192 Old
Forge Road
Pine Grove, PA 17963
March 15, 2001
Honorable
Colin Powell
1317 Ballentrose Road
McLean, VA 2101
Dear Mr.
Secretary:
From our
family to yours, sincere and heartfelt
congratulations on your appointment to Secretary
of State. We are thrilled to see honor and
decency return to our nation's Capitol. He assured
that you will always be in our prayers.
Perhaps
you will think it extremely presumptuous of me to
send a personally autographed book from Dr Ambrose
knowing that you could obtain the same in a
heartbeat,. Honesty, however, dictators that I tell
you this book was originally intended for a very
dear friend of mine by the same last name.
Perhaps I faxed to properly communicate with Dr.
Ambrose, but to me it seemed like Divine
intervention.
Frankly
sir, I need your help or direction. I'm trying to
secure a well deserved Medal Of Honor for Major
Richard Winters, "E" Co, 506th PIR 101st
Airborne, whose leadership inspired the book "Band
of Brothers" which was written by Dr. Stephen
Ambrose. As I'm sure you know, Major Winters knocked
out the four 105mm artillery pieces that were
decimating our troops landing on D-Day. This heroic
action is well documented and I have notarized
witness accounts from two of the 101st
soldiers who participated in the action under Major
Winters' leadership.
No
doubt you are also aware that General Taylor said
there would only he ONE NUN for the 0-Day action,
and that medal went to LTC Cole who led a heroic
bayonet charge. This resulted in Major Winters
receiving the DSC instead of the MOH, which he
probably earned three times at Normandy, Holland,
and Bastone.
I have
been quite frustrated in my efforts to obtain
information from the original citation (DA 638) in
order to submit the necessary documentation for a
review and re-consideration of this award. I truly
believe that if this case were to receive a
"top-down" directed review, Major Winters would
receive the MDII, which he justly deserves for his
service and heroic action.
Major
Winters is 84 years old and in good health, hut we
don't know how long any of us have to complete this
most important work.
As
former member of the 101st Airborne, this is a great
opportunely for you to help a deserving World War
11 veteran, as you did for another heroic soldier,
Master Sergeant Roy Benavidcz.
of
course I was hesitant to write to someone of your
stature and importance, recognizing that you have
duties arid responsibilities of enormous scope.
However, I also know that it is men like Major Dick
Winters who made it possible for the freedom we all
enjoy.
Thank
you for your consideration or this most important
matter,
Sincerely,
Herman
W. Clemems
SGM PLUS. Retired
