Last week, this newspaper published a letter from a reader concerning the late Maj. Dick Winters, a Lancaster County hero.

The reader noted "the unsuccessful efforts to nominate Mr. Winters for the Medal of Honor," an effort that has been ongoing for several years with thousands of names signed to petitions.

The reader continued, "I propose that we, the citizens of Lancaster County, get on the bandwagon and rally for this long overdue honor for our own Dick Winters." He concluded, "To ensure that we get everything correct, I also propose that Larry Alexander be our voice and the chairperson of this venture."

I am deeply flattered that the reader believes I have the umph to accomplish what many others — including former Pennsylvania governor and Homeland Security director Tom Ridge — failed to do.

The problem is, not only would I not lead such a movement, but I wouldn't support or endorse it.

I'm not being cruel or callous toward this great man; I am simply following the wishes he once relayed to me.

For those of you who just beamed down from the planet Ziploc, Winters during World War II was the leader of Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, the renowned "Band of Brothers." The unit has become famous worldwide thanks to author Stephen E. Ambrose and a TV miniseries produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg.

Winters supposedly was nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions on D-Day, when he led a small group of men and knocked out a four-gun German artillery battery entrenched at a farm called Brecourt Manor in Normandy.

The story goes that Winters' award was downgraded to the Distinguished Service Cross by the 101st's commander, Gen. Maxwell Taylor, who decreed that there be only one Medal of Honor awarded within the division.

Unfortunately, there is no record of which I'm aware that Taylor ever made that ruling.

Yes, Winters' commanding officer, Col. Robert Sink, told Winters that he was "putting you in for the nation's highest award," but there is, to my knowledge, no such nomination to be found in Sink's papers.

Also, a few years ago, the secretary of the Army, looking into the upgrade request, said, "The appropriate honor (the Distinguished Service Cross) was awarded."

End of story.

The effort to upgrade Winters' citation to the Medal of Honor was begun a number of years ago by one of his friends, and it has snowballed ever since. Winters never outwardly supported the effort and seldom spoke about it.

But one day while he and I were sitting in his office in his Hershey home, the subject arose. It was quite evident that the prospect of the medal pleased him, even excited him.

However, he wanted to receive it during his lifetime. He did not want it posthumously.

"When I'm gone, I want it all to stop," he told me.

The letter writer, of course, was not aware of that statement, but others who continue to push the issue are. Shortly after Winters' passing on Jan. 2, I posted his comment on websites devoted to Winters by his fans, and I suggested that the petition effort be halted.

The people behind this are sincere in their endeavor to get the Congressional Medal of Honor for Winters. I'm personally acquainted with some of them, and I know they honor Winters as a man and a soldier. I have no doubts about that.

But now it's time to honor his wishes rather than their own.

lalexander@lnpnews.com