Denver Randleman

Denver Randleman
Nickname	Bull
Born	November 20, 1920(1920-11-20) Rector, Arkansas
Died	June 26, 2003(2003-06-26) (aged 82) Texarkana, Arkansas
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1942–1945
Rank	Staff Sergeant
Unit	Company "E", 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division
Battles/wars	Battle of Normandy Operation Market Garden Battle of the Bulge
Awards	Bronze Star *Purple Heart *Presidential Unit Citation *European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal *World War II Victory Medal [1]
Relations	Vera (wife)
Other work	Businessman

Staff Sergeant Denver "Bull" Randleman (November 20, 1920 – June 26, 2003)^[2] 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. Randleman, who was commonly known by his nickname "Bull" Randleman, was portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by Michael Cudlitz.

Youth

Randleman was born in Rector, Arkansas. Dropping out of high school during his junior year,^[3] he left Rector during the Great Depression looking for work and ended up in a foundry in Michigan.^[4] He enlisted in the United States Army on August 19, 1942 in Kalamazoo, Michigan shortly after the United States' entry into World War II.^[3]

Military service

He was a member of the famed Band of Brothers of Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne. Bull's training originated at Camp Toccoa, Georgia in August 1942 under Captain Herbert Sobel.

On June 6, 1944, Randleman, along with the rest of the 101st, 82nd, and British 6th Airborne Divisions, dropped into France, eventually regrouping with Easy Company after missing his landing zone, a fate suffered by many men that night.

During the failed Operation Market Garden in September 1944, Randleman was separated from his unit, and injured in the shoulder during a tank explosion.^[5] Unable to return to his lines, he spent most of the following night hiding in a nearby barn.^[5] During a search by members of his unit the following day, Randleman was found, his men believing him to be KIA.^[5]

Randleman later participated in the Battle of the Bulge, and survived to the end of the war, attaining the rank of Staff Sergeant.^{[citation needed]}

According to former Easy Company commanding officer, Major Richard Winters, Bull was one of the best soldiers he ever had.^[6]

Decorations

•   Bronze Star
•   Purple Heart
•   Presidential Unit Citation
•   European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
•   World War II Victory Medal

Later years

After the war, Randleman attended trade school and eventually became service manager for a Caterpillar equipment dealer.^[4] Later on, he married Vera,^[4] and they had two children.^[4] He became a successful businessman and was superintendent of a construction contractor in Louisiana.^[7] He spent the last years of his life in Texarkana, Arkansas.^[7] He died of a staph infection at the age of 82 on June 26, 2003.^[7]

References

1. ^ DeAngelis, Frank. "Randleman's shadowbox". http://www.frankdeangelis.com/Staff%20Sergeant%20Denver%20Bull%20Randleman.htm. Retrieved 2009-10-01. 
2. ^ Social Security Death Index record
3. ^ ^{a b} WWII Army Enlistment Records: on-line NARA Archival Database
4. ^ ^{a b c d} Hester, Ann (2001-08-11). "Closer than friends, closer than brothers". Dallas Morning News. http://www.tircuit.com/bandofbrothers/messages/20/263.html?997931543. Retrieved 2006-02-09. 
5. ^ ^{a b c} Ambrose, pp.128-30.
6. ^ Mini bio on The Battle of Normandy website
7. ^ ^{a b c} Winters, p.278.

	Biography portal
	United States Army portal
	World War II portal

Bibliography

• Ambrose, Stephen E. (1992). Band of Brothers: Easy Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9780743464116. 
• Winters, Richard D., with Cole C. Kingseed (2006). Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0425208133. 

External links

• Denver Randleman's story on Peter van de Wal's website
• Find A Grave
• Former WWII paratrooper 'Bull' Randleman dies