Captain Frederick Theodore Moose Heyliger

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Heyliger

Captain Frederick Theodore 'Moose' Heyliger (June 23, 1916 – November 3, 2001) was an officer with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army during World War II. He took part in D-Day and Operation Market Garden.

Heyliger was portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by Stephen McCole.

Youth

Heyliger was born in Concord, Massachusetts, a small suburban town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Heyliger worked as a farm hand throughout his youth, and graduated from the Lawrence Academy at Groton in 1937. Heyliger completed three years of college where he served with the Army National Guard. On November 25, 1940, he enlisted in the Air Corps (USAAC) and trained as an aviation cadet before entering and graduating from Officer Candidate School. In 1941, when the USAAC was abolished as an organization and transformed into a branch subordinate to the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF), Heyliger transferred to the US Army and volunteered for the Paratroopers where he was eventually assigned to Easy Company.

Military service

After Richard Winters was promoted to Battalion Executive Officer (XO), First Lieutenant Heyliger took command of Easy Company from Winters' first replacement because that man failed to measure up. As First Lieutenant, Heyliger was in command of Easy Company during Operation Pegasus on October 23, 1944 and oversaw the rescue and evacuation of the some of the British 1st Airborne Division that were still stranded on the German side of the line after the failed Operation Market Garden across the Rhine. After the successful rescue of 138 men from the British 1st Airborne Division, for which he received the British Military Cross, he was accidentally shot by one of his own men, an uneasy veteran, on October 31, 1944, while on patrol and talking with Richard Winters about commanding Easy Company. He then underwent skin and nerve grafts before being discharged in February 1947.

Later years

After Heyliger returned home to Massachusetts, he enrolled at the University of Massachusetts and graduated in 1950 with a degree in ornamental horticulture. He married in 1964, to a woman named Mary. Heyliger died in 2001 in Concord, Massachusetts, at the age of 85.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Heyliger

World War II Veteran. Was a member of Company E (Easy Company), 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. He was in the Battle of Normandy and Operation Market Garden. On October 23, 1944 First Lieutenant Frederick Theodore 'Moose' Heyliger commanded Easy Company in Operation Pegasus rescuing British paratroopers. His awards consist of: Military Cross, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, and the American Campaign Medal. He was portrayed by Stephen McCole in the hit miniseries Band Of Brothers. Graduated with degree in ornamental horticulture from the University Of Massachusetts in 1950.

Heyliger was assigned to the 506th's Easy Company before the paratrooper division left the United States; he was later assigned as mortar platoon leader for 2nd Battalion's Headquarters Company.[4]: 160  After Richard Winters was assigned as executive officer of 2nd Battalion, First Lieutenant Heyliger took command of Easy Company from Winters' first replacement.[4]: 156–157, 160 

Heyliger commanded Easy Company during Operation Pegasus on October 23, 1944. After the failure of Operation Market Garden, he oversaw the rescue and evacuation of 138 British 1st Airborne Division troops stranded in German-held territory, for which he received the British Military Cross.[5][4]: 160–162 

On October 31, 1944, he was accidentally shot by one of his own men while on patrol and talking with Richard Winters about commanding Easy Company.[4]: 164–165  He underwent skin and nerve grafts before being discharged in February 1947.