A Marple Family History: The Guarneres

A Family That Created and Now Preserves the Legacy of Veterans

Written by Craig Whitney

Gene Guarnere has been a member of the Marple community for nearly 20 years, a veteran of the Vietnam War, and the son of celebrated World War II veteran Bill Guarnere. Bill was very respected in his community and around the world after being portrayed in the hit HBO series Band of Brothers.

Army 101st Airborne Division Veterans: Bill Guarnere (left) and his son Gene Guarnere (right)

For Gene, the past 20 years has been filled with celebrity encounters such as meeting Tom Hanks and going to the AFI awards, a newfound level of celebrity around the neighborhood, and a deeper understanding of who his father was at the time of World War II.

I wasn’t even born yet while he was there, and afterward he never talked about the war. I found out about him from Band of Brothers,” Gene explained.

Bill was tight-lipped about his experience in the war, similar to many veterans of that time and still today. Gene never pushed the question, understanding the immense weight time at war can be to a person.

Gene himself went to war when he was drafted in 1965 for the Vietnam War. At 19 years old, Gene was young and nervous but he also understood that he has a responsibility to his country and that he shared that responsibility with many men his age at that time.

Gene joined the 101st Airborne Division as a paratrooper, just as his father had done, and once he arrived in Saigon, he became a small arms specialist. This meant that he was able to take machine guns, rifles and pistols apart and put them back together. This was a highly valuable role in the army, and Gene was prepared to be placed in the most dangerous locations.

Every morning, they would tell you where you need to go, and I was ready to go wherever I was needed,” Gene said.

Gene ended up with an engineering battalion and spent much of the war building roads and fortified locations. The battalion was shot at and mortared, but he was fortunate to not see the field of battle.

There is a bond between veterans that can’t always be understood. The difficult decisions a soldier makes in the field and an unwavering commitment to one’s country can only be felt in shared experience. The relationship between Gene and his father grew out of a shared understanding, even if it was unspoken.

After Band of Brothers premiered and the legend of Bill Guarnere grew immensely, Gene was able to more fully understand Bill not just as a loving father but as a true hero of World War II.

Gene Guarnere and his daughter, Gabrielle, founder of the Wild Bill Memorial Fund

After Bill passed away in 2014, Gene and his family started the Wild Bill Memorial Fund that contributes to the support of veterans. The Fund was also used to create a bronze statue of Bill that now exists at the Delaware County Veterans Memorial.

The Guarnere family has helped create some interesting American history, and still work together now to preserve the legacy of Bill and all other American veterans.

If you have a family history you would like to share, please email Craig Whitney:

cwhitney@bestversionmedia.com