1. Overview
Ronald Charles Speirs was a distinguished United States Army officer who served with the 101st Airborne Division during World War II, notably commanding Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, during the Battle of the Bulge. His military career extended into the Korean War, where he participated in a combat parachute jump, and continued through the Cold War, including a notable tenure as the American governor of Spandau Prison in Berlin. Speirs retired as a lieutenant colonel, having earned numerous awards for his service. Throughout his career, Speirs gained a legendary reputation among his comrades, though his conduct during World War II became the subject of serious allegations regarding the execution of German prisoners of war and a fellow sergeant. These controversies, alongside his portrayal in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers, have significantly shaped his public perception and historical impact.
2. Early Life and Background
Ronald Charles Speirs was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on April 20, 1920, and spent his early childhood there. In 1924, his family emigrated to the United States, arriving in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 25. He grew up in Portland, Maine. Speirs received military training during high school, which led to his commission as a second lieutenant in the infantry of the United States Army. Despite this initial path, Speirs volunteered for the paratroopers after the United States entered World War II. He served as a platoon leader within Dog Company, 2nd Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, which was part of the 101st Airborne Division, at Camp Toccoa, Georgia. He was later shipped to England in late 1943, where the division began training for the invasion of France.
3. Military Service
Ronald Speirs' military career spanned multiple conflicts and significant roles, demonstrating his combat leadership and adaptability.
3.1. World War II
Speirs parachuted into Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944, and quickly joined other troops. He assembled a small group of soldiers to assist in the Brecourt Manor Assault, successfully capturing the fourth 105mm howitzer position. Initially assigned as a platoon leader in Dog Company, 2nd Battalion, Speirs' unit was positioned for battle on the morning of June 7, when an order was given to halt their attack on Sainte-Côme-du-Mont and hold position for an artillery barrage.
In January 1945, during the Battle of the Bulge, Easy Company's assault on the German-occupied town of Foy stalled. Captain Richard Winters, the battalion executive officer, ordered Speirs to relieve 1st Lieutenant Norman Dike of command. Winters later stated that Speirs' selection was incidental, as he was simply the first officer Winters saw. Speirs successfully took command of the assault and led Easy Company to victory. During this battle, Dike had previously ordered a platoon on a flanking mission around the rear of the town. Speirs decided to countermand this order but, lacking a radio, ran through the town and German lines to link up with Item Company soldiers and relay the new order. After completing this, he ran back through the German-occupied town, which was still under enemy control. He was then reassigned as the commanding officer of Easy Company and remained in that position for the remainder of the war, commanding the company for the longest period of any officer during the conflict.
Despite having enough points to return home after the European Campaign, Speirs chose to remain with Easy Company. The war in the Pacific Theater concluded with Japan's surrender before Speirs and Easy Company could be transferred. For his actions during the war, particularly in October 1944 following Operation Market Garden, Speirs was awarded the Silver Star. The citation for his medal highlights his gallantry:
"The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to First Lieutenant (Infantry) Ronald C. Speirs (ASN: 0-439465), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. On 10 October 1944, in the vicinity of Rendijk, Holland, he was assigned the mission of leading a patrol to the bank of the Neder Rijn River to determine enemy activity across the river. He reached the river bank with his patrol in the early hours of the morning and spent the entire day observing across the river. After dark he voluntarily swam across to the opposite bank alone where he found himself in unknown territory. He located an enemy machine gun nest, an enemy headquarters and other enemy activity near the town of Wageningen. He secured a rubber boat left by the enemy and returned to the friendly side of the river with this information. While returning to his own lines, he was wounded by fire from an enemy machine gun. Lieutenant Speirs was the first to cross the Neder Rijn River in this vicinity, and in so doing he paved the way for other patrols to make similar reconnaissance's. The information proved of great value to his unit. His actions were in accordance with the highest standards of military service."
3.2. Korean War
After World War II, Speirs remained in the Army and served in the Korean War. On October 20, 1950, he participated in his first combat operation in Korea, parachuting into Sukchon and Sunchon, approximately 25 mile (40 km) north of Pyongyang. The mission objective was to block the withdrawal of an estimated 30,000 North Korean troops and to rescue American prisoners of war. While the 187th Regimental Combat Team successfully landed and blocked the enemy's escape route, the prisoner rescue attempt was unsuccessful, and the unit was subsequently ordered to Pyongyang.
On March 23, 1951, Speirs participated in Operation Tomahawk, making a combat parachute jump into Munsan-ni with nearly 3,500 other troopers of the 187th Regimental Combat Team. As a rifle company commander, he was part of his battalion's mission to secure the drop zone, where they killed or wounded 40 to 50 enemy troops. Military records from January 1951 indicate he served as a regimental headquarters liaison officer before being appointed commander of the 187th Regiment's 3rd Battalion. For their service during Operation Tomahawk, the 187th Regimental Combat Team received the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation.
3.3. Cold War and Later Service
Following his service in Korea, Speirs continued his military career into the Cold War era. In 1956, he attended a Russian language course and was subsequently assigned as a liaison officer to the Red Army in Potsdam, East Germany. In 1958, he took on a unique role as the American governor of Spandau Prison in Berlin, which housed prominent Nazis such as Rudolf Hess.
In 1962, Speirs was a member of the U.S. Mission to the Royal Lao Army, serving as a training officer in a Mobile Training Team (MTT) for Operation White Star, which was managed by the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Laos (MAAG Laos). His final assignment in the Army was as a plans officer in The Pentagon. He retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1964. For his service from 1961 to 1964, he was awarded the Legion of Merit, with the citation reading:
"The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, 20 July 1942, takes pleasure in presenting the Legion of Merit to Lieutenant Colonel (Infantry) Ronald C. Speirs, United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States from October 1961 to March 1964."
4. Controversies and Allegations
Ronald Speirs' military career was marked by several serious allegations regarding his conduct during World War II, which became a source of extensive discussion among his comrades and later, the public.
One of the most persistent rumors revolved around the alleged execution of German prisoners of war. It was claimed that Speirs shot approximately 20 to 30 German prisoners after offering them cigarettes and a light, killing all but one. Other accounts suggest he ordered the execution of three German soldiers who had surrendered, and later shot another group of four to five surrendering soldiers. Richard Winters stated in his memoirs that Speirs had allegedly killed six German prisoners of war with a Thompson submachine gun and that the battalion leadership, aware of these allegations, chose to overlook them due to the critical need for qualified combat leaders. Winters later recounted that the legal department for his publisher was concerned about these allegations and that when he directly confronted Speirs, Speirs not only confirmed the allegation but also provided a letter to that effect. While Speirs himself never publicly confirmed or denied these specific rumors, they became legendary among the troops. The exact location of these alleged incidents remains debated among veterans; Donald Malarkey recalled hearing Thompson submachine gun fire near a prisoner collection point on D-Day, while Winters heard the incident occurred in Bastogne, and Carwood Lipton claimed it happened in Carentan.
Another significant allegation involved Speirs shooting a sergeant from his own unit. According to Private First Class Art DiMarzio, an eyewitness, the incident occurred before a battle when an order to hold position was given. A sergeant, who was intoxicated, refused to obey the order and insisted on rushing forward to engage the Germans. Speirs repeatedly ordered him to hold his position and suggested he remove himself to the rear due to his condition. When the sergeant refused and leveled his rifle at Speirs, DiMarzio witnessed Speirs shoot the sergeant in self-defense. Speirs immediately reported the incident to his commanding officer, Captain Jerre S. Gross. Gross reportedly went to the scene, received all the information, and deemed the shooting justifiable self-defense. However, Gross was killed in battle the following day, and the incident was never officially pursued. Winters, in his autobiography, acknowledged this event, emphasizing that by shooting the sergeant, Speirs likely saved the lives of other soldiers. Winters consistently referred to Speirs as a "natural soldier" and a highly capable combat leader, despite occasional questionable decisions on the battlefield. He noted that Speirs had reported the incident to his commander, but the commander's subsequent death prevented further investigation. Winters speculated that higher command might have overlooked such actions because they desperately needed effective field officers. While the incident officially vanished from the records, it became a legend among the soldiers, who both respected and feared Speirs.
5. Personal Life
On May 20, 1944, Ronald Speirs married Margaret Griffiths, whom he had met while stationed in Wiltshire, England. Margaret had been a member of the Auxiliary Territorial Service. They had one son, Robert, who later became a lieutenant colonel in the Royal Green Jackets.
The 1992 book Band of Brothers by Stephen E. Ambrose claimed that Speirs' English wife had left him and returned to her first husband, whom she had believed had died during the war. This account also suggested that Speirs' wife had obtained ownership of various captured items, such as silver plates, cups, and cutlery, that Speirs had sent home from Hagenau. However, Speirs explicitly denied this claim. In a 1992 letter to Winters, Speirs wrote that his first wife simply did not wish to move to America with him and be away from her family in England. He also stated that his wife was never a widow to begin with and that he had always loved her.
6. Death
Ronald Charles Speirs died suddenly on April 11, 2007, in St. Marie, Montana, where he was residing.
7. Evaluation and Impact
Ronald Speirs' combat leadership was highly regarded by his peers. Richard Winters assessed Speirs as one of the finest combat officers in the battalion, noting that Speirs had worked hard to earn a reputation as a killer and had often killed for "shock value." Winters concluded that while in today's army Speirs would likely face court-martial for atrocities, at the time, officers like Speirs were invaluable because they were unafraid to engage the enemy.
Speirs gained significant public recognition through the HBO/BBC television miniseries Band of Brothers, where he was portrayed by American actor Matthew Settle. The miniseries depicted many of the controversies surrounding his wartime actions, particularly the allegations of executing German prisoners and shooting a sergeant, which further cemented his legendary status among comrades and fans. Although Speirs did not attend every Easy Company reunion, he occasionally met with some of its members, including a notable meeting with Richard Winters in 2001. The series' portrayal brought his story to a wider audience, contributing to his enduring historical and cultural significance as a complex and formidable combat leader.
8. Awards and Decorations
Ronald Speirs received numerous awards and decorations throughout his distinguished military career.
| Badge / Ribbon | Award |
|---|---|
 | Combat Infantry Badge 2nd Award |
 | Master Parachutist Badge with 4 combat jump devices |
 | Silver Star |
 | Legion of Merit |
 | Bronze Star with two Oak Leaf Clusters |
 | Purple Heart with one Oak Leaf Cluster |
 | Army Commendation Medal |
 | Presidential Unit Citation with one Oak Leaf Cluster |
 | American Campaign Medal |
 | European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with four Service Stars and Arrowhead Device |
 | World War II Victory Medal |
 | Army of Occupation Medal |
 | National Defense Service Medal with Service star |
 | Korean Service Medal with four Service Stars and Arrowhead Device |
| Croix de Guerre with palm | |
 | French Liberation Medal |
 | Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation |
 | United Nations Korea Medal |
 | Korean War Service Medal |