December 09, 2015
A bill passed by the Pennsylvania Senate Tuesday would rename a stretch of a Philadelphia roadway after two World War II veterans who were portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers.
The legislation would dub the stretch of Columbus Boulevard between Oregon and Washington avenues William J. Guarnere and Edward "Babe" Heffron Memorial Boulevard in honor of the highly decorated South Philly natives.
Guarnere, also known as "Wild Bill," served as a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Infantry and as a paratrooper landed in Normandy during the D-Day invasion, fighting during the Battle of Normandy, Operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge.
His list of awards for his service during the war include the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart, just to name a few.
Edward "Babe" Heffron was a private in the Infantry and also fought in Operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge, accumulating the awards of Bronze Star and Purple Heart, among others.
In the 2001 miniseries "Band of Brothers," produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg and based on the non-fiction book of the same name, Heffron was portrayed by actor Robin Laing and Guarnere was portrayed by Frank John Hughes.
The two co-authored a book together called "Bothers in Battle, Best of Friends: Two WWII Paratroopers From the Original Band of Brothers Tell Their Story" along with journalist Robyn Post in 2007.
Both veterans have since passed away.
The bill was introduced in the House by State Rep. Bill Keller of the 184th District in Philadelphia and includes renaming several other Pennsylvania roadways after amendments were added.
It passed the senate by a unanimous vote and now heads to Gov. Tom Wolf's desk.
Correction: This story previously misidentified the representative who introduced the legislation.
