If any of y'all watched the Band of Brothers miniseries on HBO or read the book, you know who Carwood Lipton is...one of Easy Company's NCOs who wound up getting a battlefield comission to 2LT.
He died at 81 a couple weeks ago of lung disease.  
I feel a bit of our history passing away with each member of the WW2 generation that dies...

Well, that sucks and it's true, he was a piece of history. By the time my kids are grown there won't be anyone alive that fought in WWII anymore.

As a side note, I really liked the show, I think it was one of the best miniseries ever. I think it's pretty cool that it was all based on mostly historical accounts.

Thanks RikWriter for letting us know.

Here in Canada a guy is running around the courtry at VET hospitals interviewing the men about their war time experiences and getting it all on tape for future generations.

Is there a similar program in the USA?

On a side note. I read the book Band of Brothers after watching the mini series. Gotta say the book was better if you can believe it. In the back of the book where they did short biographies. Capt. Winters mentioned in his that one of his men made him a full auto Garand by some filing. Capt. Winters asked him after the war to make him one and the guy couldn't remember. I guess you can make anything full auto. Don't flame me I have no intention of trying.

Something that I find even more amazing than that was the Pedersen device that converted the 1903 Bolt Action rifle into a 40rd magazine fed semi auto in .30 Cal.

Now if I could only find one really cheap![:)]

(edited for spelling)

Here's an article about it.

[url]http://www.fayettevillenc.com/obj_stories/2001/dec/n18band.shtml[/url]

Carwood Lipton was a superb soldier and a fine leader of men in combat.  He epitomized the greatness of Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division.

When Doctor Ambrose writes of the greatness of Easy company, the key reason he cites for their many successes is the very high quality of the NCOs.  Throughout the war, in Easy company and innumerable other units like Easy in the Army and Marine Corps, it was the NCOs that kept the units going as an effective fighting unit often in spite of terrible losses, poor officers, and the most intensive combat ever experienced.  They were the ones who were there all the time.  The officers would get killed, promoted up and out, or fired for incompetence; raw replacements would be ordered in, but this core of great NCOs were always there...the steading factor and the glue that held the unit together.

Carwood Lipton was the best of the best.  I admire him all the more because he was a mustang.  The country is poorer for his passing.  He has finally rejoined his unit in peace.  He will be remembered.

CURAHEE!

[USA]

It can not be said any better then that!  

Is there anyone else, besides myself, who gets bent outta shape when the talking heads ramble on and on about the death of some stinking, oxygen theif celebrity who did absolutely nothing good for this great country of ours, but [b]NEVER[/b] mentions when a true American Hero passes away.  The networks always have time to remind us it's (insert any/several worthless shitbag Hollywierd celebrity name) damn birthday though.[pissed]