About William Guarnere
William J. Guarnere Sr. (April 28, 1923 – March 8, 2014) was a United States Army paratrooper who fought in World War II as a non-commissioned officer with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division. Guarnere wrote Brothers in Battle, Best of Friends: Two WWII Paratroopers from the Original Band of Brothers Tell Their Story with long-time friend Edward "Babe" Heffron and journalist Robyn Post in 2007. Guarnere was portrayed in the 2001 HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by Frank John Hughes. == Early life and education == Guarnere was born in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 28, 1923. He was the youngest of 10 children born to Joseph and Augusta Guarnere, who were of Italian origin. He participated in the Citizens Military Training Camp (CMTC) program during the Great Depression, gaining entrance at age 15 because his mother told the government her son was seventeen, the required age. He spent three summers in the CMTC, which normally took four years to complete, planning to graduate and apply for a commission as an officer in the United States Army. However, after his third year, the program was canceled due to the war in Europe. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, and six months before he was due to graduate from South Philadelphia High School, Guarnere dropped out and went to work for Baldwin Locomotive Works, which manufactured Sherman tanks for the Army.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.