many of his generation, “Wild Bill” didn’t talk about his service, even though he lost his leg in combat.

The HBO miniseries, based on a book by Stephen Ambrose, followed the members of Easy Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne Division from training at Camp Toccoa in 1942 through some of the war’s fiercest European battles through the war’s end in 1945.

He and his longtime friend, fellow 506th paratrooper Edward J. “Babe” Heffron, visited Toccoa during one of the first Camp Toccoa Military weekends and I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing both.

Neither liked to talk much about their exploits during World War II, telling me they were just doing their job and nothing more.

He and Heffron remained friends after the war and lived near each other in South Philadelphia.  Heffron died in December.

Guarnere, whose combat exploits, earned him his nickname, lost his leg while trying to help a wounded soldier during the Battle of the Bulge.

His commendations included the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts.

Over the years, he made sure members of Easy Company stayed in touch by helping organize the annual Easy Company reunions.

In 2007, Guarnere and Heffron collaborated on a book that became a best-seller, “Brothers in Battle, Best of Friends,” which was a memoir of the their exploits.

Wild Bill was 90 years old.