Norman Dike
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant Colonel Norman Staunton Dike, Jr. (May 19, 1918 – June 23, 1985) was a commissioned officer with Easy Company
, 2nd Battalion
, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment
, in the 101st Airborne Division
during World War II
. Dike was portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by Peter O'Meara.
and the son of a New York State Supreme Court
judge. His mother was from the famous New York "Biddle" jewelry family.
, 2nd Battalion
, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment
, 101st Airborne Division
in the first week of November 1944 becoming commanding officer
. During the assault on Foy, Dike had ordered a platoon to go on a flanking mission around the rear of the town. During their charge, he ordered them to take cover. His squad mates informed him they were going to get killed because they were sitting ducks. At the same time, Captain Richard Winters
, former commander of Easy Company and the Battalion X.O., tried radioing him and tell him the same thing. Having no idea of how to control the situation, Dike froze. "He fell apart," as Carwood Lipton
, at that time the company's first sergeant, would later put it. He was relieved during fighting at Bastogne by 1LT Ronald Speirs
, then moved on to become an aide to Maxwell Taylor, 101st Airborne Division.
Winters later spoke in unflattering detail about Dike in his autobiography, Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Richard Winters. Likewise, in Brothers in Battle—Best of Friends, William Guarnere
and Edward "Babe" Heffron do not refer to him favorably. His constant unexplained disappearances, inattention to the men under his command, and his preference for remaining in a foxhole, rather than fighting, earned him the pejorative nickname of "Foxhole Norman" among the members of Easy Company.
. Dike died in Switzerland
in 1985.
E Company, 506th Infantry Regiment (United States)
Easy Company, 2nd Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, the "Screaming Eagles", is one of the most well-known companies in the United States Army. Their experiences in World War II are the subject of the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers based on the book...
, 2nd Battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment
506th Parachute Infantry Regiment
The 506th Infantry Regiment is a unit assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division. During World War II, the unit was designated the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment ....
, in the 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Dike was portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by Peter O'Meara.
Youth
He was a graduate of Brown UniversityBrown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
and the son of a New York State Supreme Court
New York Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in thestate court system of New York, United States. There is a supreme court in each of New York State's 62 counties, although some smaller counties share judges with neighboring counties...
judge. His mother was from the famous New York "Biddle" jewelry family.
Military service
Dike was transferred from Division HQ to Easy CompanyE Company, 506th Infantry Regiment (United States)
Easy Company, 2nd Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, the "Screaming Eagles", is one of the most well-known companies in the United States Army. Their experiences in World War II are the subject of the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers based on the book...
, 2nd Battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment
506th Parachute Infantry Regiment
The 506th Infantry Regiment is a unit assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division. During World War II, the unit was designated the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment ....
, 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
in the first week of November 1944 becoming commanding officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
. During the assault on Foy, Dike had ordered a platoon to go on a flanking mission around the rear of the town. During their charge, he ordered them to take cover. His squad mates informed him they were going to get killed because they were sitting ducks. At the same time, Captain Richard Winters
Richard Winters
Major Richard "Dick" D. Winters was a United States Army officer and decorated war veteran. He commanded Company "E", 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, during World War II....
, former commander of Easy Company and the Battalion X.O., tried radioing him and tell him the same thing. Having no idea of how to control the situation, Dike froze. "He fell apart," as Carwood Lipton
Carwood Lipton
Second Lieutenant Clifford Carwood Lipton was a commissioned officer with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division during World War II. Lipton was portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by Donnie Wahlberg...
, at that time the company's first sergeant, would later put it. He was relieved during fighting at Bastogne by 1LT Ronald Speirs
Ronald Speirs
Lieutenant Colonel Ronald C. Speirs was a United States Army officer who served in the U.S. 101st Airborne Division during World War II. He was initially a platoon leader in Company either "C" or "B" of the 2nd Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment...
, then moved on to become an aide to Maxwell Taylor, 101st Airborne Division.
Winters later spoke in unflattering detail about Dike in his autobiography, Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Richard Winters. Likewise, in Brothers in Battle—Best of Friends, William Guarnere
William Guarnere
Staff Sergeant William J. Guarnere was a non-commissioned officer with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army during World War II. Guarnere was portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by Frank John Hughes...
and Edward "Babe" Heffron do not refer to him favorably. His constant unexplained disappearances, inattention to the men under his command, and his preference for remaining in a foxhole, rather than fighting, earned him the pejorative nickname of "Foxhole Norman" among the members of Easy Company.
Later years
After the war he earned his law degree from Yale UniversityYale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. Dike died in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
in 1985.