The “Band of Brothers” Ripple Effect

Al Mampre would have turned 100 last year. But even though the medic from World War II’s famed Easy Company, known as the “Band of Brothers” in book and film, died four years ago, his legacy lives on.

Sam and Barney Gershen ’69, who befriended Mampre in his later years and were impressed by his bravery, work ethic and kindness, created a substantial scholarship endowment at Texas A&M University in the late infantryman’s name. “He was such an impressive role model in the way he led his life,” said Barney, “and we want to capture and commemorate that.”

Originally from Oak Park, Illinois, Mampre was on the path to becoming an Episcopal priest when World War II erupted. He immediately enlisted in the Army’s elite paratrooper unit, the 101st Airborne Division. He was one of roughly 1,800 men who completed the intense training, out of 5,300 who started.

“He wanted to be the best of the best,” said one of his three daughters, Virginia Mampre, noting that her father was extremely fit. His early desire to minister to people led him to the life of a medic, where he rose to the rank of staff sergeant. Throughout the war, Mampre never carried a gun so that he could take two medic kits instead of one. He and his fellow medic referred to themselves as the “Band-Aid Brothers.”
 

Mampre’s dedication to the mission and the men in his unit endured throughout the war’s hardships. He was wounded twice during Operation Market Garden in Holland, and a mortar shell that once came through a window would have killed him if it had gone off (forced-labor ammunition workers might have sabotaged it). He later fought at the Battle of the Bulge and almost froze to death in Bastogne, Belgium. During the intense battle, he jumped into a foxhole one night to escape enemy fire and thought his partner in the pit was sleeping. In the morning, he was surprised to discover the man next to him was actually a frozen enemy soldier.

After the war, Mampre pursued studies in psychology and anthropology, doing his graduate work at the University of Chicago. In addition to working full time at International Harvester, he also ran a private family psychology practice. Even before author Stephen Ambrose popularized Easy Company in his “Band of Brothers” book—and before Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg cranked up its fame with the HBO miniseries—Mampre and other veterans gathered regularly. “All of these guys were humble. It was never about them,” Virginia said. “It was always about recognizing those who didn’t make it home.”