William 'Bill' Guarnere

Biography

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...