USS Texas (1914) | Timeline

USS Texas (BB-35), is a New York-class battleship. The ship was launched on 18 May 1912 and commissioned on 12 March 1914. Soon after her commissioning, Texas saw action in Mexican waters following the "Tampico Incident" and made numerous sorties into the North Sea during World War I. When the United States formally entered World War II in 1941, Texas escorted war convoys across the Atlantic and later shelled Axis-held beaches for the North African campaign and the Normandy Landings before being transferred to the Pacific Theater late in 1944 to provide naval gunfire support during the Battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Texas was decommissioned in 1948, having earned a total of five battle stars for service in World War II, and is now a museum ship near Houston, Texas. (Intro and excerpt from Wikipedia)

June 24, 1910 - USS Texas is ordered

April 17, 1911 - Newport News, Virginia - USS Texas's keel is laid down

May 18, 1912 - Newport News - USS Texas is launched

March 12, 1914 - Norfolk, Virginia - USS Texas is commissioned

March 24, 1914 - Norfolk - USS Texas departs to New York City
March 26, 1914 - New York City - USS Texas arrives at New York
May 13, 1914 - New York City - USS Texas departs to Veracruz, Mexico
May 14, 1914 - Hampton Roads - Stop at Hampton Roads
May 19, 1914 - Hampton Roads - Continues voyage to Veracruz
May 26, 1914 - Off Veracruz, Mexico - USS Texas joins Rear Admiral Fletcher's force off Veracruz
August 8, 1914 - Off Veracruz - Departs for Nipe Bay, Cuba
August 21, 1914 - New York City - Returns to New York
September 6, 1914 - New York City - Departs to join the Atlantic Fleet
October 1(?), 1914 - Mexican Coast - Returns to the Mexican coast
October 20(?), 1914 - Tuxpan, Mexico - Becomes station ship at Tuxpan
November 4, 1914 - Galveston, Texas - Steams for Galveston, Texas
November 7, 1914 - Gaveston - Texas Governor, Oscar Colquitt, presents the ship's silver service to Captain Grant
November 14, 1914 - Galveston - Departs for Tampico and Veracruz
December 20, 1914 - Veracruz - Departs for New York
December 28, 1914 - New York - Enters New York Navy Yard for repairs
February 16, 1915 - New York - End of the repairs
May 25, 1915 - 10 miles S. of Nantucket - USS Texas, along with battleships South Carolina, Louisiana, and Michigan, rescues 230 passengers from the damaged Holland America Line passenger ship Ryndam, which had been rammed by Norwegian-flagged fruit steamer Joseph J. Cuneo
August 17, 1916 - Bridgeport, Connecticut - Victor Blue becomes the new captain of the ship
January 7, 1917 - New York - USS Texas arrives at New York
April 6, 1917 - New York - At New York when the United States declares WAR to Germany
August 19, 1917 - New York - Arrives at New York for repairs
September 26, 1917 - New York - Departs New York after completing repairs
September 27, 1917 - Off Block Island - Runs aground
September 30, 1917 - Off Block Island - Tug boats help free USS Texas 3 days later
December 1(?), 1917 - Cheasapeake Bay - Tactical exercises after repairing the hull
January 15(?), 1918 - New York - At New York preparing for the voyage to Britain
January 30, 1918 - Mouth of the York River - Departs to Scapa Flow
February 11, 1918 - Scapa Flow, Orkney Islands - Arrives at Scapa Flow and join's Britain's 6th Battle Squadron
February 16, 1918 - Scapa Flow - Departs with the fleet to reinforce the 4th Battle Squadron
March 8, 1918 - Scapa Flow - Departs on a escort mission
March 13, 1918 - Scapa Flow - Returns from escort mission
April 12, 1918 - Firth of Forth - USS Texas enters the Firth of Forth
April 17, 1918 - Firth of Forth - Departs to escort a convoy
April 20, 1918 - Scapa Flow - Returns to base
April 24, 1918 - Scapa Flow - The squadron puts to sea to intercept the German High Seas Fleet
April 26, 1918 - Firth of Forth - The 6th Battle Squadron returns to base
June 9, 1918 - Firth of Forth - Departs with the 6th Battle Squadron to Scapa Flow
June 10, 1918 - Scapa Flow - The 6th Battle Squadron arrives in Scapa Flow
June 30, 1918 - North Sea - Escorting american minelayers
July 2, 1918 - Scapa Flow - Returns from the escort mission
July 8, 1918 - Firth of Forth - Returns to base with the 6th Battle Squadron
November 21, 1918 - Rosyth, Firth of Forth - Departs with the british and american warships that rendezvoused with the German fleet in the North Sea, 46 miles east of the Isle of May, and escorted it back to the Firth of Forth
December 4, 1918 - Portland, South England - The american warships arrive at Portland
December 12, 1918 - Portland - With the battleships that got underway from England to meet President Wilson, who was in the troopship George Washington
December 13, 1918 - Brest - Escorts the George Washington, which was taking President Wilson to Brest
December 14, 1918 - Brest - USS Texas departs to the United States
December 25, 1918 - Off Ambrose Light Station - Christmas off Ambrose Light Station
December 26, 1918 - New York - Returns to New York
March 9, 1919 - Guantanamo Bay, Cuba - USS Texas tests a flying-off platform when a british Sopwith Camel fighter takes off from the ship
May 1(?), 1919 - Between Newfoundland and the Azores - Guarding the way from Newfoundland and the Azores for the navy's attempt to fly seaplanes across the Atlantic
July 25, 1919 - Panama Canal - USS Texas passes through the Panama Canal to the Pacific Ocean
August 31, 1919 - Los Angeles - Three bosses of the navy, Secretary Daniels, Mary Pickford and Admiral Hugh Rodman, commander of the new Pacific Fleet, visit USS Texas in Los Angeles harbor, just after the ceremony at which Miss Pickford was made "little sister of the navy"; the title won by the film star as sponsor of the ship, which won the "Match the Navy" Victory Loan contest
November 1(?), 1919 - Seattle - Fleet Review at Seattle in honor of a visit by President Wilson
December 25, 1919 - San Francisco Harbor - Christmas in San Francisco Harbor
December 25, 1920 - San Francisco Harbor - Christmas in San Francisco Harbor
April 16, 1921 - San Pedro, California - Departs with the 6th Battleship Division
March 1, 1923 - Panama Bay (Pacific Ocean) - US Fleet in Panama Bay
January 16, 1924 - Panama Canal - USS Texas passes through the Panama Canal to the Atlantic Ocean
January 21, 1924 - Colon Harbor, Panama (Atlantic Ocean) - US Fleet in Colon Harbor
November 26, 1924 - off Virginia Capes, Virginia - USS Texas and USS New York sink the incomplete battleship "Washington"
July 31, 1925 - Norfolk, Virginia - USS Texas enters drydock in Norfolk Virginia for modernization
September 13, 1926 - Norfolk, Virginia - Leaves drydock
November 23, 1926 - Norfolk, Virginia - Major modernization is completed
August 29, 1927 - New York - Fire aboard. The ship has to return to New York
September 30(?), 1927 - Pacific Ocean - In the Pacific Ocean until early December
January 9, 1928 - Key West - USS Texas ready to take President Calvin Coolidge to Havana for the Pan-American Conference
January 15, 1928 - Havana, Cuba - USS Texas takes President Calvin Coolidge to Havana for the Pan-American Conference
February(?) 1(?), 1928 - Hawaii - Maneuvers with the fleet near Hawaii
November 25, 1928 - South Boston - At South Boston Dock

USS Texas, Panama Canal, 1929

January 17, 1929 - Panama Canal - USS Texas passes through the Panama Canal to the Atlantic Ocean
January 23(?), 1929 - New York - Returns to New York for her annual overhaul
March 1(?), 1929 - New York - Completes her annual overhaul
May 21, 1929 - Los Angeles - Retiring Admiral Henry A. Wiley speech to the crew
June 1(?), 1929 - Returns to the Atlantic
April 1(?), 1930 - New York - Escorts "Leviathan" to New York, the ship which carried the returning US delegation to the London Naval Conference
January 1(?), 1931 - New York - Departs to San Diego
April 1(?), 1934 - Atlantic Ocean - Redeployment to the Atlantic until October
June 24, 1934 - Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston - Experiences with seaplanes on catapults in the Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston
September 22, 1934 - Virgin Islands - Visit to the Virgin Islands
April 1(?), 1935 - Bremerton, Washington - Enters Bremerton Navy Yard to install birdbath platforms atop both masts
August 1(?), 1935 - Bremerton - Work completed
August 23, 1935 - San Diego - USS Texas participates on a parade of Battleships
June 21, 1937 - Panama Canal - USS Texas passes through the Panama Canal to the Atlantic Ocean
August 18, 1938 - Norfolk, Virginia - At Port
December 1(?), 1938 - New York(?) - Testing the first shipborne radar designed and made by a commercial company, RCA, for the US Navy, the 385MHz CXZ
April 13, 1939 - Norfolk, Virginia - USS Texas and USS New York arrive at Norfolk for naval maneuvers off Virginia capes
April 22, 1939 - New York - Arrives the Navy Yard
April 29, 1939 - Hudson River - The Atlantic Squadron steams up the Hudson River as part of the ceremonies of the opening of the World Fair
May 3, 1939 - New York - USS Texas and USS New York play their huge searchlights across the sky in New York
January 11, 1940 - Norfolk, Virginia - USS Texas, USS New York and USS Arkansas depart to Guantanamo Bay for exercises
February 1, 1941 - Culebra, Puerto Rico - Rear-Admiral Ernest J. King hoists his Commander-in-chief flag of the US Atlantic Fleet aboard USS Texas
February 1(?), 1941 - The US 1st Marine Division is activated aboard USS Texas
October 1(?), 1941 - USS Texas is one of fourteen ships to receive the RCA CXAM-1 radar
October 14, 1941 - Prentice Bay, Newfoundland - In Newfoundland
December 7, 1941 - Casco Bay, Maine - Undergoing a rest and relaxation period following 3 months of watch duty at Naval Station Argentia, Newfoundland
January 25, 1942 - Hvalfjord, Iceland - USS Texas arrives at Hvalfjord from Argentia, Newfoundland. HMS Victorious and HMS Renown are moored after returning from the search for the battleship "Bismarck"
July 1(?), 1942 - Clyde River, Scotland - At the Clyde
August 19, 1942 - Norfolk, Virginia - At the Norfolk Naval Yard
October 23, 1942 - Hampton Roads - Departs with Task Group 34.8 for Operation Torch (invasion of North Africa)
November 8, 1942 - Off Mehedia, Morocco - The warships arrive off Mehedia, Morocco. USS Texas enters the battle by firing upon a Vichy French Army ammunition dump near Port Lyautey
November 11, 1942 - Off Mehedia - Cease-fire
November 16, 1942 - Off Mehedia - Departs to the United States
March 15, 1943 - Norfolk, Virginia - Returns to Norfolk, Virginia
October 8, 1943 - New York - Begins escorting an Allied Convoy from New York to Great Britain
January 1(?), 1944 - Clyde River, Scotland - At the Clyde
January 25, 1944 - Boston Navy Yard - USS Texas enters Boston Navy Yard to install a new antenna
April 22, 1944 - Firth of Clyde, Scotland - USS Texas reaches the Firth of Clyde one last time and begins training for Operation Overlord with HMS Ramillies and HMS Rodney
April 29, 1944 - Belfast Lough, Northern Ireland - Relocates to Belfast Lough with USS Nevada and USS Arkansas
May 19, 1944 - Belfast Lough - General Eisenhower comes aboard USS Texas to speak to the crew
May 31, 1944 - Belfast Lough - The ship is sealed and a briefing given to the crew about the upcoming invasion
June 3, 1944 - Belfast Lough - USS Texas and the rest of the Western Taskforce depart to Normandy
June 4, 1944 - Off Lundy Island, Bristol Channel - For a while, the taskforce has to reverse course due to bad weather in Normandy, but later that day, continues to the invasion fleet gathering area
June 6, 1944 - 11km off Pointe-du-Hoc, Normandy - USS Texas begins a 34-minute bombardment of Pointe-du-Hoc and Exit D-1 (route to get inland from Western Omaha Beach
June 7, 1944 - 11km off Pointe-du-Hoc - USS Texas shells the towns of Formigny and Trévières
June 8, 1944 - 11km off Pointe-du-Hoc - USS Texas shells the towns of Isigny (shore battery) and Trévières once more
June 9(?), 1944 - Plymouth - Retires to Plymouth to rearm
June 11, 1944 - French Coast - Returns to the french coast from Plymouth
June 16, 1944 - French Coast - Combat operations in Normandy beyond the range of the ship's guns
June 18, 1944 - England - USS Texas leaves Normandy for England
June 25, 1944 - East of Cherbourg - Bombardment of Cherbourg. USS Texas is struck by a german 280mm shell, the ship's bridge is destroyed but only one sailor is killed. USS Texas destroys the Gun Battery Hamburg and another nearby battery
June 26(?), 1944 - Plymouth - Repairs at Plymouth
July 16, 1944 - Belfast Lough, Northern Ireland - Departs for the Mediterranean
July 21(?), 1944 - Gibraltar - Stop at Gibraltar
July 25(?), 1944 - Oran, Algeria - Stop at Oran, Algeria
July 27, 1944 - Taranto, Italy - USS Texas arrives at Taranto, Italy
August 11, 1944 - Taranto - Departs to rendezvous with 3 french destroyers off Bizerte, Tunisia
August 14, 1944 - Off Saint-Tropez - USS Texas arrives off Saint-Tropez
August 15, 1944 - Off Saint-Tropez - USS Texas is joined by USS Nevada and USS Philadelphia. Bombardment begins agains a battery of five 155mm guns. Heavy resistance is expected but never materializes
August 17, 1944 - Off Saint-Tropez - Departs to Palermo, Italy
August 20(?), 1944 - Palermo, Sicily - Stop at Palermo, Sicily
September(?) 7(?), 1944 - Palermo - USS Texas departs to the United States
September 14, 1944 - New York - USS Texas arrives at the New York Navy Yard for an overhaul
November 1(?), 1944 - Maine - Departs for the Pacific
December(?) 1(?), 1944 - Panama Canal - USS Texas passes through the Panama Canal to the Pacific Ocean
December 3, 1944 - San Pedro, California - Departs for Hawaii
December(?) 10(?), 1944 - Long Beach, California - Stop at Long Beach, California
December(?) 20(?), 1944 - Oahu, Hawaii - USS Texas arrives in Hawaii
December 25, 1944 - Pearl Harbor - Christmas in Pearl Harbor
February 10, 1945 - Ulithi Atoll, Caroline Islands - USS Texas departs Ulithi Atoll
February 16, 1945 - Off Iwo Jima - USS Texas arrives off Iwo Jima 3 days before the amphibious landings and begins pounding the japanese defenses
February 19, 1945 - Off Iwo Jima - USS Texas provides naval gunfire to the marines storming the beaches
March 7, 1945 - Iwo Jima - USS Texas departs from Iwo Jima
March 21, 1945 - Ulithi Atoll, Caroline Islands - USS Texas departs to Okinawa with Task Force 54
March 26, 1945 - Ryukyu Islands, Japan - Arrives in the Ryukyu Islands. Begins bombarding Okinawa on the same day
April 1, 1945 - Okinawa - The ground troops go ashore after 6 days of Bombardment
May 14, 1945 - Okinawa - USS Texas departs to the Philippines
May 17, 1945 - Leyte, Philippines - USS Texas arrives at Leyte in the Philippines
August 15, 1945 - (While in Leyte, Philippines) - Capitulation of the Japanese
August 25(?), 1945 - Okinawa - Returns to Okinawa
September 23, 1945 - Okinawa - Departs to the United States with homeward bound troops embarked as part of Operation Magic Carpet
October 15, 1945 - San Pedro, California - USS Texas delivers her passengers
October 27, 1945 - San Pedro - Celebrating Navy Day at San Pedro
November 1(?), 1945 - San Pedro - Oahu - Two round-trip voyages between California and Oahu
December 1(?), 1945 - Round-trip voyage between California and Oahu
January 21, 1946 - San Pedro, California - Departs to Norfolk, Virginia
January 25(?), 1946 - Panama Canal - USS Texas passes through the Panama Canal to the Atlantic Ocean
February 13, 1946 - Norfolk, Virginia - USS Texas arrives at Norfolk. Preparations begin for inactivation

USS Texas, San Jacinto, nowadays

June 18, 1946 - Baltimore - USS Texas is placed officially in reserve
April 17, 1947 - (While in Baltimore) - The Battleship Texas Commission is established by the Texas Legislature to care for the ship. The $225,000 necessary to pay for towing her from Baltimore to San Jacinto is the Commission's first task
March 17, 1948 - Baltimore - USS Texas begins her last journey to her new anchorage
April 20, 1948 - San Jacinto State Park, Texas - USS Texas arrives to her new anchorage in San Jacinto State Park, Texas
April 21, 1948 - San Jacinto State Park - Turned over to the State of Texas to serve as permanent memorial
April 30, 1948 - San Jacinto State Park - Her name is struck from the Naval Vessel Register =(END)

Leonard Lomell | Timeline

Leonard G. "Bud" Lomell (January 22, 1920 – March 1, 2011) was a highly decorated former United States Army Ranger who served in World War II. He is best known for his actions in the first hours of D-Day at Pointe du Hoc on the coast of Normandy, France. Pointe du Hoc was the site of the German Army's largest coastal weapons, five 155-millimeter German guns with a 25-kilometer range that endangered the tens of thousands of troops landing on Omaha Beach and Utah Beach, and thousands of watercraft in the English Channel supporting the Normandy invasion. Unbeknownst to the Allied intelligence, the Germans had concealed the guns in an orchard, but left them operational and ready to fire. Through skill, courage and "pure luck," Lomell found and quickly disabled all five guns. Lomell was recognized by historian Stephen Ambrose as the single individual — other than Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower — most responsible for the success of D-Day. Six months later, in the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, he would again distinguish himself, earning a Silver Star for his heroism and leadership as the 2nd Ranger Battalion captured and held Hill 400. After the war he returned to Ocean County, New Jersey, becoming an attorney in Toms River. (Intro from Wikipedia)

January 22, 1920 - Brooklyn, New York - Leonard Lommel is born

January(?) 1(?), 1937 - Point Pleasant Beach - Graduates from High School

June 1(?), 1941 - Athens, Tennessee - Graduates from Tennessee Wesleyan College

January(?) 1(?), 1942 - ? - Joins the army - 76th Infantry Division

April 1(?), 1943 - Camp Forrest, Tennessee - 2nd Ranger Battalion is formed =(START)

September 4, 1943 - Ft.Pierce, Florida - 2nd Rangers starts amphibious assault training for Operation Neptune

September 16, 1943 - Ft.Pierce - A long line of trucks arrives to take the 2nd Rangers to Fort Pierce Railhead

September 18, 1943 - Fort Dix, New Jersey - The train arrives at Fort Dix, New Jersey

November 21, 1943 - Manhattan, New York - The battalion arrives by train in Manhattan
November 23, 1943 - Pier 94, Manhattan - The "RMS Queen Elizabeth" departs to Scotland
December 1, 1943 - Greenock, Scotland - The "RMS Queen Elizabeth" Arrives in Scotland  (sources differ from 29/11 to 1/12)
December 2, 1943 - Bude - Cornwall North Coast
January 29, 1944 - Tichtfield - Training with british commandos
February 1, 1944 - Isle of Wight - Cliff exercises
February 14, 1944 - Bude
April 29, 1944 - Dorchester
June 5, 1944 - Weymouth - The Rangers leave Weymouth on board the Channel Steamer "Amsterdam"

“Vital Assault” by artist Simon Smith,
depicting Rangers climbing Pointe du Hoc.
(aviationarthangar.com)

June 6, 1944 - Pointe-du-Hoc, Normandy - The rangers are transfered to the LCI HMS Ben Machree for the last 10-miles to Pointe du Hoc. Lomell leads a platoon of Rangers, climbing hand-over-over hand by rope up the Point-du-Hoc cliffs. One km inland, he and sergeant Jack Kuhn destroy 5 german 155mm batteries
June 8, 1944 - Pointe-du-Hoc - Held 2 days against german counterattacks until relieved
June 9, 1944 - Osmanville
June 16, 1944 - Colombières
July 3, 1944 - Beaumont-Hague - Training and Resting
August 12, 1944 - Buais
August 13, 1944 - East Mayenne - Guarding bridges across the Mayenne River
August 19, 1944 - Le Folgoët - Moves out
September 7, 1944 - Brest - Le Conquet Road
September 10, 1944 - Kerlogue - Town captured
September 18, 1944 - Brest - German garrison surrendered -  Herman Ramcke
September 20, 1944 - Kerbilbren
September 26, 1944 - Landerneau
September 28, 1944 - Landerneau - Starts moving to Belgium on Boxcars
October 3, 1944 - Arlon - Arrives in Belgium
October 20, 1944 - Esch, Luxembourg
November 3, 1944 - Raeren, Belgium
November 14, 1944 - Vossenack, Germany - Holds the defensive line
November 19, 1944 - Hürtzgen Forest
December 6, 1944 - Brandenburg Area - The 2nd Ranger Battalion moves to the assembly aea near Brandenburg in the Hürtgen Forest
December 7, 1944 - Hill 400 - 1 km east of Bergstein - Battle of Hürtgen Forest
December 9, 1944 - Hill 400 - The Rangers are relieved by the 8th Infantry Division
December 16, 1944 - Simmerath - The Rangers are put on the line with the 78th Infantry Division
January 8, 1945 - Schmidthof
February 10, 1945 - Schwammenauel Dam - Schwammenauel Dam taken - impossible to flood the forest
February 23, 1945 - Bereborn - Training with the Cavalry
March 1, 1945 - Ruhrberg Area - across Roer River - Called for the Ruhrberg Area
March 2, 1945 - Rurberg Area - Moves out
March 3, 1945 - Wolfgarten - Moves out
March 5, 1945 - Rissdorf - Moves out
March 7, 1945 - Vischel - Moves out
March 8, 1945 - Mayschoss - Moves out
March 9, 1945 - Ahrweiler - Moves out
March 26, 1945 - Wallendar - Moves out
March 28, 1945 - Dietz - Moves out
March 29, 1945 - Wolfenhausen - Moves out
April 1, 1945 - Fritzlar Airfield - Moves out - secures airfield
April 30, 1945 - Grafenwöhr - Moves out
May 1, 1945 - Pilsen (Plzen), Czechoslovakia - Moves out
May 8, 1945 - Pilsen (Plzen), czechoslovakia - At Pilsen when VE Day is declared
October 5, 1945 - Pilsen (Plzen) - The Battalion receives orders to move to the vicinity of Reims, France
October 8, 1945 - Vicinity of Reims, France - Arrival at the vicinity of Reims after a 3-day trip on french boxcars
October 12, 1945 - Le Havre - After 4 days, the battalion is taken on trucks to Camp Lucky Strike, near the port of Le Havre
October 16, 1945 - Le Havre - The 2nd Ranger Battalion boards the "USS West Point" (formerly the luxury ocean liner "SS America") as an organic unit
October 20, 1945 - Newport News, Virginia - The "USS West Point" arrives in the US in only 4 days in gale-force winds and high seas
October 23, 1945 - Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia (Newport News) - The 2nd Ranger Battalion is ordered to deactivate. The soldiers begin heading home
December 9, 1945 - New Jersey(?) - Honorably discharged
June 6, 1946 - New Jersey(?) - Marries Charlotte Ewart
January(?) 1(?), 1951 - Philadelphia | New Jersey - Finishes courses in La Salle and Rutgers Universities
January(?) 1(?), 1957 - Toms River, New Jersey - Lomell starts an attorney company Lomell, Muccifori, Adler, Ravaschiere & Amabile
June 6, 1984 - Pointe du Hoc, Normandy - Reagan delivers a speech at a ceremony commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Normandy landings
January(?) 1(?), 1989 - Hill 400 - 1 km east of Bergstein - Returns to Hürtgen Forest. Meets a group of young german officers
July 13, 1998 - ? - Interviewed by Newsweek Magazine
December 4, 1999 - Point Pleasant Beach - Inauguration of a monument to Lomell in Veterans Park
January(?) 1(?), 2005 - West Point, River Hudson, New York - Lomell is awarded the Order of St.Maurice at the West Point Infantry Ball
January(?) 1(?), 2007 - Long Branch - Lomell is awarded an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from Monmouth University
December 7, 2007 - Toms River - Lomell is awarded the Silver Star, 63 years after destroying the german guns
March 1, 2011 - Toms River - Leonard Lomell dies, aged 91 =(END)

Bibliography
BLACK, Robert W. - "The Battalion:  The Dramatic Story of the 2nd Ranger Battalion in WWII"

Richard Winters | Timeline

Richard Davis Winters (January 21, 1918 – January 2, 2011) was an officer of the United States Army and a decorated war veteran. He is best known for having commanded Easy Company of the 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the 101st Airborne Division, during World War II. He was eventually promoted to major and put in command of the 2nd Battalion.
As first lieutenant, Winters parachuted into Normandy in the early hours of D-Day, June 6, 1944, and later fought across France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and eventually Germany. After the German surrender in May 1945, he left the 506th and was stationed in France, where senior officers were needed to oversee the return home. In 1951, during the Korean War, Winters was recalled to the Army from the inactive list and briefly served as a regimental planning and training officer on staff at Fort Dix, New Jersey. Winters was issued orders for deployment and was preparing to depart for Korea, but instead left the Army under a provision that allowed officers who had served in World War II but had been inactive since to resign their commission.
Winters was discharged from the Army and returned to civilian life, working first in New Jersey and later in Pennsylvania, where he set up his own company selling chocolate byproducts from The Hershey Company to producers of animal feed. He was a regular guest lecturer at the United States Military Academy at West Point until his retirement in 1997.
Winters was featured in a number of books and was portrayed by English actor Damian Lewis in the 2001 HBO mini-series Band of Brothers. (Intro from Wikipedia)

January 21, 1918 - New Holland, Pennsylvania - Richard Davis Winters is born
June(?), 1(?), 1926 - Lancaster, Pennsylvania - The Winters family moves to Lancaster, Pennsylvania
July(?) 1(?), 1937 - Lancaster - Graduates from Lancaster Boys High School
June 1(?), 1941 - Lancaster - Graduates from Franklin and Marshall College in business and earns a bachelor's degree in science and economics
August 25, 1941 - Camp Croft, South Carolina - Winters enlists in the United States Army =(START)
April 1(?), 1942 - Fort Benning, Georgia - Selected to attend Officer Candidate School (OCS)
July 1, 1942 - (While at Fort Benning, Georgia) - Company E, 2nd Battalion, 506th PIR, known as "Easy Company" is formed at Camp Toccoa, Georgia
July 2, 1942 - Fort Benning - Commissioned as a second lieutenant in the infantry after graduating from OCS
July 20, 1942 - (While at Fort Benning, Georgia) - The 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment is officially activated, under Lt.Colonel Robert Sink
August 15(?), 1942 - Camp Toccoa, Georgia - Receives orders to join the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (506th PIR) under Colonel Robert Sink. He is assigned to Company E, 2nd Battalion, 506th PIR, known as "Easy Company", under First Lieutenant Herbert Sobel
October 1(?), 1942 - Camp Toccoa - Winters is promoted to First Lieutenant and made acting company executive officer
December 1, 1942 - Camp Toccoa - Easy Company begins a 118 miles field march to Atlanta
December 4, 1942 - Atlanta - Easy company arrives at Atlanta
December 10(?), 1942 - Fort Benning, Georgia - "Easy Company" begins jump training at Fort Benning, Georgia
March 1(?), 1943 - Camp Mackall, North Carolina - Tactical training intensifies at Camp Mackall, North Carolina

Winters at Camp Mackall, 1943
(Colorised by Johhny Sirlande)

June 10, 1943 - Camp Mackall - The 506th PIR is attached to Major General William Lee's 101st "Screaming Eagles" Airborne Division
August 22, 1943 - Camp Shanks, N. of New York City - The 101st Airborne boards trains and heads to Camp Shanks, 30 miles north of New York City
September 3, 1943 - New York City - After 15 months of training, Easy Company boards the transport ship "S.S. Samaria", bound for England
September 15, 1943 - Liverpool, England - Easy Company arrives at Liverpool in the "S.S. Samaria"
September 17, 1943 - Aldbourne, Wiltshire - Training continues in England
October 30, 1943 - Aldbourne - Winters requires trial by Court Martial when accused of failure to inspect the latrine at the hour that Captain Sobel gave orders to
December 13, 1943 - Aldbourne - First Night jump
March 23, 1944 - Aldbourne - The 2nd and 3rd Battalion of the 506th PIR make a combined jump during an inspection by Prime-minister Churchill, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Omar Bradley and Gen. Maxwell Taylor
May 9, 1944 - Upottery - Rehearsals for the D-Day start, code name "Operation Eagle"
June 2, 1944 - Upottery - The company officers are briefed by Lt.Nixon and Cap.Hester about the details of the drop sites
June 5, 1944 - Upottery - Easy Company rolls down the runway in their C-47 transport aircraft to cross the English Channel
June 6, 1944 - Le Grand Chemin (N. Ste-Marie-du-Mont), France - "D-Day": Winters parachutes over Cotentin Peninsula, Normandy. Due to heavy german "flak" and cloudy sky, the jump planes are scattered and most of the paratroopers land far from their designated drop zones. Later in the day, Winters leads the "Brécourt Manor Assault", disabling 4 german howitzers, killing 20 germans and capturing other 12. First Lieutenant Richard Winters is awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
June 10, 1944 - NE of Carentan - The 101st Airborne links up with the 29th Division coming from Omaha beach. The beachhead is secure
June 12, 1944 - Carentan - The 101st Airborne enters the town of Carentan after two days of heavy fighting
June 13, 1944 - Manoir de Donville, Méautis, SW Carentan - Battle of Bloody Gulch (Part of the Battle of Carentan) - the germans are forced to withraw
June 29, 1944 - ? - The 83rd Infantry Division arrives to relieve the 101st Airborne
July 1, 1944 - Cherbourg - Winters is promoted to Captain
July 2, 1944 - Cherbourg - Winters is presented with the Distinguished Service Cross by General Omar Bradley

Winters at Schoonderlogt

July 10, 1944 - Utah Beach, Normandy, France - Easy Company moves to Utah Beach for debarkation back to England
July 11, 1944 - Utah Beach - After camping for one night, Easy Company climbs aboard a Landing Ship Tank to England
July 12, 1944 - Southampton - Easy Company returns to England
July 13, 1944 - Aldbourne, Wiltshire - Easy Company returns to Aldbourne by train to rest and get replacements
July 14, 1944 - Aldbourne - Lecture to the company "about keeping their feet on the ground and avoiding trouble while they were on furlough"
August 10, 1944 - Aldbourne - General Eisenhower inspects the 101st Airborne
August 19, 1944 - Membury, near Aldbourne - A parachute drop over Chartres is cancelled when General Patton's tanks take the DZ
August 29, 1944 - Aldbourne - Memorial service for the men killed in Normandy
September 1, 1944 - Membury - A parachute drop over Tournai, Belgium, is cancelled when the Guards Armored Division of the British Second Army captures the city
September 14, 1944 - Membury - Easy Company takes buses to Membury Airfield
September 15, 1944 - Membury - Briefing for Operation Market Garden
September 17, 1944 - NW Son (N. Eindhoven) - Parachutes to Holland
September 19, 1944 - Nuenen | Tongelre - Easy company moves to Helmond, riding on the backs of the British Hussars' Cromwell tanks. On the way to Helmond, at Nuenen, they are attacked by the germans and forced to retreat to Tongelre, Eindhoven
September 21, 1944 - Veghel | Uden - Easy company is moved on trucks to Uden, to defend the town against a Panzer attack. At Veghel, the germans attack and the luftwaffe strafes half of the company. Those who arrive at Uden are also attacked. Both separated groups of the company assume the other was annihilated
September 24, 1944 - Uden - There is elation at Uden when both Easy Company groups reunite after surviving the german attacks unscathed
September 25, 1944 - South of Veghel - Colonel Sink orders an attack to the westwards south of Veghel to eliminate a german salient. Easy company is held by an entrenched King Tiger that destroys a few british support shermans
September 26, 1944 - Uden - The germans withraw from the salient. Easy Company returns to Uden
October 2, 1944 - Zetten, "Island" between Waal River and the Rhine - The company is moved by truck to the village of Zetten, in an area known as "The Island", to hold a static defensive line in Holland
October 5, 1944 - "Island" between Waal River and the Rhine - 2 waffen-SS companies routed (50 killed, 11 captured and 100 wounded)
October 9, 1944 - "Island" between Waal River and the Rhine - Richard Winters becomes the battalion executive officer, following the death of the battalion's former executive officer, Major Oliver Horton (Opheusden, October 5th). He is replaced by 1st Lieutenant Fred "Moose" Heyliger
October 17, 1944 - Schoonderlogt, Holland - Schoonderlogt Farm becomes the HQ of the 506th PIR. Winters and Nixon are summoned by Colonel Sink
October 22, 1944 - Renkum (Arnhem) - 125 british paratroopers under Colonel Dobey evacuated (aswell as 5 american pilots and 10 dutch resistance fighters)
October 28, 1944 - Driel - Easy company is positioned at Driel, on the right flank of the 506th PIR
October 31, 1944 - Driel - While walking along a train track with "Moose" Heyliger, giving him counsel, an american sentry accidentally shoots Heylinger
November 26, 1944 - Mourmelon-le-Grand, SE of Reims, France - The Company is pulled off line on November 24th and sent in trucks to France for rest and recuperation
December 1, 1944 - Reims - Every paratrooper of Easy Company gets a pass to Reims, where they mix with the men of the 82nd Airborne
December 6(?), 1944 - Paris - Winters gets a pass to visit Paris. He rides to the end of the metro line on the last run of the day. After spending the night at an hotel and enjoying an hot bath, he returns to Mourmelon by train the next day
December 10, 1944 - Mourmelon-le-Grand - Letter from "Moose" Heyliger, recovering in hospital
December 16, 1944 - Mourmelon-le-Grand - All passes are revoked. Easy Company is informed that a major german offensive has started
December 18, 1944 - Outside Bastogne, Belgium - Short of supplies and ammunition and lacking winter clothes, Easy Company is "truck lifted" to the vicinity of Bastogne, Belgium, to establish a defense ring around the town. When the paratroopers jump out of the trucks, they see streams of defeated american soldiers fleeing from the front. The germans complete the encirclement of Bastogne when Easy Company approaches Foy
December 19, 1944 - Bois Jacques, South of Foy - Easy Company takes positions in foxholes south of Foy as part of the defense of Bastogne
December 20, 1944 - Bois Jacques, South of Foy - Dense fog. Winters captures an unarmed german soldier with pants pulled down, relieving himself near his foxhole
December 22, 1944 - Bois Jacques, South of Foy - The germans offer to accept the surrender of the 101st. General McAuliffe reply to the germans is: "Nuts"
December 23, 1944 - Bois Jacques, South of Foy - It stops snowing and the sky clear enough for the C-47s to drop some badly needed supplies and ammo
December 26, 1944 - Bastogne perimeter - Patton's 3rd Army, spearheaded by Lt.Col. Creighton Abrams, breaks through to the "battered bastards of Bastogne". No longer surrounded, the 101st is able to evacuate the wounded to the rear and resupply
December 29, 1944 - Bois Jacques, South of Foy - The weather clears and Easy Company is able to see Foy for the first time
January 2, 1945 - Foy-Bizory road, South of Foy - Easy Company takes the offensive
January 3, 1945 - Bois Jacques, in sight of Foy - The germans shell Easy Company's positions, causing a number of casualties and wounded
January 5, 1945 - South of Foy - In danger of breaking down, Easy Company is pulled back to regimental reserve. 1st Sergeant Lipton complains to Winters about Lt.Dike's lack of actions
January 9, 1945 - West of Foy - Easy Company clears the woods west of Foy
January 13, 1945 - Foy - Easy Company assaults Foy. Winters orders Lt.Speirs to relieve Lt.Dike due the casualties caused by his inaction. The town is taken and some 100 germans (mostly wounded) surrender
January 14, 1945 - South of Foy - 506th PIR is moved to divisional reserves
January 15, 1945 - Noville - Easy Company captures Noville and sets up a perimeter defense
January 16, 1945 - Rachamps - Easy Company captures Rachamps. Lt.Speirs establishes his command post in a convent. That night the nuns bring a choir of girls to sing for the Company
January 17, 1945 - Rachamps - After being relieved by the 17th Airborne Division, the 101st Airborne is moved on trucks to Alsace
January 20, 1945 - Drulingen - On the way to Alsace, the convoy passes Nancy and reaches Drulingen, where the Company stays for the night
February 5, 1945 - Haguenau, Alsace - The 506th PIR relieves the 313th Infantry of the 79th Division in the city of Haguenau
February 15, 1945 - Haguenau - Winters orders a patrol to cross the river and bring german prisoners
February 16, 1945 - Haguenau - Winters calls Sgt.Lipton to HQ to present his honorable discharge as an enlisted man and orders awarding him a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant
February 17, 1945 - Haguenau - Colonel Sink orders another patrol to cross the river and bring more prisoners. With fresh white snow and moonlight, Winters decides that the mission is suicidal, and orders the men to stay still, reporting to Sink on the next day that they had crossed the river but found no prisoners
February 20, 1945 - Haguenau - Easy Company is moved to the reserve. Winters is promoted to Major. Hours later, their command post in Haguenau takes a direct hit from german artillery
February 23, 1945 - Saverne - The 101st Airborne moves to Saverne
February 25, 1945 - Mourmelon-le-Grand, SE of Reims, France - Easy company is pulled off the line and moved to Mourmelon-le-Grand
March 8, 1945 - Mourmelon-le-Grand - Winters becomes Commanding Officer of the 2nd Battalion
March 15, 1945 - Mourmelon-le-Grand - Division parade before General Eisenhower and General Taylor
April 1(?), 1945 - Stürzelberg (Between Düsseldorf and Dormagen) - Easy Company is deployed to the Ruhr Pocket, facing Stürzelberg
April 8, 1945 - Stürzelberg - Winters orders a patrol to the other side of the river
April 11, 1945 - Thalem (Stürzelberg? Dormagen?) - Easy Company surveys the destroyed town while some residents play Beethoven on violins
April 18, 1945 - Dormagen - As 325,000 german soldiers surrender, Easy Company is put to guarding a Displaced Persons' camp at Dormagen
April 22, 1945 - Dormagen - Easy Company boards trains to Bavaria
April 29, 1945 - Buchloe, near Landsberg - The Company stops for the night at Buchloe, in the foothills of the Alps. From there they see the Kaufering concentration camp complex of Landsberg am Lech
April 30, 1945 - Landsberg am Lech, Bavaria - The people of Landsberg is marched to the concentration camp to clean the place and bury the corpses
May 1, 1945 - Munich - Easy Company reaches Munich, then begins moving south through columns of german soldiers walking in the opposite direction
May 4, 1945 - Bad Reichenhall - Easy Company passes Rosenheim and Prien am Chiemsee, on the Munich-Salzburg Autobahn, spending the night at Bad Reichenhall due to to a blown bridge
May 5, 1945 - Berchtesgaden | Berghof - Easy company reaches the alpine retreat of Berchtesgaden
May 6, 1945 - Berchtesgaden - Winters finds Göring's Officers Quarters and Club. It included a cellar with more than 10,000 bottles
May 7, 1945 - Berchtesgaden - Winters takes Cpt.Nixon, an alcoholic, to the cellar
May 8, 1945 - Berchtesgaden - At night, Easy Company moves out to Austria, for occupation duties
May 9, 1945 - Zell am See, Austria - The convoy arrives at Zell am See in the morning. Winters sets up Command Post at Kaprun, 4km south of Zell am See
May 26, 1945 - Zell am See - Winters informs General Chapman of his desire to transfer to the 13th Airborne Division in the Pacific
June 15(?), 1945 - Zell am See - General Maxwell Taylor announces that the 101st Airborne will deploy to the Pacific
June 28, 1945 - Kaprun, Austria - Most of the original Toccoa men say goodbye to Winters before returning to the US
July 30(?), 1945 - Kaprun - Departs to Joigny, France

August 14, 1945 - Joigny, France - Japan surrenders. Plans to fight in the Pacific are cancelled
September 2, 1945 - Joigny - Japan signs the documents of surrender. Many officers board planes to the US
September 20, 1945 - Joigny - Parachute jump
November 1, 1945 - Marseille - Winters reaches Marseille after a 2-day train trip
November 4, 1945 - Marseille - Winters embarks aboard the "Wooster Victory" to the United States
November 20, 1945 - New York City - The "Wooster Victory" arrives to the United States
November 25, 1945 - Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania - Winters arrives at Indiantown Gap by train and calls his parents
November 29, 1945 - Indiantown Gap - Separated from the Army
November 30, 1945 - Northern Pennsylvania - Winters goes deer hunting with neighbours
December 5(?), 1945 - New York City - Winters travels to New York to meet Lewis Nixon's parents. Nixon's father offers Winters a job
January 22, 1946 - New York City(?) - Officially discharged
January 25(?), 1946 - Edison, New Jersey - Working for Nixon Nitration Works
July 30, 1946 - (While in New Jersey?) - His father, Richard Nagle Winters, dies aged 54
May 16, 1948 - New Brunswick - Winters marries Ethel Estoppey
January(?) 1(?), 1950 - Edison, New Jersey - Winters becomes general manager of Nixon Nitration Works
June 1(?), 1951 - Fort Dix, New Jersey - Recalled to active duty in the Army during the Korean War and was initially ordered to join the 11th Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky but it was changed to Fort Dix, New Jersey, where he was assigned as a regimental planning and training officer
December
January 3, 1952 - Fort Dix, New Jersey - Winters becomes Major Richard Winters again in the US Army Reserve
September 22, 1952 - Fort Lawton, Washington - In Fort Lawton, Washington, trying to convince General McAuliffe not to send him to Korea
April 1, 1953 - Seattle(?) - Honorable discharge from the US Army
May(?) 1(?), 1953(?) - New Brunswick - Returns to New Jersey where he becomes a production supervisor at a plastics adhesive business in New Brunswick
January(?) 1(?), 1955 - Lebanon, Pennsylvania - Winters quits New Jersey and lands a job with Whitmore Laboratories
January(?) 1(?), 1972 - Hershey, Pennsylvania - He goes into business for himself, starting his own company selling chocolate byproducts from The Hershey Company to producers of animal feed
January(?) 1(?), 1980 - Nashville - Easy Company reunion at Nashville
January(?) 1(?), 1981 - San Diego - Easy Company reunion at San Diego
September 1(?), 1987 - Paris - Returns to Europe for the first time since WW2 with Walter Gordon
January(?) 1(?), 1988 - New Orleans - Easy Company reunion at New Orleans. The veterans meet historian Stephen Ambrose
January(?) 1(?), 1989 - Paris(?) - Members of Easy Company travel with "Band of Brothers" author Stephen Ambrose to various sites where they had fought in Europe
February 1(?), 1990 - Pass Christian, Mississippi - Visit to Walter Gordon with Carwood Lipton
May 1(?), 1990 - Orlando, Florida - Easy Company reunion at Orlando, Florida
July 1(?), 1990 - Hershey, Pennsylvania - Four days of interviews with Stephen E. Ambrose
June 22, 1991 - Aldbourne, Wiltshire - Winters, Lipton and Malarkey return to Aldbourne for the first time after WW2, with historian Stephen E. Ambrose
July 1(?), 1991 - Foy, Belgium - Visit to the site of the assault to Foy
January(?) 1(?), 1997 - Hershey, Pennsylvania - Retires and relocates to Hershey, Pennsylvania
April 6, 1998 - West Point, River Hudson, New York - Travels to the U.S. Military Academy to address the Corps of Cadets on the topic of frontline leadership during World War II
April 12, 1998 - Hershey, Pennsylvania - On Easter Sunday in 1998, Winters experiences a bad fall that results in him landing on the back of his neck and suffering a mild concussion
June 1, 2001 - New York City - Easy Company meeting at the Waldorf Astoria
June 2, 2001 - Paris - Charter flight to Paris with HBO Band of Brothers cast
June 6, 2001 - Utah Beach, Normandy - Train to Carentan, then bus to Utah Beach. Winters is one of the 47 veterans who attend the premiere of HBO's series "Band of Brothers"
June 7, 2001 - Paris - Farewell dinner
June 8, 2001 - New York City - Charter flight to New York City

Winters and Tom Hanks, 2002

September 22, 2002 - Los Angeles - 54th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, Ca 
October 9, 2002 - Phoenix, Arizona - Easy Company reunion at Phoenix (until October 13th)
January 21, 2003 - Hershey, Pennsylvania - The 506th Regimental Flag with its WWII Battle Streamers is presented to him for his 85th birthday
November 29, 2003 - Hershey - Thanksgiving dinner with author Cole C. Kingseed
September 1(?), 2004 - Carlisle, Pennsylvania - Speaks and presents some of his personal papers at a ceremony
January 20, 2006 - Hershey, Pennsylvania - Winters receives a package with his published memories: "Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters," co-written by military historian and retired U.S. Army Colonel Cole C. Kingseed
October 1(?), 2007 - Hershey - Dick Winters introduces President George W. Bush to a crowd of about 20,000 during a rally in 2004 at Hersheypark Stadium in Derry Township.
May 16, 2009 - Franklin and Marshall College conferred an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters upon him
January 2, 2011 - Palmyra, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania - Richard Winters dies from complications of Parkinson's disease, aged 92 =(END)

Bibliography
AMBROSE, Stephen E. - "Band of Brothers"
WINTERS, Dick - "Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters"