Waightman Alan "Bud" Washbond (1924 - August 18, 2006) was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 soldier

Soldier

A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...

 and bobsledder. He was the son of Alan Washbond

Alan Washbond

Alan M. Washbond was an American bobsledder who competed in the 1930s. A native of Keene Valley, New York, he won the gold medal in the two-man event at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen....

, a gold medalist in the two-man bobsleigh event at the 1936 Winter Olympics

Bobsleigh at the 1936 Winter Olympics - Two-man

The two-man bobsleigh results at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The competition was held on Friday, February 14, 1936 and on Saturday, February 15, 1936.-Medallists:-Results:-References:*...

 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a mountain resort town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region, and the district is on the border with Austria...

.

Military career

A native of Keene Valley, New York, Washbond participated in World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 in the 101st Airborne Division

101st Airborne Division (United States)

The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...

 in the 327th Glider Infantry. While in the 101st Airborne, he participated in the Siege of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge

Battle of the Bulge

The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...

.

Bobsleigh career

Following World War II, Washbond followed in his father's footsteps and competed in the Winter Olympics as a bobsledder. Competing in two games, he earned his best finish of fifth in the two-man event at Cortina d'Ampezzo

Cortina d'Ampezzo

Cortina d'Ampezzo is a town and comune in the southern Alps located in Veneto, a region in Northern Italy. Located in the heart of the Dolomites in an alpine valley, it is a popular winter sport resort known for its ski-ranges, scenery, accommodations, shops and après-ski scene...

 in 1956

1956 Winter Olympics

The 1956 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. This celebration of the Games was held from 26 January to 5 February 1956. Cortina, which had originally been awarded the 1944 Winter Olympics, beat out...

.

Personal life

Washbond was a hunter and outdoorsman who also was a fan of the New York Giants

New York Giants

The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

 (football

American football

American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

), New York Yankees

New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...

, and the University of Connecticut

University of Connecticut

The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...

 basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 teams.

Death

Washbond died on August 18, 2006 in Wethersfield, Connecticut

Wethersfield, Connecticut

Wethersfield is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. Many records from colonial times spell the name Weathersfield, while Native Americans called it Pyquag...

. He was survived by his second wife of 27 years, one son, three stepsons, 12 grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.