Wild Bill Guarnere

[kyle]

Tentatively, my next book is going to be about tattoos and the armed forces. If you are or were in the military and have a millitary related tattoo and would be interested in being in a book, drop me a line. Especially if you're in or near Philly.

Bill Guarnere: "I got this (paratrooper tattoo) after D-Day. Me and Johnny Martin in Edenborough Scottland, drunk as a skunk. If I was sober I never would have got it. Edenborough, 1944. And this one its a cross and it's got my brother's name on it, Dunk, that's his nickname. My brother got killed in Italy with Patton's first armored division."



Bill parachuted into Normandy on D-Day, fought across France, then parachuted again into Holland for operation Market Garden, lost a leg in the Battle of the Bulge, won a Silver Star for bravery and two Purple Hearts, and to this day takes no guff from local hoodlums. "You picked the right guy you @#$@# @!#$@$#er," he said to someone who threatened him on the street several years ago, "I've killed before and I ain't done yet." Then Bill chased the guy down the street on his crutches.

Despite that, he's excruciatingly open and accommodating to polite people. He's been back to Germany fifteen times and when meeting old German soldiers he says "It's a good thing you're meeting me now, now you get a hug, back then, you woulda got a bullet, right between the eyes, if I'd seen you."

[Emptymag]

kyle,

Sounds like an interesting concept.

I have no interest in tattoos, but the stories that accompany them are often very fun to hear!

Good luck.

[LorDiego01]

Kyle, your work is amazing. Im still really looking forward to buying a copy of Armed America when its published.

You seem to get these great ideas for books. You are on the right track.

For any forum member contemplating this, I volunteered to be photographed for Kyle's Armed America book (do a search on the forum and you'll find my pic), and I would recommend the experience to anybody.

Kyle is a very cool dude, extremely professional and a pleasure to deal with.

[mjd932]

If you're ever out towards Pittsburgh I'd be more than willing to help you out. I have a tattoo that fits the bill.

[kyle]

You seem to get these great ideas for books. You are on the right track.

It seemed the thing to do -- especially since these WWII vets won't be around indefinately to tell their stories.

And as long as we have service men and women in harms way we should all be thinking about them.

[kyle]

If you're ever out towards Pittsburgh I'd be more than willing to help you out. I have a tattoo that fits the bill.

It's certainly not outside the realm of possibilities. I logged 15,000 miles on the last book.

[Emptymag]

It seemed the thing to do -- especially since these WWII vets won't be around indefinately to tell their stories.

And as long as we have service men and women in harms way we should all be thinking about them.

I joke around here (too much?), but I want to say that reading the above statement prompted me to post this.

Much like the words in my sig line, my THANKS goes out to you as well.
Those are more than just words down below. I mean that more than you know. I don't know if you have ever served, but what you are doing is just as important. Honoring and remembering our service members is something to be proud of.

You've also prompted me to get moving on an idea I have for a post here on our forum. I had discussed it briefly w/ another member and now I need to go ahead and do it.

[KeithPA]

I love it

Somehow he ended up coming to my highschool a couple years ago. I think right after the TV show came out. He brought a stapleboard filled with all his ribbons and medals.

When is the Armed America book coming out?

[JayBell]

As a note, anybody that hasn't seen the "Band of brothers" series by HBO you NEED to see it.

War historian and writer Stephen Ambrose wrote it as a book, which is fanatastic, and they adapted it to TV.

Wild Bill was one of the guys in the paratrooper company in the series(Easy Company of the 501st)....its unbelieveable.
Blows "Saving Private Ryan" completely out of the water...

http://www.amazon.com/Band-Brothers-.../dp/B00006CXSS

[Emptymag]

As a note, anybody that hasn't seen the "Band of brothers" series by HBO you NEED to see it.

War historian and writer Stephen Ambrose wrote it as a book, which is fanatastic, and they adapted it to TV.

Wild Bill was one of the guys in the paratrooper company in the series(Easy Company of the 501st)....its unbelieveable.
Blows "Saving Private Ryan" completely out of the water...

http://www.amazon.com/Band-Brothers-.../dp/B00006CXSS

THAT'S why he looked/sounded familiar!
Sometimes I need a smack in the head.

Band of Brothers? NEED to see it? Yes. I would go as far as saying every kid should be MADE to see it. Powerful stuff.

JayBell,
Thanks for posting that!