William Guarnere

William "Wild Bill" Guarnere: A Fearless Warrior of Easy Company

William "Wild Bill" Guarnere was born in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 28, 1923. He was the youngest of ten children born to Joseph and Augusta Guarnere, who were of Italian descent. On August 31, 1942, Guarnere enlisted in the U.S. Army and began training at Camp Toccoa, Georgia. He was assigned to Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division.

D-Day and the Fight in Normandy

Guarnere made his first combat jump on D-Day as part of the Allied invasion of France. His fearless and aggressive nature on the battlefield earned him the nickname "Wild Bill." He held a deep resentment toward the Germans after his older brother, Henry Guarnere, was killed in action during the Italian campaign at Monte Cassino.

In the early hours of June 6, 1944, Guarnere joined Lieutenant Richard Winters and a small group of men in an effort to secure the village of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont and the exit of Causeway No. 2 leading from the beach. As they moved south, they overheard a German platoon approaching with supplies and quickly took up ambush positions. Winters instructed the men to wait for his signal before engaging, but Guarnere, believing Winters might hesitate, opened fire immediately with his Thompson submachine gun, killing most of the enemy unit.

Later that morning, Guarnere also took part in the assault on Brécourt Manor, where a small force of 13 paratroopers successfully took out four heavily fortified 105mm howitzers and roughly 50 German soldiers. Winters commended Guarnere’s performance and promoted him to sergeant of 2nd Platoon. The Brécourt Manor Assault became a textbook example of how a small, well-coordinated squad could overcome a much larger and well-defended force.

Wounded in Action

In mid-October 1944, while Easy Company was securing the line on "The Island" along the south side of the Rhine River, Guarnere was wounded. Tasked with checking on and motivating his men, who were spread out over nearly a mile, he stole a motorcycle from a Dutch farmer and rode across an open field. A sniper’s bullet struck him in the right leg, fracturing his tibia and embedding shrapnel in his right buttock. He was sent back to England for medical treatment on October 17, 1944.

According to his biography, Brothers in Battle, Best of Friends, co-authored by Guarnere and fellow Easy Company paratrooper Edward "Babe" Heffron:

"In December 1944, while still recovering from a broken leg, Wild Bill broke out of the hospital, covered his cast with black shoe polish, and returned to the front lines with his brothers. It was a risk he was willing to take."

Battle of the Bulge and Severe Injury

During the Battle of the Bulge, Guarnere’s closest friend, Joe Toye, was severely wounded, losing a leg. Ignoring the intense enemy fire, Guarnere rushed to save him. While attempting to carry Toye to safety, Guarnere was struck by shrapnel in his knee. As a result, his leg had to be amputated above the knee.

Guarnere never spoke much about how he lost his leg, and his family did not fully learn the details until the release of the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. Despite his injury, he remained proud of his service and the deep bond shared among Easy Company members.

Post-War Life and Legacy

After the war, Guarnere returned to Philadelphia. In 1945, he married Frances "Frannie" Peca, and the couple had two sons. He remained close with his fellow veterans, attending reunions and staying involved with the Easy Company community.

On March 8, 2014, William "Wild Bill" Guarnere passed away at the age of 90. He was laid to rest at Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery in Springfield, Pennsylvania.

Guarnere’s courage, loyalty, and larger-than-life personality made him one of the most memorable figures of Easy Company. His heroism was portrayed by actor Frank John Hughes in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers, ensuring his legacy as a fearless and devoted soldier would live on.

Lest We Forget.

Courtesy of WWII Uncovered.