About Us
A Tribute to A Great American Hero
On March 8th, 2014 we lost an iconic Philadelphia war hero, William “Wild Bill” Guarnere. Wild Bill, a South Philadelphia native, was a member of Easy Company, in the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army during World War II, where he was wounded in action and lost his leg. Wild Bill’s story became famous after being portrayed by actor Frank John Hughes in the 2001 HBO miniseries Band of Brothers, produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks.
In addition, along with his best friend, Babe Heffron, and author Robyn Post, came a story of friendship in the book “Brothers in Battle ~ Best of Friends”.
Wild Bill continued serving his Country by donating to various charities to help children and individuals in need throughout his life. Through fundraising efforts, the Guarnere Family intends to keep the tradition going so that Bill’s name and his generosity will live on forever.
Our Mission
The Wild Bill Memorial Fund was created by Wild Bill’s granddaughter, Debi Rafferty along with friends Kimberly Miller and Heather Capoferri. Together, we hope to raise the needed funds to not only complete the Monument of Wild Bill to be unveiled on June 6, 2015 but also to continue the tradition of giving that Bill started and encouraged in his family.
Our Vision
Like Bill, our vision is to become a model of community involvement and leadership no matter what obstacles get in the way
The Sculpture
Chad Fisher, a sculptor, known recently for his sculptures of NFL Films’ very own, Steve Sabol, and for the Flyer’s coach, Fred Shero, contacted the Guarnere Family to help immortalize Wild Bill with a Bronze Statue. Chad graciously offered to complete this statue charging only for the cost of the materials. Our goal is to raise the necessary funds to make this possible.
With your help, William “Wild Bill” Guarnere will be around forever, in our hearts and in our minds. In June, we hope to look upon a larger-than-life-sized statue, right here in Philadelphia, of this great man!
Thank you for helping us remember this Iconic Hero!
Our “Schweetheart” is truly missed…
