Lynn 'Buck' Compton

Biography

Lynn Davis “Buck” Compton (December 31, 1921 – February 25, 2012) was an American Army officer, law enforcement officer, prosecutor, and judge. During World War II, he served as a first lieutenant with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. Compton studied at UCLA, where he played both football and baseball alongside Jackie Robinson. He participated in the university’s ROTC program and entered the U.S. Army in 1943, completing officer training before volunteering for the airborne forces. He joined Easy Company in England in December 1943 and became assistant platoon leader of 2nd Platoon. On D-Day, June 6, 1944, Compton participated in the assault on the German artillery battery at Brécourt Manor under the command of Richard Winters. For his actions during the assault, he was awarded the Silver Star. He subsequently participated in Operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge, where he was evacuated due to trench foot. After the war, Compton joined the Los Angeles Police Department before becoming a deputy district attorney in 1951. He later served as chief deputy district attorney and was part of the prosecution team that secured the conviction of Sirhan Sirhan for the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. In 1970, Governor Ronald Reagan appointed Compton an Associate Justice of the California Court of Appeal. He served on the court until his retirement in 1990. Compton’s World War II experiences were featured in Stephen E. Ambrose’s 1992 book Band of Brothers and its 2001 HBO miniseries adaptation, in which he was portrayed by Neal McDonough. His memoir, Call of Duty: My Life Before, During, and After the Band of Brothers, was published in 2008. Compton died on February 25, 2012, at the age of 90, at his home in Burlington, Washington.