Stephen Ambrose wrote a book about Compton’s World War II unit entitled Band of Brothers. “Buck” Compton entered the public spotlight when Dr. He became a judge in the California Courts of Appeal and served there for twenty years, until he retired in 1990. After the war, Compton attended Loyola University Law School on the GI Bill and became lead prosecutor for the trial of Sirhan Sirhan, the murderer of Robert F. He died on Februat the age of 90.ĭuring World War II, Compton joined Easy Company in Aldbourne, England and entered combat with them during the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, parachuted into Holland for Operation Market Garden, and suffered through the bitter cold in Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. “Buck” Compton, leader of the 2nd Platoon of Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. Along with his two daughters, he is survived by four grandchildren.More from me || Before and after || My Facebook Page Younger chose him as his chief deputy in 1966.Ĭompton’s memoir “Call of Duty: My Life Before, During and After the Band of Brothers,” written with Marcus Brotherton, was published in 2008. He was assistant district attorney when District Attorney Evelle J. He was a detective in the Central Burglary Division before joining the district attorney’s office in 1951. He also participated in the ROTC program and entered active service in February 1943 at age 21.Īfter the war, he became a Los Angeles police officer and worked his way through Loyola Law School. He started at guard in the 1943 Rose Bowl game against Georgia and was selected all-conference catcher while captain of the baseball team in 1942. He majored in physical education and minored in education at UCLA, where he lettered in football and baseball. Tracy Compton said her father thought McDonough did a wonderful job portraying him and that “he laughed and said Neal was better-looking than he ever was.”Ĭompton was born in Los Angeles on Dec. “He’d say that’s what soldiers do,” said McDonough, who kept in touch with Compton and nicknamed his 6-year-old son Morgan “Little Buck” in his honor. “When you play a historical figure, you have to do it right and tell the truth,” McDonough told the Times, recalling that Compton told him he was just doing his job. McDonough recalled meeting with Compton the day before he flew to London to begin filming “Band of Brothers,” and later peppering him with questions about his time during the war. and Neal McDonough, who portrayed Compton in the miniseries. The guests included “Band of Brothers” actors Michael Cudlitz, James Madio, Richard Speight Jr. We’re celebrating longevity more than anything.” “We didn’t expect anything more than those other guys (in the war). “All I can say is it’s flattering - and kind of embarrassing,” Compton told the Herald. Compton threw his grenade on a straight line - no arch - and it hit a German in the head as it exploded.”Ĭompton was embarrassed by the attention at his birthday party at Skagit Regional Airport that was attended by children of other Band of Brothers veterans. The distance to the fleeing enemy was about the same as from home plate to second base. “His career as a prosecutor and a judge overrode his military career until ‘Band of Brothers’ came out, and then it just went crazy,” daughter Syndee Compton said.Ī passage in the book recalled the D-Day invasion of France: “Compton had been an All-American catcher on the UCLA baseball team. Ambrose’s 1992 best seller about the unit was made into the 2001 TV series. But it wasn’t until later in life that he became famous for his military service as a first lieutenant in Easy Company after the unit parachuted into France on D-Day in 1944. He was awarded a Silver Star and a Purple Heart during World War II. Kennedy and was appointed to the 2nd District Court of Appeal in 1970 by Gov. He headed the team that prosecuted Sirhan B. Lynn Compton also is remembered for his legal career in California. “To us he wasn’t really a war hero, he was just a hero, period,” Tracy Compton told the Herald. In January, nearly 200 guests, including actors from the miniseries, attended his 90th birthday party, the Skagit Valley Herald ( ) reported. Compton died Saturday in Burlington, Wash., after having a heart attack last month, the family told the Los Angeles Times ( ) in a story Tuesday.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |