Norman Dike
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| Norman Staunton Dike | |
|---|---|
| May 19, 1918 – June 23, 1985 | |
| Nickname | Foxhole Norman |
| Place of birth | Brooklyn, New York |
| Place of death | Rolle, Switzerland |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Unit | Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division |
Norman Staunton Dike (19 May 1918 Brooklyn, New York – 23 June 1985 Rolle near Lausanne, Switzerland), First Lieutenant, was an officer in World War II. Dike was a graduate of Brown University and the son of a New York State Supreme Court Judge. His mother was from the famous New York "Biddle" jewelry family. He was transferred from Division HQ to Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, shortly before the Battle of the Bulge and became their commanding officer.
Dike was relieved during Bastogne by Ronald Speirs, then moved on to become an aide to Major General Maxwell Taylor, 101st Airborne Division [1].
Richard Winters, probably the most famous commander of Easy Company, spoke in unflattering detail about Dike in his autobiography, Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Richard Winters. Likewise, in Brothers in Battle—Best of Friends, Bill Guarnere and 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 unendearing nickname of "Foxhole Norman" among the members of Easy Company.
After the war he earned his law degree from Yale University. He remained in the Army and retired a Lieutenant Colonel. He was very active with the Boy Scouts of America. His business interests caused him to move to Switzerland where he lived until his death in 1985 [2].
Dike was portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by Peter O'Meara.
[edit] References
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This article includes a list of references or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. (May 2009) |
- Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest, Stephen Ambrose, Simon & Schuster, 1992. ISBN 0-7434-6411-7
- Beyond Band of Brothers : The war memoirs of Major Dick Winters , Major Dick Winters (with Cole C. Kingseed), Berkley Hardcover, 2006. ISBN 0-425-20813-3
- Brothers in Battle : Best of Friends, William Guarnere and Edward Heffron, Berkley Publishing, 2006. ISBN 0-425-21728-3
