Reunie Band of Brothers in Phoenix october 2002

Barbara Webster Embree, offered all Easy Company Veterans a re-issue of the book from her late husband David Kenyon Webster

The introduction of the book is written by Stephen Ambrose, de author of Band of Brothers. Nobody could imagine that only 2 days later Stephen Ambrose would die of lung cancer.

On October 13, 2002, the last day of the 2002 Band of Brothers reunion.

"He fought cancer as he did all things: with passion, with dignity, with generosity, without complaint. He always was the biggest man we have ever known," said his son, Hugh Ambrose.

Stephen Ambrose was born in 1936 and wrote more than 25 books, mainly about W.W.II He also is often seen in programs like Pearl Harbor on Discovery. Through his book "Band of Brothers" (that I got as a Christmas present in 1994 from Lester Hashey) I came in contact with Easy Company. In a way Stephen Ambrose brought me in contact with a group of men that wrote history: de Band of Brothers, in which everybody is honored who fought for our freedom.

Brothers in Arms

fltr: Joe Lesniewski - Don Malarkey - Frank Perconte

Joe Lesniewski, from Erie, Pennsylvania, was among those who were involved in the fighting at Carentan, between June 7 and June 12, 1944. Bill Guarnere got the order from Winters to take out a high noon patrol with Blithe, Lesnieuwski and two others. Ltn.Nixon wanted to know the strength of the German infantry opposite Easy's position. Using the Normandy hedgerows for concealment, they moved forward. Blythe was at the point. He reached the last hedgerow leading to the farmbuilding were the Germans supposed to be. A German sniper put a bullet into his neck. This is shown very realistic in the TV-series.

Later Don Malarkey led another patrol in another attempt to get information on the enemy. On this patrol, Pvt. Sheehy, at the point, moved up next to a hedgerow. Don joined him there but as he moved forward, he stepped on a tree limp, braking it. Immediately a German helmet raised up right across the hedgerow. Sheehy got him full in the face with a blast from his tommygun.

Frank Perconte, Lipton, Talbert, Martin, Luz, Christenson, Carson, Boyle, Guth, Taylor, Guarnere, Malarkey, Randleman, Rader, Gordon en Toye, were the Easy Company NCO's, trained in Toccoa, who fought in Normandy and Holland (Market Garden). They were providing continuity and holding the company together after so many were killed or wounded in action That helped Easy to maintain coherence because the heart of Easy, after one-half year of combat, was still made up of Toccoa men who had followed Captain Sobel up and down Currahee in those hot August days of 1942

text from the book Band of Brothers with permission of the author.

Joe Lesniewski arranged a raffle during the reunion. The profits were for future Easy Company reunions. Max Clark's wife received a nice Eagle.

The Tony Garcia family. Tony was one of the Easy Company replacements, who went into war with Lester Hashey.
Between January 14/17, 1945, Tony was among those who fought near Noville. They had to cross a stream that was narrow enough for most of the men to jump over. Toni, carrying an ammo bag with six rounds of mortar ammunition, fell into the stream. He was soaked. By the time his group reached Noville his clothing was frozen, causing crackling sound as he walked. That saved him from going on an all-night patrol. The platoon sergeant said that he could be heard all the way to Berlin.

Text from the book Band of Brothers with permission of the author.

Below left: Lester Hashey with his son Tony at the Garcia table. Lester, passed away at the age of 77 on Dec.11, 2002. He was the youngest of E-Company.

Norman Neitzke
Norman remembered the time in Haguenau Germany when his squad started to drive away in a German ambulance only to find that a German doctor with a pregnant woman was in the back trying to deliver a baby. The Americans hopped out.

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