#sassyblazecloud12

He kept meticulous records of the men's addresses and telephone numbers. Babe Heffron once said,

"He took care of everything. You didn't need to lift a finger."

Bill started a habit for which he was known at all ensuing reunions. He brought a large stick of pepperoni and some provolone cheese. His son said in a podcast,

"Dad always brought stinky cheese to the reunions. When someone asked why he brought pepperoni, he'd say, 'man can't live by provolone.'"

Leigh had agreed to perform at the reunion in Pittsburgh. The orchestra from the CBS affiliate in Philadelphia volunteered their services free of charge. She had an idea for a humorous number that would involve George Luz's talent for mimicking voices.

Luz agreed to dress up and sing like Patty Andrews. He convinced his wife, Davina, to complete the trio, since she could sing. Leigh, George and Davina rehearsed during several telephone calls.

They were performing a popular Andrews Sisters' song, "I Want My Mama", that tells of a man over 50 who wants kisses and attention from his wife. The song had a Spanish/Cuban rhythm and style.

There was no way to keep the song a secret from Bill, since he heard Leigh singing. He promised to not tell his former brothers in arms about the upcoming surprise.

The night of the show, a few hours before the reunion began, George, Leigh and Davina rehearsed some basic dance steps. Davina helped George get makeup and a blonde wig applied. Then, Luz donned a floral print dress, stockings, a garter belt, a slip and a bra stuffed with stockings. He decided to wear his usual shoes for a more humorous look.

Once he was attired as Patty Andrews, he modeled his outfit for Davina and Leigh. Both women laughed until tears ran down their faces. After their makeup was retouched, they were ready for the show.

Leigh wore a cranberry colored wiggle dress, black stockings and her black open toed high heels. Bill wore the charcoal gray suit made by his father that Leigh gave him for their first Christmas together, a white shirt and black shoes.

Prior to leaving their house to attend the reunion, Bill showed Leigh an eagle that was sketched in blue ink on his wooden leg. He got an artist with whom he worked to draw the eagle.

"Wonder what the guys will think o' my iggle (eagle) tattoo, Baby?"

"It will be interesting to see their reactions."

Later that evening, the reunion was underway and the trio of Leigh, Delvina and George took their places onstage. Audience members laughed at the sight of Luz in his costume. The normally austere Colonel Sink was laughing at the spectacle. Bill laughed loudly at his friend wearing a dress, makeup and a wig.

The wannabe Andrews Sisters did an excellent job of singing and dancing. Remarks and cat calls, along the lines of,

"How about a date, Luz?" and "What are you doing after the show, Doll?" were heard as George performed. In the middle of the song, Luz stepped up to the microphone and delivered a flawless impersonation of Patty Andrews singing,

"I want my momma. My, my, my momma." During an instrumental section of the song, Luz went to the center of the stage. He placed his hands on his hips and sashayed back and forth, shaking his hips and his behind in time with the music.

Bull Randleman guffawed at George's antics until his face turned red. Buck Compton laughed until tears ran down his face. Shifty Powers told Don Malarkey and his wife,

"I declare, I've seen it all. Luz has really outdone himself." Lewis Nixon was sitting by Dick Winters. He laughed and told his friend,

"There's not enough Vat 69 in the world to erase the image of Luz in drag from my mind."

The performers received enthusiastic applause. Some special guests were about to join them. Leigh didn't tell Bill, George and Davina about this surprise.

A collective gasp was heard from the audience as the Andrews Sisters appeared onstage. Maxine and Laverne were frowning. Patty moved a microphone stand close to her and tapped Luz's shoulder.

George turned around and his mouth dropped open in shock as he saw the famous sisters. Davina wondered what George was looking at, so she turned around. She was as stunned as her husband. Patty Andrews asked,

"Sir, do you think it's funny to mock me?" Luz stared at her for a few minutes more until he was able to reply,

"No, Miss Andrews." She hugged George, who was greatly relieved to hear,

"My sisters and I think you did a great job. We loved it!" Davina was happy to hear that her husband hadn't upset the famous trio.

Unbeknownst to the audience, the Andrews Sisters appeared free of charge and they paid for their own transportation and lodgings, telling Leigh it was the least they could do for some veterans who helped win the war. Laverne Andrews told the audience,

"We spoke with your Songbird a few months ago and she mentioned this reunion. We wanted to thank some of the finest members of the 101st Airborne for their service." The audience applauded enthusiastically.

The sisters and Leigh performed several songs before a very appreciative audience. After the show was over, the sisters graciously signed autographs.

Leigh sat with Bill and enjoyed chatting with their friends as the CBS radio Orchestra continued to provide music. She had another surprise in store for Bill. During a telephone conversation she had at the CBS radio station office with Luz to provide privacy instead of talking at home, Leigh asked to borrow his jump wings.

Luz eagerly mailed the wings to her after hearing her plan. She was going to re-create Bill catching the jump wings in his teeth, the way he did during the party at Camp Toccoa when he said,

"Heigh-ho, Silver!" She requested that the orchestra play Glenn Miller's "American Patrol," the same song playing during Guarnere's iconic stunt. Luz assured her that he would immediately begin counting,

"One one thousand, two one thousand..." as soon as the music started. When the jump wings arrived in the mail, Leigh began practicing catching the end of the pin in her teeth as she drank a small glass of water.

She drank slowly, at first, until she felt that she had everything under control. Leigh then practiced drinking a medium sized glass of water until she mastered the stunt. A large glass of water proved to be too much of a challenge since she couldn't drink it within ten seconds.

The orchestra began to play the song. Leigh took the jump wings out of the pocket of her dress and dropped them into her glass of water. She abstained from having a mixed drink until after her performance because she wanted to be in complete control, since the stunt had the potential to be dangerous.

George began counting and soon, all the men counted with him. Bill realized what was going on and he immediately became concerned about Leigh. He blurted out,

"Holy God, Baby!" His remark was drowned out by the men counting. Guarnere tried to remain calm, realizing Leigh was sober and that she wouldn't be careless. She quickly downed the water, caught the pin in her teeth, proudly held it up and said, with a beaming smile,

"Heigh-ho, Silver!" The men applauded loudly. Bill gave her a passionate kiss. He broke the kiss to tell her,

"You scared the hell outta me, ya little fireball. I gotta admit you done a good job an' I'm proud of ya. If you woulda done that (he pronounced the word as 'dat') at the party, I woulda proposed on the spot."

"Now, you tell me!" Guarnere grinned and playfully kissed the tip of her nose. She then returned the jump wings to George Luz.

As the evening progressed, Bill rolled up the right leg of his trousers to expose his tattoo. It was a hit with the men. Luz told him,

"I'd expect nothing less from you, Wild Bill." He then told Leigh, with a fake expression of deep concern on his face,

"It's so sad, Leigh, you used to be a sensible girl. Bill's wild ways rubbed off on you." Luz laughed as both of the Guarneres good naturedly replied,

"Shaddup, ya moron." Bill and Leigh danced the rest of the evening. When the reunion ended, they took a taxi to their hotel room. After making love, Bill held Leigh in his arms.

"Baby, ya went all out to make this reunion a good time for everybody. Promise me that ya won't jump from an airplane wit' a parachute for the next reunion." She laughed,

"Honey, I guarantee that will never happen. There's no way I'd even consider doing something like that."

"I was thinkin' I'd like to take over gettin' everythin' ready for the reunions. Whadda ya think, Sweetheart"

"I think you'll do an excellent job, Bill." Guarnere kissed the top of Leigh's head. Since the lights were turned off in preparation for sleep, he didn't see the mischievous glint in Leigh's eyes when she asked,

"Do you still have your parachute? I was thinking..." Bill laughed loudly,

"You little devil! You're somethin' else." He decided to call her bluff, adding, "I bet Winters would know somebody who could give ya lessons in skydivin'." Leigh giggled, knowing Bill wouldn't go along with that idea.

Leigh put her hand on Bill's shoulder,

"Honey, why would I be upset with you wanting a different job? I'm behind you 100 percent with whatever you choose to do." Guarnere felt more at ease.

"Thanks for understandin', Baby, an' for supportin' me. I had another idea about a job. Doin' something' wit' my hands is perfect work for me. I've really enjoyed construction work. "

"As long as it makes you happy, do what you want to do."

"Leigh, you're an angel."

Bill decided to take advantage of the G.I. Bill for educational expenses. He was interested in engineering and enrolled in classes. Unfortunately, he had to cancel his education after going to college for in Philadelphia for six months due to the government denying him the money.

When Guarnere was shot and wounded in Holland, he went AWOL from the military hospital when he learned that he was headed to a "Repo Depot," in other words, he would be reassigned to another unit.

Bill wanted to go back to Easy Company, so he painted his cast black with shoe polish to make it look like a boot. He made it as far as an airfield before being caught.

Guarnere told the Military Police that he would go AWOL again if he wasn't assigned to Easy Company. From that point until he was released from the hospital, Bill had to walk and then run in order to get himself in shape for combat. The military busted him down to Private from his previous rank of Staff Sergeant.

Somehow, the paperwork about his demotion got lost in the shuffle, so Guarnere remained Staff Sergeant.

His records only indicated that he went AWOL when he got back to the United States, his promotion to Staff Sergeant wasn't included.

Upon learning about the reason for losing the money for his education, Bill realized he was in for a long haul with the government.

Leigh wrote to Dick Winters and other officers, asking them to send letters on behalf of Bill to verify his claim that he was never officially demoted. He wasn't receiving the money for his disability due to this error.

In an interview many years after this event, Guarnere said,

"I had a hell of a time straightening out records." That was an understatement. He got officially and honorably discharged from the Army as a private in 1946.

The government then decided Bill owed them back pay since he was paid as a Staff Sergeant and discharged as a private.

Leigh was so irate that she wanted to give an interview on the radio and in print with the local newspaper, the Philadelphia Inquirer about the situation. She envisioned headlines along the lines of "Army Denies Songbird's Hero Husband Rank and Salary"

Bill discouraged this idea, saying,

"Baby, I know ya wanna help me, an' that ya love me an that you're pissed off wit' the Army, but this ain't the way to do it. I believe they (the Army) will do the right thing. We just need to be patient."

"After what you sacrificed, they have no right to treat you this way!"

"I was only doin' my job. If ya think about it, I went against Buck's orders to stay in my foxhole. If that would come out, if we had a hearing, it wouldn't help my case.

Leigh, I appreciate ya wantin' to help me, but a man has to fight his own battles sometimes." She immediately understood that Bill didn't want her doing what he thought was his work to do with the government and the Army.

Leigh didn't like not getting involved, but she respected and loved Bill too much to go against his wishes. This was an era where men were largely in power and a woman taking action like this would go against the societal norms.

It took about eight years for Bill to get his back pay. He was, at first, considered 60 percent disabled and he got about $145-$150 per month.

Since he took the disability money, he couldn't use that money for his education due to governmental rules.

By the 1960s, the artificial leg was causing blood clots. Bill went through several wooden legs. When they wore out, he burned some of them. Some kids in the neighborhood wanted the legs. He gave one of the legs to a friend of his son.

His son later recalled in a podcast that his friend's sister "screamed her head off" when she saw the leg in their basement.

Bill's eldest granddaughter said in the same podcast, that they "should've saved the legs and made a table."

There was a danger of the blood clots going to Guarnere's heart or lungs. He told his doctor, who in turn informed the government,

"You're gonna get me on the damn leg an' get me workin', or get me off the damn thing right now an' give me full disability." Bill was granted full disability in 1967.

After a couple of years of fighting the government, Guarnere went to a hearing in Washington, D.C. where he was exonerated and his records were officially corrected.

While this was going on, Bill worked as a salesman, he also sold rugs and worked for U.S. Gypsum. Prior to doing construction work full-time, Guarnere worked as exterminator.

When Stephen Ambrose interviewed Bill about the records snafu, he asked,

"Mr. Guarnere, are you angry with the government because of the mistake they made with your files?"

"I ain't laughin' at ya, Billy. You said somethin' cute." Bill and Leigh thought that their son went upstairs to play and was out of ear shot.

"Baby, just imagine him sayin' his lines like James Cagney or Edward G. Robinson, the best wise guys in the movies." He launched into an impersonation of the actors, making Leigh giggle.

The night of the Christmas program arrived. Most of the Guarnere family and the Spencers were in the audience. Billy had two lines,

"We're the Three Wise Men. We have gifts for baby Jesus." The time came for Billy to deliver his dialogue and he proudly said, in a voice like Edward G. Robinson, bringing down the house,

"We're the Three Wise Guys. We have gifts for baby Jesus." The audience laughed and applauded. All Leigh and Bill could do was laugh. After the show, they apologized to the teaching nun and they convinced Billy to apologize, too. She accepted their apologies. Both sets of grandparents were still proud of him. Aunt Julia hugged Billy,

"Kiddo, that's the best Christmas show I ever saw."

A few days after the program, Leigh was cooking supper. Angelina was sitting in her high chair in the kitchen. The song, "Hold Tight" performed by the Andrews Sisters was playing on the radio. Leigh was singing. When she got to the verse,

"I'm as happy as can be when the seafood comes to me. Yadda da, yadda da, yadda da," Angelina spoke the lyrics,

"Yadda da, yadda da, yadda da."

After the song ended, Leigh decided to sing the lyrics again to see if she would repeat them. A big smile appeared on her face as Angelina spoke the lyrics again. When Bill got home from work, Leigh told him,

"I hope Angelina will do this. She learned something new today." Guarnere had a radiant smile as he heard his daughter repeating the lyrics to the song.

"Won't be long until this little angel is singin' like her ma." He hugged Angelina and kissed her cheek.

Angelina wouldn't always perform on demand and she showed a very determined and stubborn nature on occasion. Both Cal and Louise told Bill and Leigh,

"We've seen this behavior before. This little girl acts just like her mother when she was her age. The stubborn streak may remain." Guarnere told his in-laws,

"I can live wit' that. I love her ma an' that stubborn streak don't bother me. If Angelina wants to sing, that's OK an' if she doesn't, that's OK, too. I love my life an' I wouldn't change a thing."

Angelina got a round of applause at her Nonno and Nonna Guarnere's house when she repeated the "Yadda da. yadda da, yadda da" lyrics during the Feast of the Seven Fishes.

Leigh and her sisters-in-law were helping Augusta bring in various platters of food. Billy looked at Leigh. He innocently thought that he was giving her a compliment when he said,

"Pop likes that dress. He says it makes your ass look nice." Everyone burst out laughing. Leigh told her son that she knew he meant well, but his comment was inappropriate. She hugged and kissed him, saying,

"You're not in trouble, Billy. I was hoping that you would be like your pop. You're a smaller version of him." Bill commented,