Ronald Speirs was a legend to his fellow soldiers during World War II because of rumors that he had shot twenty to thirty prisoners of war on D-Day. It is rumored that he gave the prisoners cigarettes, gave them a light, and then shot all but one of them. This rumor has sparked much debate among veterans and fans of Band of Brothers.
Stories from Easy veterans suggest the shootings did take place, including Richard Winters stating that Speirs suggested the rumors were true but never gave any details.[2] However, if the shooting of the prisoners actually took place, its exact location cannot be conclusively determined. Donald Malarkey claimed he heard a Tommy gun firing near the location of the prisoners on D-Day but did not actually see anything. Winters originally heard that the incident took place at Bastogne. Carwood Lipton claimed he heard it occurred in Carentan. Speirs never discussed the rumors publicly.
Richard Winters, in his own book titled Beyond Band of Brothers: The Memoirs of Major Richard Winters, detailed exactly what did happen when Speirs shot a sergeant in one of his squads for disobeying a direct order in combat. Winters notes that by shooting the sergeant, Speirs saved the lives of many other men. Winters also repeatedly calls Speirs "a born killer" and states that despite making occasional flawed decisions off the battlefield, Speirs was a superb combat commander, which Winters respected immensely. Winters also points out that Speirs did report this incident to his commanding officer and names the officer. However, that officer was killed in action the next day, and the incident was never pursued at any level. Winters suggests that officers higher in the chain of command were so desperate for competent field officers that they could not afford losing one of Speirs' caliber. The soldiers serving under Speirs respected him immensely, but also feared him. This incident eventually faded away officially but became legend among the troops.[3]