William J. Guarnere Sr. (April 28, 1923 – March 8, 2014) was a United States Army paratrooper who fought in World War II as a non-commissioned officer with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division.

[1]: 4–5  He joined the Citizens Military Training Camp (CMTC) program during the Great Depression, gaining entrance at age 15 because his mother told the government her son was two years older.

Guarnere was assigned to Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division.

He displayed strong hatred for the Germans as his older brother Henry Guarnere had been killed fighting in the Italian campaign at Monte Cassino serving as a medic with the 1st Armored Division.

[3] In the early hours of June 6, Guarnere joined lieutenant Richard Winters and a few others trying to secure the small village of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont and the exit of causeway number 2 leading from the beach.

[1]: 64–70 Guarnere was wounded in mid-October 1944, while Easy Company was securing the line on "The Island" on the south side of the Rhine River.

[1]: 150 While holding the line, just up the hill southwest of Foy, a massive artillery barrage hit Easy Company in their position.

He wore an artificial right leg until he was able to secure full disability from the Army, then threw away the limb, using only crutches thereafter, and retired.

Guarnere also wrote a short piece for Silver Eagle: the official biography of Band of Brothers veteran Clancy Lyall, which was used as the afterword.

[7][9] After his death, his granddaughter formed the Wild Bill Guarnere Memorial Fund to continue his tradition of giving back to veterans.

September 19, 2015, the Fund presented an 8-foot bronze statue of Guarnere by sculptor Chad Fisher to the Delaware County Veterans Memorial.