William 'Bill' Guarnere

Actor · 1923 – 2014 · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

William J. “Wild Bill” Guarnere (April 28, 1923 – March 8, 2014) was an American Army non-commissioned officer and World War II veteran. He served as a Staff Sergeant with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, and was one of the original members of the company trained at Camp Toccoa, Georgia. Born in South Philadelphia, Guarnere enlisted in the U.S. Army on August 31, 1942, and joined Easy Company at Camp Toccoa. He completed airborne training and deployed to England in preparation for the Allied invasion of Normandy. Guarnere made his first combat jump on D-Day, June 6, 1944, and participated in the Battle of Normandy and Operation Market Garden. During the latter, he was wounded by a sniper while riding a motorcycle but later returned to Easy Company in time to participate in the Battle of the Bulge. In January 1945, Guarnere lost his right leg during an artillery barrage while attempting to help his wounded friend, Joe Toye. He was subsequently evacuated and discharged from the Army. For his wartime service, Guarnere received the Silver Star, Bronze Star Medals, and Purple Hearts. After the war, he worked a variety of jobs and remained active in veterans’ organizations and Easy Company reunions. He co-authored the 2007 memoir Brothers in Battle, Best of Friends with fellow Easy Company veteran Edward “Babe” Heffron and journalist Robyn Post. Guarnere’s experiences were featured in Stephen E. Ambrose’s book Band of Brothers and its 2001 HBO miniseries adaptation, in which he was portrayed by Frank John Hughes. Guarnere died on March 8, 2014, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the age of 90.