Denver Randleman
| Denver Randleman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nickname(s) | Bull |
| Born |
November 20, 1920 Rector, Arkansas |
| Died |
June 26, 2003 (aged 82) Texarkana, Arkansas |
| Allegiance |
 United States |
| Service/branch |
 United States Army |
| Years of service | 1942–1945 |
| Rank |
 Staff Sergeant |
| Unit | 3rd Squad, 1st Platoon, Company "E", 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | |
| Relations | Vera (wife) |
| Other work | Businessman |
Staff Sergeant Denver "Bull" Randleman (November 20, 1920 – June 26, 2003)[2] was a non-commissioned officer with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army during World War II. Randleman, who was commonly known by his nickname "Bull" Randleman, was portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by Michael Cudlitz.
Youth
Randleman was born in Rector, Arkansas. Dropping out of high school during his junior year,[3] he left Rector during the Great Depression looking for work and ended up in a foundry in Michigan.[4] He enlisted in the United States Army on August 19, 1942 in Kalamazoo, Michigan shortly after the United States' entry into World War II.[3]
Military service
He was a member of the famed Band of Brothers of Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne. Bull's training originated at Camp Toccoa, Georgia in August 1942 under Captain Herbert Sobel. He earned the nickname "Bull" due to his large stature.
On June 6, 1944, Randleman, along with the rest of the 101st, 82nd, and British 6th Airborne Divisions, dropped into France, eventually regrouping with Easy Company after missing his landing zone, a fate suffered by many men that night.
During the failed Operation Market Garden in September 1944, Randleman was separated from his unit and suffered a shoulder injury from shrapnel during a tank explosion.[5] Unable to return to his lines, he spent most of the following night hiding in a nearby barn.[5] Although his men believed him to be KIA, Randleman was found alive the following day during a search by members of his unit.[5]
Randleman later participated in the Battle of the Bulge, and survived to the end of the war, attaining the rank of Staff Sergeant.
According to former Easy Company commanding officer, Major Richard Winters, Bull was one of the best soldiers he ever had.[6]
Decorations
Bronze Star
Purple Heart
Presidential Unit Citation
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal
Later years
After the war, Randleman attended trade school and eventually became service manager for a Caterpillar equipment dealer - J.A. Riggs Tractor Company.[4] Later on, he married Vera,[4] and they had two children.[4] He became a successful businessman and was superintendent of a construction contractor in Louisiana.[7] He spent the last years of his life in Texarkana, Arkansas.[7] He died of a staph infection at the age of 82 on June 26, 2003.[7]
References
- ↑ DeAngelis, Frank. "Randleman's shadowbox". Retrieved 2009-10-01.
- ↑ Social Security Death Index record
- 1 2 WWII Army Enlistment Records: on-line NARA Archival Database
- 1 2 3 4 Hester, Ann (2001-08-11). "Closer than friends, closer than brothers". Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 2006-02-09.
- 1 2 3 Ambrose, pp.128-30.
- ↑ Mini bio on The Battle of Normandy website
- 1 2 3 Winters, p.278.
Bibliography
- Ambrose, Stephen E. (1992). Band of Brothers: Easy Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-7434-6411-6.
- Winters, Richard D., with Cole C. Kingseed (2006). Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-425-20813-3.
External links
- Denver Randleman's story on Peter van de Wal's website
- Find A Grave
- Former World War II paratrooper 'Bull' Randleman dies