I just learned that Richard Winters died yesterday.

I never knew the man, and I can't even say that I know that much about him.  Nevertheless, I've been inspired by his example of leadership, service, and integrity; and it seems appropriate to recognize his passing.

For those of you who are not familiar with Richard Winters, he is most well known for his role as the commanding officer of Company E, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, from D-Day to V-E Day.  I learned about his story through the book, Band of Brothers, by Stephen Ambrose and through the mini-series of the same title, directed by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg.

I remember sitting among the rafters of the old attic-space on the Leidsekade, just weeks into our family's transition from Ohio to Holland, eating burnt microwave popcorn and watching the Band of Brothers DVDs with a group of men from our church planting team.  We identified strongly with with men of Easy Company, as we struggled through the early days of establishing a meaningful ministry presence in Europe.  And that identification only grew stronger for me as the years wore on and that group of men dwindled.  One year, my home group got me a box set of the DVDs for my birthday -- and it's still a proud part of our family's film collection.  I still watch the series once a year, probably, and I'm definitely planning to watch it again this year (as it's looking likely that our family will be taking a trip to Normandy this upcoming summer).

At any rate, I always respected the role that Richard Winters played in the story of Easy Company.  He was a humble guy, with a strong sense of integrity.  He knew what it was like to fight in the trenches, but he also knew how to play strategic roles in command.  He knew how to speak with confidence, and yet without arrogance.  I aspire to his example of leadership, and I aspire to his example of humanity.

I hope and pray that Richard Winters may now rest in peace.