26 The N.C.O.s then thought further about what they were doing and decided
to consult with Winters. He was invited to the orderly room, where on arrival Ranney told him what the group had done
“Don’t,” said Winters.”Don’t even think about it. This is mutiny” p. 52.
The dialogue between Winters and Ranney above shows Winters’ kindness. During the conflict, his enlisted men ask Winters why he is transferred
to battalion mess officer. They predict it is because of Capt. Sobel’s decision since he has conflict with Winters. However, Winters does not think that way. Instead,
he believes that his new position is about mutiny. It is analyzed based on Murphy’s 1972 theory of characterization. It is derived from the character’s
reactions p.168. There is mumbling among the men about the conflict between Capt. Sobel
and Richard Dick Winters. Most of the men in the company believe that Capt. Sobel is to be one who should be transferred out, not Winters. The men believe
that the main problem is Sobel lack of judgement. He just envies Winters’ leadership, which brings him to get a rapid fit promotion from his higher officer.
Furthermore, there is an expert who also comments on Sobel’s lack of judgement. He gives a comment that Sobel is Chickenshit.
Paul Fussel wrote, “Chickenshit can be recognized instantly because it never has anything to do with winning the war.” Winters disagreed. He
believed that at least some of what Sobel was doing---if not the way he was doing it----was necessary. If Easy ran farther and faster than the other
companies, if it stayed on the parade ground longer, if its bayonet drills were punctuated by “The japs are going to get you” and other
exhortations, why, then, it would be a better company than the others p. 25.
Again, the fact above shows that Winters is a kind person. He does not believe that Sobel is not as bad as that. He believes that the leadership of Sobel
27 still gives influence for the whole company, which later on becomes the bond of
the company. It is analyzed based on Murphy’s 1972 theory of characterization. It is derived from the direct comments p. 170.
3. Humble
Winters is a humble and a simple person. He does not smoke and drunk. He is the person who never wants to show himself off. He is a respected officer,
especially among the Easy Company soldiers. The previous conflict with his commander makes Winters does not want to be another person or pretended to be
a good leader in order to get the fit promotion. The conflict and his basic character make him becomes a humble soldier.
Winters was none of these, nor was humorous or obstinate. “Nor at any time did Dick Winters pretend to be God, nor at any time did he act other
than man”, according to Rader. He was an officer who got the men to perform because he expected best, and “you liked him so much you just
hated to let him down.” He was, and is, all but worshiped by the men of E Company p. 23.
The text above shows that Winters is a humble person. He does not want to be another person and he is always respected by other men in the company all the
time. It is analyzed based on Murphy’s 1972 theory of characterization. It is derived from the conversation of others p. 167.
During the combat, there is a moment when Winters leads Easy Company to take the battery of Germany. The limited numbers of the members from Easy
Company encourage Winters to consider the tactic. The combat is successful and it is because the solid tactic of Richard Winters, and later on he is called to
Regimental HQ to explain it.
28 A month or so later, Winters was called into regimental HQ. Sink, Strayer,
and the staff were sitting in the tent. At the head of a table was S. L. A. Marshall, the Army’s combat historian. The atmosphere around the table
was “electric,” Winters remembered. “Those West Pointers would have ‘killed’ to have the opportunity I had to be sitting in the chair across from
Marshall.” “O.K., Lieutenant,” Marshall said, “tell what you did out there on D-Day.
You took that battery of 105s didn’t you?” “yes, sir, that’s right.”
“Tell me how you did it.” “Well, sir, I put down a base of fire, we moved in under the base of fire,
and we took the first gun. And then we put down another base of fire and we moved to the second gun and the third gun and the fourth gun.”
“No, sir, that’s basically it”. As a junior officer facing all that brass, Winters figured he had better not lay it on too thick. So he made it sound
like a routine training problem p. 85.
The dialogue between Winters and Marshall above shows that Winters is really humble. After the combat of taking the battery of German, Winters is called
to Regimental Headquarter to tell what happened during the combat. It can be the opportunity for Winters to accentuate himself, but he does not do it. He says that
everything that happened during the combat is just like a routine training problem. It is analyzed based on Murphy’s 1972 theory of characterization. It is derived
from the speech p.164.
4. Self-confident
As a leader, Winters also has self-confident. His confidence is useful to give the motivation for the men in the Easy Company. It is conducted by Winters,
because everybody needs motivation to face the first jump as a paratrooper at his first combat in Europe. Basically, he is also scared to jump from from the plane.
However, his experiences teach him to handle the situation, control him, and to be confident.
