Forrest Guth

Born

1921-02-06

Died

2009-08-09

Birthplace

Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, USA

Biography

Forrest Leroy “Goody” Guth (February 6, 1921 – August 9, 2009) was an American Army non-commissioned officer and World War II veteran. He served as a member of the 3rd Platoon of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, and was one of the original members of the company trained at Camp Toccoa, Georgia. Guth enlisted in the U.S. Army in July 1942 and volunteered for the airborne forces alongside two childhood friends, Roderick Strohl and Carl Fenstermaker. After completing training at Camp Toccoa and Fort Benning, he deployed to England with Easy Company in September 1943 in preparation for the Allied invasion of Europe. He also participated in Exercise Tiger, a training exercise conducted at Slapton Sands in England. Guth made his combat jump into Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944, and fought with Easy Company throughout the Normandy campaign. He later participated in Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands, where he was injured during his parachute landing. After recovering, he rejoined Easy Company in France before the Battle of the Bulge. In January 1945, his knowledge of German led to his selection for a patrol across the Moder River near Haguenau. He was on furlough in the United States when the war in Europe ended and was discharged in October 1945. After the war, Guth attended Millersville State Teachers College and earned a master's degree from New York University. He became a teacher in Virginia before moving with his family to Delaware, where he taught electronics and industrial arts at several high schools, including Brandywine High School in Wilmington. He remained active in woodworking and automotive restoration and frequently shared his wartime experiences with students, veterans, and the public. Guth's photographs and recollections have been featured in several books about Easy Company, including We Who Are Alive and Remain: Untold Stories from the Band of Brothers and In the Footsteps of the Band of Brothers: A Return to Easy Company's Battlefields with Sgt. Forrest Guth. He also appeared in the documentary We Stand Alone Together: The Men of Easy Company. Although Guth was one of Easy Company's original Toccoa men, his character was ultimately not included in the 2001 HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. His role was originally planned, and a reproduction of his distinctive uniform was created for the production, but the character was removed from the final series. Guth died on August 9, 2009, in Hockessin, Delaware, at the age of 88. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.