3. TIL that First Lieutenant Norman Dike, portrayed as an incompetent and useless o...

TIL that First Lieutenant Norman Dike, portrayed as an incompetent and useless officer in the miniseries Band of Brothers, was in reality twice decorated for bravery and attained the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.

Relevant text from source:

Dike was awarded a Bronze Star for his action at Uden, Holland, with the 101st Airborne Division between 23 and 25 September 1944, in which he "organized and led scattered groups of parachutists in the successful defense of an important road junction on the vital Einhoven (sic)-Arnhem Supply Route against superior and repeated attacks, while completely surrounded."

Dike was awarded a second Bronze Star for his action at Bastogne, in which "he personally removed from an exposed position, in full enemy view, three wounded members of his company, while under intense small arms fire" on 3 January 1945.

After World War II, Dike remained in the U.S. Army Reserve and served during the Korean War, eventually attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel. He resigned his commission in 1957.

 

Also of interest:

In preparation for the 13 January 1945 attack on Foy, Belgium, E Company was attached to the 3rd Battalion, 506th PIR.[16] Division Headquarters ordered the attack to begin at 0900 hours. During the assault, Dike led Easy Company forward then ordered 1st platoon (Lieutenant Jack Foley) to the left and lost contact with Foley. Dike ordered the remainder company to take cover after coming under fire. With the unit unable to proceed, his subordinates informed him they were going to get killed because they were sitting ducks. At the same time, Winters tried radioing him to tell him the same thing.[17]

Carwood Lipton, at that time the company's first sergeant, described Dike as having "fallen apart."[17] Clancy Lyall stated that he saw that Dike had been wounded in his right shoulder and that it was the wound, not panic, that caused Dike to stop. Winters sent First Lieutenant Ronald Speirs to relieve Dike of his responsibility for the attack and complete it. Dike returned to the rear in the company of a medic.

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