Hope you will do the follow up The Pacifc too it is even more well made as BoB. But beware it is more graphic in the depiction of war and especially emotional distress.
@@sirpurrsalot6588 Apple TV is ordering Masters of the Air, which follows the Eighth Air Force. Playtone, the company that produced Band of Brothers and The Pacific, is back one more time.
After you've watched all 10 episodes watch "We Stand Alone Together", it is the interview documentary that goes along with the show. You'll get to see all the real men who survived.
2:28 When I was young, I saw a photo of Gen. Eisenhower talking to paratroopers before D-Day. The caption said that paratroopers' faces were blackened with a mix of cocoa powder and linseed oil and that Eisenhower noticed that one of the young soldiers was licking his lips and asked him "That taste good, son?" It said the soldier smiled nervously and answered "Yes sir." The caption ended saying that Eisenhower knew there was a good chance that young soldier would be dead the next day (as I mention before, the paratroopers were expected to suffer 50% casualties). The humanity and relatability of that paratrooper licking the cocoa powder like a little kid and and never finding out if he survived D-Day always stuck with me. 14:18 A 101st veteran who jumped on D-Day said that Gen Maxwell Taylor told them not to take prisoners because prisoners would slow them down, and the delay would result in more allied soldiers would dying. BTW Today is celebrated in Russia as Victory Day commemorating the acceptance of the German Army's surrender, and yesterday was Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) in the US where people don't remember or celebrate it. The difference in dates is because when the acceptance of the surrender was signed on May 8th, the general who signed on behalf of the Russians wasn't officially authorized to do so, and so a second signing by an authorized general took place late that evening. Because of the time difference, it was already May 9th in Moscow by then. Hence, Victory Day is May 9th and VE Day is May 8th.
Yeah especially in this episode it definitely showed that Winters was a guy you wanted to be around. He had good judgement and knew how to follow a plan
He had good personality and traits for it. He cared about his men and he was smart and disciplined. Obviously had a good head for tactics too. I think the best episode for him is Crossroads when he sets up the attack on the machine gun placement. "Second on right, third on the right, nail the machine gun".
Yup. If you see interviews with the real Guanarere- he admits as much. The man was hurting so badly. He actor who played him completely nailed it. Rip Guarnere- there will never be another generation like yours. You were one of the good guys sir.
Can't believe it's 20 years old now. I remember sitting in my room on a sunday night watching this and being amazed by how good it was. One of the all time great tv series!
I had to beg my parents to let me stay up and watch it. I was 13 at the time so the content was borderline appropriate and the same with bedtime due to school in the morning. Thankfully they let me watch and got me the box set later.
With 20 years of being a soldier behind me, I can say this about plans: Your plan will hold together right up until the first shot is fired. Then you need a new plan.
Even the best laid plans never survive first contact...all sounds good on paper, but when boots are on the ground, things always go differently and you have to be good at realizing and executing a totally different plan on the fly, especially for the squad leaders and any man in a position where you have other under you following your lead...those men depend on you knowing what to do regardless of how bad things are going...that's when then true leaders shine thru and stand tall and lead those men regardless of rank
15:38 It wasn't in the reaction but fun fact: Buck's handsignals to Malarkey and Guarnere were as such He signaled 1, 4, 2, and then 2, 5, with his fingers. Then a closed fist and pointed in the direction of the MG. Translated: "1 MG42, 25 Feet, throw grenades that way." An MG42 is a preferred machine gun that the German army used. The 25 feet was helpful for Malarkey and Guarnere to gauge how far they needed to throw the grenades.
The MG42 was a buzz saw. Accurate and faster than anything we had. Between the mg42 and tge German 88, those were the weapons most feared by Allied troops. Incidentally, I thinkbthe mg42 was the base model for the Star Wars Storm Trooper blaster rifle.
@@helmedon It was the heavy imperial blaster Chewie had in Episode 4. It was also the base of the smart gun in Aliens and the foundation of the M-60 machine gun.
And they reveal who they are in the final episode, which is perfect cause u learn about all these characters throughout the show, and then u finally find out who all of them are.
Yet weirdly, when this first aired, me and my mom figured out who was who by the ends of the series because the casting was so good. Guarnere and Winters especially!
@@andrewcharles459 Yeah Winters is an easy one from the Crossroads intro, when they all speak of how he was a great leader and how they didn't know how he survived and then showed Winters himself speaking right afterward. If I recall too, after he speaks the episode starts right on Winters.
Actually the first time that I watch this which was like on AMC or TBS or something like that they showed the names of every veteran interviewed while they were talking just about every time that they came on to say something about what was happening
15:32 Lipton actually confirmed in his post action report that climbing the tree was a tactical mistake. When they started firing at him, he thought he was dead.
I remember first time I watched the episode and he climbed up in that tree and I was thinking "You are going to be one big practice dummy sitting exposed up in a tree like that". I was surprised he didn't get shot out of it almost immediately, but I suppose the enemy had their hands full at that point. Also makes you consider the simple phrase "Concealment is not cover".
Actually they all did things in that first battle that they wouldn’t dare do later on in the war. The book goes into detail about it and the miniseries actually shows it-like climbing a tree to shoot at the enemy. You know what you know and that was their first real combat experience and they were scared and excited and eager
@jcorbPossibly, although a lot of the Germans maning the defenses and garrisons in that area where either injured veterns, so people who had seen combat but had been too badly hurt to be sent east, or Conscripts from German or even places like Poland or checkoslovkia, who where rather unmotivated and inexperinced. Sprinkled in amoung those subpar units where more elite formations however, so its possible the troops they fought had seen combat.
"Don't raise a bunch of buttholes we all have to deal with." Thank you for saying that. I work for a school district and more parents need to be told that LOL
I appreciate that you pay respect, not only to service members but also their families. Families go through so much. I was in the Navy for 20 years, and my wonderful family hung in there with me for it all.
When I was a little fellow, my friends and I played baseball pretty much year round. Mr. Arnold, (first name...it was respectful to speak to our elders in such a way), he was our coach. When the crops were layed in or after harvest, we'd practice three times a week and play games on top of that. He did this for years for us kids. In my second tour in the Navy, I came home on leave and Mr. Arnold had passed. I went to visit his wife. She told me he loved us kids and how every day he'd come home after baseball and be physically exhausted...most of the time in tears. Mr. Arnold was 100% disabled from multiple wounds in WWII. I never heard him so much as grunt on the field and never saw anything but a smile. Mr. Arnold was a hero before I new he was a "Hero".
Nikki's comment about war reminds me of what Robert E. Lee said about it: "It is well that war is so terrible, or we should grow too fond of it." As the old saying goes, war is hell.
@@Sprayber an easy solution to that is making military service mandatory for every able bodied person. There is a good reason why veterans have a hard time relating to coddled civilians in this country who live in a bubble.
@@joshuaortiz2031 The easiest solution is to actually send the people directly responsible for the political decisions that lead to a decleration of war onto the front. You want a war? You fight it yourself. If all the rich backseat scheming industrials were actually the ones who would be handed a gun and then pointed at each other and told: "Fight", we would never have a war again. The only reason why wars work is because you send young men, teenagers basically, who have not enough maturity to see through all the lies and smokescreens put up and who can be goaded by lofty but meaningless ideals like "serving ones country" into taking up arms against other young men who were victim of the same machinations. That is why a notion like saying:"Thank you for your service" is dangerous. Because it does nothing to change the mechanisms behind the willingness to solve a conflict through violence by sending people there who you told that this is absolutely necessarry and they are doing the country a service. They are not. They are doing the interests of a few powerful wealthy old people a service.
One of the last discs has a documentary called We Stand Alone Together. The interviews at the beginning of the episodes are excerpts from that one doc so you’ll get to watch that later 😊
The Allied workaround to that quote was instructing soldiers to just kill the enemy, even if they had no idea which way to go to accomplish their overall objective.
I was born and raised in Toccoa, GA, and grew up on stories of the 101st. The town has and maintains the Currahee Military Museum dedicated to those men; they are also restoring an old C-47 (the transport aircraft for the paratroopers) at a location where they are also working on a barracks that would representative where the men lived while they trained. As a child, my elderly barber back in the day would give the paratroopers haircuts at $ 0.25/each; good money for that period. So, it was little wonder I enlisted in the Army after turning seventeen. I never met any of those old warriors, but while in the Republic of Korea, when they were retiring the colors of the 31st Infantry Regiment, I met three veterans who were survivors of the Bataan Death March and being prisoners of war for four years, after the 31st surrendered on the Philippines when the war began. As a recently commissioned (and pretty brash) officer on my first overseas tour of duty with years of training under my belt, I felt truly humbled being in their presence. After our conversation, I think they did get a kick out my snapping to attention and giving them a totally respectful salute for their service.
That makes no sense. He could have enlisted at 17. All you needed was parent consent. Unless his parents didn't and so therefore needed to lie his way into the war if not entering through parent consent. My grandfather enlisted in the navy in 1943 at 17. The sad part Is that he knew my grandmother way before the war.
@@zachbocchino5501 as a parent I would not my child running off to a war Sadly my stepfather passed I believe he was 17 but he may have been 16. He was also a only child which again as a Mom no he is not going sorry. I remember my grandparents telling me they had plans to ship my uncle to Canada to avoid the draft as my grandfather did not want his only son to experience war.
@@zachbocchino5501 "All you needed was parent consent." And how many parents can you imagine saying: "Yeah sure son, go fight in a war far away, be a hero, risk your life that lies ahead of you." Or is it not more reasonable to assume that the majority of parents would never give consent? I sure hope that would be the case.
When Hall goes through the bunker and gets shot in the face, Nikki says "Is he ok?" and Stevens eyes, sized like dinner plates, slowly pan over and give her direction one hell of a look lol.
Great choice for a review/reaction guys! Nikki's response is exactly why real war footage (mostly the brutal parts) were not screened in the U.S. during WW2 or Korea. It's truly horrifying. It wasn't until Vietnam that some of the real war footage was brought home to us in the news coverage. The public response to that was not good. That Lt Winter's command and his successful assault on the gun positions is still being taught at the Military Academies is tribute to their real heroism. As a "Vet" coming from a family of "Vets", I salute you both for paying honor to the iconic status of this well crafted mini-series. Peace and Long Life to you both and your family. (Happy Mothers Day Nikki)
Winters was actually recommended for the Medal of Honor for his leadership at Brécourt Manor, but because some things that would make a quite long and complicated coment so i will skip instead received the U.S. Army's second-highest award for combat valor, the Distinguished Service Cross.
Hey Nikki and Steven. I'm a Desert Storm vet and what I did to keep from thinking about all that was to concentrate on my mission and the task at hand. Doing that kept all the other stuff out of my thoughts. I was lucky and didn't have to witness any of my buddies getting killed. There were a couple of times that it got hairy but that was all. I was in a Navy cargo handling battalion so I was shore based and in the rear but not out of range of the scud missiles. Glad all he could do is point and shoot and they weren't guided. I can't imagine what these guys went through. Before we left to go to Saudi they issued us field packs and m - 16's and told us if they break through and get far enough we were to fight also. I enjoy your reactions very much. Keep up the good work.
22:25 - Winters said there were 40 German soldiers left, with two MG-42s. You heard the number 42 correctly, he was referring to the model of the machine guns rather than the quantity.
I served 2 years in the military in my country and I can say for sure, the night scene where soldiers gets lost and lost contact with your company/platoon is very realistically and well done. It happens, and when you are lost, you are on your own until you manage to find friendlies.
My great grandpa did this shit. I told him he had to be made of better stuff than me. He said when you have a job to do and good men to do it with, you can accomplish anything for your family and country.
When they premiere this episode they invited veterans from this event to the screening, and some actually had to leave, because the scene of them being dropped behind lines, brought up terrifying memories and flashbacks.
I don't even know how many times I've watched Band of Brothers. I watch it once or twice a year. The more you watch it, the more you notice and the more familiar you become with the men. There are other series that I love, but none can top BoB for me. It's a masterpiece.
The guy leading is Major Richard ‘Dick’ Winters. I actually wrote to him after watching this years and years ago. He’s sadly passed away since. But he wrote a book. A lot of the guys from Easy Company did, and I highly recommend them! It always means so much to know my Grandfather drove flail tanks up the beaches on D-Day. He never talked about it, and I didn’t have the pleasure of meeting him as he died before I was born. He told only one story about his time in the war, that a buddy also driving a tank got blown up next to him by a mortar shell as they drove the tanks up the beaches on D-Day. He couldn’t bare to talk about anything more than that. And seeing events in shows like this really hammers home how brutal war can be and how all of these men would’ve been changed forever for their experiences. We can never repay these men and their families who made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom and unity for us all. But I hope it teaches people to stand up to hate, and to embrace people from all walks of life. To never stay silent in the face of hate or injustice. Looking forward to the next one with you guys already.
i've stood on the beaches that your Grandfather breached, and helped to make safe for those coming in behind him. a huge debt of gratitude is owed to your Grandfather, his friends, and loved ones who never made it back home. Both of my Grandfathers served in WWII, and my own father was a Navy corpsman attached to the Marines. i'll never be able to fully thank them for their service, for it's because of the efforts of our Grandfathers that now offer us a safe and quiet life, stateside. Cheers to you and yours, but especially to our Grandfathers.
After you have watch all the episodes, please watch "We Stand Alone Together - Band of Brothers Documentary". You can find the full Documentary on youtube!
Happy mother's day Nikki! I know this series is going to be hard for you. Both of my grandfathers fought in WW2, I feel it's important to understand what those kids went through, good of you to put yourself through this, but I know it won't be easy.
same plus all my great uncles 3 of which were in D-Day they were so proud of their service as am I. Most that fought were Kids my Step father was 17 and a only child ! ! ! My Grandfather had been discharged and he went right back day the japaness attacked. It will be hard on nikki esp one episode as we get so attached to these men. I would recommend they watch teh special after the stories from the real men and how some when back to visit these sites they fought at.
Yep, especially the last guy they interview in this episode (not giving the name because the show is hiding their identities at this point, he's the one in the first episode who signed up because paratroopers get paid an extra $50 a month). His tone in most of these interviews is always kind of jovial, so to see him just get hit with emotion thinking about this 60 years later really hits home.
Hi guys, happy you're reacting to this one. Its one of the best military shows ever but I'm a little biased as I served in the 101st in the 90s. Just a little perspective to add to your appreciation/visualization of the events since you guys saw Saving Private Ryan, the jump they did in this episode was the night before the other units landed on the beaches to clear the way.
@@darrylw5851 Wiki says this The amphibious landings were preceded by extensive aerial and naval bombardment and an airborne assault-the landing of 24,000 American, British, and Canadian airborne troops shortly after midnight. Allied infantry and armoured divisions began landing on the coast of France at 06:30.
Real Malarkey wrote the meeting in his book. Irony is that Hitler's nephew, William Hitler defected to US after her and his family were living in UK before the war. William with an ok from US government became US citizen with his already British citizen, joined US Navy received medical training. After the war, William legally changed his last name. Married. Died in 1987.
"It almost feels like a documentary" well actually HBO coined a term for this, and later Chernobyl. They called them Docudramas. Acted out portrayals of real events told acutely. And thats really what this feels like, like your actually there
My grandfather was in the air force during World War II (actually coming across in the same convoy as Bob Dole) and received a Purple Heart when a piece of flack (antiaircraft fire) hit his arm. He called it "Hitler's Christmas present." The opening scene here is probably the closest I can come to understanding what he went through.
The same people that made this and the pacific are filming a series about Bomber crews called Masters of the Air I believe. But I hope that will give you even more of an insight as to what he went through. Thank you for sharing his story.
Hitler's Christmas present! Haha your grandad sounds like a legend of a man mate! that's the keep moving forward spirit and backbone of a generation and the reason we all sit here today without swastikas flying above our family homes. Much respect and thanks to them all for the enormous sacrifice. Glad this show gives us all just a tiny but of a taste of what they went through certainly gives more appreciation. Always remember your grandad and be proud he donned a uniform to defend the rights of the free everywhere dude, so much respect Ryan 👍 I think there's some more content in the works involving the aviators of WWII so keep an eye out for that one probably give us more insight again especially your grandad's experience :)
My grandfather was in the dutch army, when that was beat down by the germans he whent underground,he was doing his best to protect my grandma ,she was a jew. He was with the english commando's and a prince of the netherlands to free Groningen and to fight the germans..was a hard fights i heard from his stories. Cause of him and my brothers whent in to the army did our duty,whe had some medals but my grandpa had way more,what he did was crazy....enjoy this story best story ever
@@trentrouse5991 There's actually way more to the story. His father fought in World War I and was killed in a chlorine gas attack, one of the most horrific ways to die ever created, but he still didn't hesitate to sign up himself. And after making it through World War II, he also went to Vietnam, where he made it out alive again so that I was able to know him personally.
@@Rmlohner that is incredible. He sounds like an amazing man. Not many men like him exist nowadays but thank the lord for all of the men who served and put everything out on the line for our freedom
I had a friend who was born close to Utah beach. When the invasion started all the family went into the cellar and stayed there for two days. My friend was five years old and saw American soldiers running around. One of them gave him a chocolate bar and, never having seen one, he ran to his mother. She smiled and had him try it. He became the head chef at the Cordon Bleu Cooking School.
Great, genuine reaction as always. Couple of years ago my Unit went to an awards ceremony in London; the highlight was meeting actual D-Day veterans, and getting to ask them what it was like, how they dealt with things, thanking them for their service. It was such a humbling experience, all of these heroes were just regular guys, down to earth, no ego, doing their duty in the most trying circumstances.
Damian Lewis is so good in this role! I love the shots where camera is in front of Winters when he is running in the trench. I believe they shot those with lower framerate to give that frantic feeling... So well done..
I agree! Such a great companion series to this one. Personally, I liked "The Pacific" just a tiny bit more because my grandfather fought in the Pacific theater. Felt a stronger personal connection. And it is brutal, heartbreaking, and beautiful.
My grandpa was in a B-24 that was shot down in April 1944 over Holland. He evaded capture until June 1945 in large part due to the Dutch Underground. Canadian Special Forces assisted in his evacuation to liberated Paris. My father followed up as a Navy officer during Vietnam and I enlisted in the US Coast Guard.
The show actually underplayed the battle for the guns due to time and dramatic constraints. The fighting lasted about 3-4 hours and there were something like 50-100 German defenders. The paratroopers were at constant risk of being flanked and annihilated. Winter's tactics kept the enemy confused and dispersed and many feel that he should have received the Medal of Honor for his actions there rather than "just" the Distinguished Service Cross.
I cannot wait for the next one! I also recommend watching "The First Medal of Honor Ever Recorded" on RUclips. Such a great perspective of our Servicemembers' bravery and sacrifice.
I really appreciate how respectful you both are. I’ve seen other reaction channels do this show with very little knowledge of history but a lot of unfounded arrogance that whatever they think is right. You two are really respectful and acknowledge that you are learning as you go through this
I've rewatched this miniseries countless times over the years, there's so many characters to grow fond of, and follow through the show - It's cool to see it making the reactions!
@@nooked23 This difference being that the quote is almost 90 years older than Tyson, who did once state that he read a lot as a child and often paraphrased quotes during his career.
I believe the quote from ww2 was : In response to an officer that said if everything goes as planned, a senior officer responded with it's a military operation which means nothing ever goes according to plan.
I consider myself fortunate to have been raised in a family where my father is a veteran. He served during the Gulf War, he was in the Air Force. He's retired now, but my father worked hard and earned the rank of E-9 which is Chief Master Sergeant. He got assigned to go to the state headquarters at that time, which I believe only 2 or 3 people from each state make that rank or destination. Something like that. I was very proud of him. He made a lot of friends that way. Not to mention he also worked 2 jobs that whole time. Air Force and also worked for the Japanese company Denso Manufacturing. He gained a lot of respect from his time in the Air Force. After he retired, he was the Commander of a VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) post next to the air base here. I often helped him out there and raised money for his post, also for different veteran programs. I met a lot of great men who were veterans. Some WWII Vets, some from Vietnam, Korea, Gulf War. All of them were exceptional men and had great stories to tell about the war. I have a lot of respect for those men. The guy in the interview at the beginning who said,"We lost a lot of people that night." actually reminds me of my father. Same sort of mannerisms and expressions. A lot of people in my family have served. I never got the chance to talk to him, but my grandpa was a paratrooper in WWII doing what these men did. I was too young to ask him or know much about the war, he died when I was little. He survived the war, but he was wounded. He got shot in the hip during the Battle of the Bulge and had to be taken out.
Watching this on what would be my grandfather’s 100th birthday today. He was a marine in WW2. Never talked to his grandkids about happened. He would give the biggest hugs to his grand daughters (all 6 of them) and would expect all the boys (5 of us)to respect and look after them. Of which, those girls didn’t need looking after.
The interviews at the beginning of each episode are from the survivors of Easy Company, they don't give their names so they keep some of the suspense for each episode of not knowing who made it through and who didn't.
As a paratrooper myself when this kind of mission happens. Especially at night when everyone is scattered. We have secondary missions that can be accomplished before the objectives. Mainly ambush, Sabotage (roads and railroads), urban clearing, skirmish battles (like artillery disruption and destruction), airfield seizures, cut & disrupt communications! Especially to disorientate & confuse the enemy of where the main battles is suppose to take! The dispersion of our paratroopers during WW2 confused the enemy they didn’t know where the actual battles or front was… History states with the paratroopers being dispersed during the pre-invasion literally helped with the D day invasion at Normandy beaches. Dedication to mission shows that with a few pocket of paratroopers, some even fighting with different units or Divisions! These paratroopers combine their skills and full knowledge of battle tactics to achieving certain objective and land marks necessary to prevent the Germans from massing an all out full frontal assault on the beaches! Especially during the brutal and deadly landing campaign at Omaha beach, (watch saving private Ryan to understand). It took the US longer then expected to complete that landing over 2000 of the initial 5000 troops assaulting that beach died on that beach. Even some Generals were about to abandon Omaha beach if wasn’t for the resilience of some American soldiers on the beach and the paratroopers who help saved them from being overrun!!!
I remember reading a book called "Geronimo" based on the Airborne troops of WW2, and it has a section from the German side of D-Day. It talk about how soldiers patrolling noticed an abnormal amount of frogs and crickets during the night. What they actually heard was the cheap toy clicker you see at 7:25 and 11:16 (in Lt. Winters hand). It shows you how close some of these guys were to the enemy
Just to give you an idea of the casualty rate, here are the official numbers for that night June 6, 1944 allied paratrooper strength -13,100 1,003 killed 2,657 wounded 4,490 missing in action (remains never identified or recovered)
To further reiterate to others on this, that meant that if you were one of those paratroopers that night, there was a 62.2% chance that you would end up being a casualty.
@@mamadeereacts thank you ma'am. My family was blessed with becoming friends with a veteran from Montana who was just 22 when he landed on D Day. Now he has passed, as well as my dad (who was 17 in 1944), but we have kept in touch. Actually, visiting them and a whole lot of the USA in 1986 is the reason why I'm able to converse with you. Merci.
Loved the video. I had a Great Uncle that was killed in action at Point Du Hoc during the Invasion. Every year since my family has had at least one person at the D Day Anniversary in Normandy to pay our respects, I've even been able to go 3 times. Even after serving myself, its indescribable the surreal feeling you get from walking on the beaches and traveling through the areas these men fought through. On top of all that before he passed, I was able to meet Don Malarkey who is a character in this show. Having grown up in my family and seeing this show when it first aired, meeting him was I think the only time I've ever been speechless just by meeting someone. It honestly felt like meeting a living breathing Super Man because to me growing up, that's how I viewed men like him. Great two episodes but I will give Nikki advance warning... the road gets pretty rough from here on out. It's important to strive through it though. Although this was a show that was made to make money for the network, I genuinely feel it's one of the best representations of warfare during this era someone can watch. It strays away from the glorification of war like most media and instead shines a very bright light on brotherhood and the values most if not all soldiers today think of when thinking of their own Band of Brothers. I won't give anything away about the show itself or the history (aside from Don Malarkey who I mentioned meeting earlier) but after the series wraps up you should genuinely watch the documentary that was made along with the show so you can see just how closely the actors and crew worked with these genuine heroes and will give you a deeper appreciation of the entire project. Can't wait for the rest of the series. Take care and gods bless.
As someone else mentioned, there is an Episode 11 'We Stand Alone Together'. It was the companion disc that came with the DVD box set. It has the interviews that you've been seeing snippets of. It ties it all together nicely. But don't watch it until you're done! ✌ Also there is an excellent book Beyond Band of Brothers written by Dick Winters. An excellent read that fills in the gaps, more details, extra battles etc.
The interviews at the beginning of each episode add so much emotion to already amazing series. Can't tell how many times I've watched it but every time it still gets me.
My grandparents on my fathers side served in the RCAF(Royal Canadian Air Force) in ww2 grandpa was weatherman and grandma was wireless operator both making sure the weather was safe for pilots to fly in.
That documentary feel was something that Steven Spielberg was definitely trying his best for, and when the production was going, it was a BIG thing, and the stars were coming out of the woodwork to participate in this, so as you go through this, keep your eyes peeled for a bunch of very high tier actors :D
I’ve spent a while watching BoB reactions now and I’ve got to say you guys have the best ones by far. In my opinion, you’re watching for the right reasons and you aren’t constantly talking over everything. Watching you guys discover this series is a treat.
Also keep in mind. These units were not in any way capable of taking prisoners. The invasion on the beach had just started that morning. They were still alone and surrounded
My stepfather (born in NYC) in '30 and his family moved back to Germany in 'early '39, I believe, for this reason. I've tried to imagine - he was a kid and it was all fun and games in the Hitler Youth - like camp, he said (only with authoritarian propaganda of course, which unsurprisingly failed to take root I'm pretty sure - he was a kid, not an idiot). Later he had to swim the river to steal potatoes. That'll cure ya, I reckon. I don't remember the time of year honestly, but I've always imagined the water to be icy. Moved back to the Bronx after the war. I never saw him treat another person unfairly, me included, though he enjoyed and (I suppose) sympathized with Archie Bunker. Though not an affectionate stepfather (thanks, I guess!), he was unfailingly considerate for a talented perfectionist, and good hard work was appreciated by me not having to do over again. Born left-handed, he had to learn to write right handed at school in Germany. Later, in my time, he would draw left-handed (he has 2 patents, btw) and write right handed. Both admirably neat and precise. Blah blah blah, but yeah, Germans were called back home and many paid for heeding that call. Still, I wish he'd taken me to a Mets game.
This show is so incredible. Whenever they do the marathons on TV I watch. If I could only watch 1 series for the rest of my life this would absolutely be the one.
My advice to you guys is to avoid trying to figure out who the real veterans are at the beginning of each episode. You'll find out at the end at it's a really satisfying payoff.
Steven, your reaction at 18:32 was friggin' priceless. You obviously have a very good relationship, because you know when to keep your mouth shut, lol.
You'll later learn the identities of the older men being interviewed at the beginning of each episode. They don't tell you until the last episode. Otherwise, you would know some characters are "safe" since they survived to become old men. They want you to watch the series understanding that in war, anyone could go at any second. No one is "safe".
1:42 Really appreciated your comments. Dear friend of mine was on the 3rd wave into Iwo Jima. He was so close to his Sgt who was a really tough fellow. He was killed right next to my friend. They all wept but had to keep fighting. He and others survived because of that NCOs dedication, toughness and, well, quite frankly: love. God bless our Vets.
@10:33 I know this is a late comment, but this is the reason the Army, especially the Special Operations units, puts such a huge premium on land navigation skills. When I went through Special Forces Assessment and Selection, they never once tested our close combat ability or even our shooting accuracy, but they tested our land navigation (at night, solo) skills with one practical exam after another, for about 65% of the process. From what I've been told, CAG [Delta Force] Selection is almost entirely land navigation. As one of my Army mentors told me "it doesn't matter if you can fight if you can't get TO the fight."
It's weird how history plays out. In 1801 and 1807 my country, Denmark, basically received 2 insane uppercuts by the English fleet in two naval battles. Those defeats actually later served to draw Denmark much closer to Britain economically and politically. At the end of WW II Britain adamantly insisted on getting to Denmark before The Red Army because it was considered their sphere of influence. 2 British divisions diverted from the NW front and liberated us - otherwise we would have been behind The Iron Curtain and speaking Russian. All because of something that happened 144 and 138 years prior... So, thanks Britain! ❤️ Getting our asses handed to us by The Royal Navy was the best thing that could happen to us later on😂😂
As for the, "no one knows who is who". Americans decided to use these little things called clickers, where two clicks would convey "friendly". Sooner or later, Germans discovered the purpose of the clickers and used them to lure American paratroopers. In the episode, Winters uses a clicker as far as I remember.
In the book "Band of Brothers" one of the soldiers, it may have been Dick Winters, described being dropped in the wrong place on D-Day and rounding up some troops to go "make trouble". That's how they described being behind enemy lines far from their mission objective. "Make trouble.". Just an awe-inspiring group of men.
They were well-trained, and even when the jump was so disorganized, when they landed they still fought effectively, and the jumps being so spread out had the Germans thinking there were a lot more of them than was actually the case.
Hi Fam, here's a link to our full reaction of episode 2: bit.ly/3xWIH8i
Hope you will do the follow up The Pacifc too it is even more well made as BoB. But beware it is more graphic in the depiction of war and especially emotional distress.
Happy mothers day Nikki, many blessing to you all. This is a great series and a true story to boot.
@@sirpurrsalot6588
Apple TV is ordering Masters of the Air, which follows the Eighth Air Force. Playtone, the company that produced Band of Brothers and The Pacific, is back one more time.
After you've watched all 10 episodes watch "We Stand Alone Together", it is the interview documentary that goes along with the show. You'll get to see all the real men who survived.
2:28 When I was young, I saw a photo of Gen. Eisenhower talking to paratroopers before D-Day. The caption said that paratroopers' faces were blackened with a mix of cocoa powder and linseed oil and that Eisenhower noticed that one of the young soldiers was licking his lips and asked him "That taste good, son?" It said the soldier smiled nervously and answered "Yes sir." The caption ended saying that Eisenhower knew there was a good chance that young soldier would be dead the next day (as I mention before, the paratroopers were expected to suffer 50% casualties). The humanity and relatability of that paratrooper licking the cocoa powder like a little kid and and never finding out if he survived D-Day always stuck with me.
14:18 A 101st veteran who jumped on D-Day said that Gen Maxwell Taylor told them not to take prisoners because prisoners would slow them down, and the delay would result in more allied soldiers would dying.
BTW Today is celebrated in Russia as Victory Day commemorating the acceptance of the German Army's surrender, and yesterday was Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) in the US where people don't remember or celebrate it. The difference in dates is because when the acceptance of the surrender was signed on May 8th, the general who signed on behalf of the Russians wasn't officially authorized to do so, and so a second signing by an authorized general took place late that evening. Because of the time difference, it was already May 9th in Moscow by then. Hence, Victory Day is May 9th and VE Day is May 8th.
Winters is the kind of guy I’d describe as a natural born leader, you just can’t teach what he’s doing and I bet he kept plenty of guys alive
Yeah especially in this episode it definitely showed that Winters was a guy you wanted to be around. He had good judgement and knew how to follow a plan
He had faith in what he was taught and never overstepped his position with the men. That with a simple human approach to leadership.
@@BobPantsSpongeSquare97 of also add to that when the battle situation changed he was capable of making a level headed decision
@@ComradeCommissarYuri Winters is the living embodiment of "keep calm and carry on."
He had good personality and traits for it. He cared about his men and he was smart and disciplined. Obviously had a good head for tactics too. I think the best episode for him is Crossroads when he sets up the attack on the machine gun placement. "Second on right, third on the right, nail the machine gun".
I always felt Guarnere opening fire on the horse cart was retaliation for his brother's death.
Guarnere even said as much in later interviews and memoirs.
i had the honor of sitting and having a rather drunk conversation about that , he said he was a mad man out for blood
Yeah...
He said in the book he was so angry he wanted to kill every German he came across.
Yup. If you see interviews with the real Guanarere- he admits as much. The man was hurting so badly. He actor who played him completely nailed it. Rip Guarnere- there will never be another generation like yours. You were one of the good guys sir.
Can't believe it's 20 years old now. I remember sitting in my room on a sunday night watching this and being amazed by how good it was. One of the all time great tv series!
Completely agree, I was captivated by this series. I did not miss a week.
this is 20 years old??? holy shit. so ross was still in friends
@@bawling4soup crazy isn't it! Haha yer I was shocked when "Ross" turned up as Sobel! 😂
It was released just days before 9/11.
I had to beg my parents to let me stay up and watch it. I was 13 at the time so the content was borderline appropriate and the same with bedtime due to school in the morning. Thankfully they let me watch and got me the box set later.
Gotta love how ALMOST every actor, even minor ones, are now recognizable from other famous series or movies ahah
Yeah, it's so funny to be like holy shit that's Moriarty, holy shit that's Magneto, holy shit that's Mad Max, holy shit that's Professor X.
Yeah, the cast was stellar, and a lot of them British. Real talent.
@@Fangtorn spoilers. Let em discover it for themselves.
It really served as a springboard for a lot of their careers.
@@Fangtorn holy shit that’s SGT Abraham from the Walking Dead!!
With 20 years of being a soldier behind me, I can say this about plans: Your plan will hold together right up until the first shot is fired. Then you need a new plan.
Aka, "no plan survives contact with the enemy"
We make plans and GOD laughs
Even the best laid plans never survive first contact...all sounds good on paper, but when boots are on the ground, things always go differently and you have to be good at realizing and executing a totally different plan on the fly, especially for the squad leaders and any man in a position where you have other under you following your lead...those men depend on you knowing what to do regardless of how bad things are going...that's when then true leaders shine thru and stand tall and lead those men regardless of rank
15:38 It wasn't in the reaction but fun fact: Buck's handsignals to Malarkey and Guarnere were as such
He signaled 1, 4, 2, and then 2, 5, with his fingers. Then a closed fist and pointed in the direction of the MG.
Translated: "1 MG42, 25 Feet, throw grenades that way."
An MG42 is a preferred machine gun that the German army used. The 25 feet was helpful for Malarkey and Guarnere to gauge how far they needed to throw the grenades.
Wow this is really interesting, thank you for sharing!
whoa incredible, thanks
The MG42 was a buzz saw. Accurate and faster than anything we had. Between the mg42 and tge German 88, those were the weapons most feared by Allied troops.
Incidentally, I thinkbthe mg42 was the base model for the Star Wars Storm Trooper blaster rifle.
@@helmedon It was the heavy imperial blaster Chewie had in Episode 4. It was also the base of the smart gun in Aliens and the foundation of the M-60 machine gun.
@@helmedon Like the .50cal Ma-Deuce, the MG42 is basically still used by the German Army today in the form of the MG3.
8:05 They purposely hid the names of the interviewed veterans so audiences wouldn't know who lives or dies in this series.
And they reveal who they are in the final episode, which is perfect cause u learn about all these characters throughout the show, and then u finally find out who all of them are.
Yet weirdly, when this first aired, me and my mom figured out who was who by the ends of the series because the casting was so good. Guarnere and Winters especially!
I knew which older man was Shifty. The soft spoken nature was perfectly shown by the actor.
@@andrewcharles459 Yeah Winters is an easy one from the Crossroads intro, when they all speak of how he was a great leader and how they didn't know how he survived and then showed Winters himself speaking right afterward. If I recall too, after he speaks the episode starts right on Winters.
Actually the first time that I watch this which was like on AMC or TBS or something like that they showed the names of every veteran interviewed while they were talking just about every time that they came on to say something about what was happening
The cgi in this series holds up so well. They did a great job.
ms paint
@@DisgruntledHippo no spoilers.
@@genghisgalahad8465 don't worry, I and the other mods are going through all the comments and removing the spoilers ;)
@@lailana3325 your fortress defenses are formidable and nigh impenetrable!
Yeah those horses looked so real
Nikki: “Is he OK?”
Steven: 👀😐
just came to comment this
That look had me rolling. Too perfect.
@@nickmccoy85 same 😂
I went to Iraq in 2005 with the 101st and we were Task Force Band of Brothers. Half the base owned this series and I hope you enjoy it.
I was there 2005 as well (British Army).
2008 Task Force Hunter... 7 flags 625+ troopers...all safely returned home.
Thank you for your service.
Welcome home brother!
I was on a ship in direct combat support that summer. LHD3. There in 03, 04, and 05.
Half the base owned this series and the other half owned a lot of porn and they traded halfway through the deployment lol
15:32 Lipton actually confirmed in his post action report that climbing the tree was a tactical mistake. When they started firing at him, he thought he was dead.
I remember first time I watched the episode and he climbed up in that tree and I was thinking "You are going to be one big practice dummy sitting exposed up in a tree like that". I was surprised he didn't get shot out of it almost immediately, but I suppose the enemy had their hands full at that point. Also makes you consider the simple phrase "Concealment is not cover".
Actually they all did things in that first battle that they wouldn’t dare do later on in the war. The book goes into detail about it and the miniseries actually shows it-like climbing a tree to shoot at the enemy. You know what you know and that was their first real combat experience and they were scared and excited and eager
@jcorbPossibly, although a lot of the Germans maning the defenses and garrisons in that area where either injured veterns, so people who had seen combat but had been too badly hurt to be sent east, or Conscripts from German or even places like Poland or checkoslovkia, who where rather unmotivated and inexperinced. Sprinkled in amoung those subpar units where more elite formations however, so its possible the troops they fought had seen combat.
"Don't raise a bunch of buttholes we all have to deal with." Thank you for saying that. I work for a school district and more parents need to be told that LOL
wait i thought it was the schools job to raise the kids, the parents just has to make em, right? /sarcasm
I'm I'm college student, not even a parent and even I agree with you 😂
Hard babysitting ain't it?
@@zachbocchino5501 Okay?
@@anti-loganpaul7827 oh ok Zoomer
I appreciate that you pay respect, not only to service members but also their families. Families go through so much. I was in the Navy for 20 years, and my wonderful family hung in there with me for it all.
When I was a little fellow, my friends and I played baseball pretty much year round. Mr. Arnold, (first name...it was respectful to speak to our elders in such a way), he was our coach. When the crops were layed in or after harvest, we'd practice three times a week and play games on top of that. He did this for years for us kids. In my second tour in the Navy, I came home on leave and Mr. Arnold had passed. I went to visit his wife. She told me he loved us kids and how every day he'd come home after baseball and be physically exhausted...most of the time in tears. Mr. Arnold was 100% disabled from multiple wounds in WWII. I never heard him so much as grunt on the field and never saw anything but a smile. Mr. Arnold was a hero before I new he was a "Hero".
Nikki's comment about war reminds me of what Robert E. Lee said about it: "It is well that war is so terrible, or we should grow too fond of it."
As the old saying goes, war is hell.
Pain is international.
Sherman said "War is cruelty. There can be no gentling of it. The crueler it is, the sooner it will be over."
Politicans do their best to normalize it. Make it routine. They try to sanitize it by making it removed from our experience.
@@Sprayber an easy solution to that is making military service mandatory for every able bodied person. There is a good reason why veterans have a hard time relating to coddled civilians in this country who live in a bubble.
@@joshuaortiz2031 The easiest solution is to actually send the people directly responsible for the political decisions that lead to a decleration of war onto the front.
You want a war? You fight it yourself.
If all the rich backseat scheming industrials were actually the ones who would be handed a gun and then pointed at each other and told: "Fight", we would never have a war again.
The only reason why wars work is because you send young men, teenagers basically, who have not enough maturity to see through all the lies and smokescreens put up and who can be goaded by lofty but meaningless ideals like "serving ones country" into taking up arms against other young men who were victim of the same machinations.
That is why a notion like saying:"Thank you for your service" is dangerous. Because it does nothing to change the mechanisms behind the willingness to solve a conflict through violence by sending people there who you told that this is absolutely necessarry and they are doing the country a service.
They are not. They are doing the interests of a few powerful wealthy old people a service.
We owe that brave generation of allies everything. Everything.
Merci.
"You try to put it all out of your mind" - It gets me every time Nikki, even watching it here. Tears. Never fails.
Bill Garnier jumped the gun in the ambush scene. He's the guy who just found out his brother was killed.
One of the last discs has a documentary called We Stand Alone Together. The interviews at the beginning of the episodes are excerpts from that one doc so you’ll get to watch that later 😊
Everyone needs to upvote this comment so N&S see it!
The drop in this episode is the embodiment of the phrase 'No plan ever survives contact with the enemy'.
“Everybody got a plan ‘till you get punched in the face.” -Mike Tyson
The Allied workaround to that quote was instructing soldiers to just kill the enemy, even if they had no idea which way to go to accomplish their overall objective.
I was born and raised in Toccoa, GA, and grew up on stories of the 101st. The town has and maintains the Currahee Military Museum dedicated to those men; they are also restoring an old C-47 (the transport aircraft for the paratroopers) at a location where they are also working on a barracks that would representative where the men lived while they trained. As a child, my elderly barber back in the day would give the paratroopers haircuts at $ 0.25/each; good money for that period. So, it was little wonder I enlisted in the Army after turning seventeen. I never met any of those old warriors, but while in the Republic of Korea, when they were retiring the colors of the 31st Infantry Regiment, I met three veterans who were survivors of the Bataan Death March and being prisoners of war for four years, after the 31st surrendered on the Philippines when the war began. As a recently commissioned (and pretty brash) officer on my first overseas tour of duty with years of training under my belt, I felt truly humbled being in their presence. After our conversation, I think they did get a kick out my snapping to attention and giving them a totally respectful salute for their service.
Nikki is almost psychic with that "why does something feel off?"
@Bram Brouwers And directing. The viewer is constantly asking himself, "why am I being shown this?"
She usually is.
really? It's pretty obvious.
pretty obvious ngl
My Grandfather lied about his age and enlisted in the army at 17. A lot of guys did.
my stepfather did lol
That makes no sense. He could have enlisted at 17. All you needed was parent consent. Unless his parents didn't and so therefore needed to lie his way into the war if not entering through parent consent. My grandfather enlisted in the navy in 1943 at 17. The sad part Is that he knew my grandmother way before the war.
@@zachbocchino5501 as a parent I would not my child running off to a war Sadly my stepfather passed I believe he was 17 but he may have been 16. He was also a only child which again as a Mom no he is not going sorry.
I remember my grandparents telling me they had plans to ship my uncle to Canada to avoid the draft as my grandfather did not want his only son to experience war.
@@zachbocchino5501 "All you needed was parent consent."
And how many parents can you imagine saying: "Yeah sure son, go fight in a war far away, be a hero, risk your life that lies ahead of you."
Or is it not more reasonable to assume that the majority of parents would never give consent?
I sure hope that would be the case.
@@zachbocchino5501 Not really the point of the post.
When Hall goes through the bunker and gets shot in the face, Nikki says "Is he ok?" and Stevens eyes, sized like dinner plates, slowly pan over and give her direction one hell of a look lol.
Great choice for a review/reaction guys! Nikki's response is exactly why real war footage (mostly the brutal parts) were not screened in the U.S. during WW2 or Korea. It's truly horrifying. It wasn't until Vietnam that some of the real war footage was brought home to us in the news coverage. The public response to that was not good. That Lt Winter's command and his successful assault on the gun positions is still being taught at the Military Academies is tribute to their real heroism. As a "Vet" coming from a family of "Vets", I salute you both for paying honor to the iconic status of this
well crafted mini-series. Peace and Long Life to you both and your family. (Happy Mothers Day Nikki)
I feel bad for Nikki because she's already breaking down in EP2, and she still has to watch EP6 and EP9. Those episodes hit even harder..
7 as well. I‘ve watched it at least a dozen times, and I’m pretty emotionally closed off, but it still affects me.
Winters was actually recommended for the Medal of Honor for his leadership at Brécourt Manor, but because some things that would make a quite long and complicated coment so i will skip instead received the U.S. Army's second-highest award for combat valor, the Distinguished Service Cross.
Hey Nikki and Steven. I'm a Desert Storm vet and what I did to keep from thinking about all that was to concentrate on my mission and the task at hand. Doing that kept all the other stuff out of my thoughts. I was lucky and didn't have to witness any of my buddies getting killed. There were a couple of times that it got hairy but that was all. I was in a Navy cargo handling battalion so I was shore based and in the rear but not out of range of the scud missiles. Glad all he could do is point and shoot and they weren't guided. I can't imagine what these guys went through. Before we left to go to Saudi they issued us field packs and m - 16's and told us if they break through and get far enough we were to fight also. I enjoy your reactions very much. Keep up the good work.
22:25 - Winters said there were 40 German soldiers left, with two MG-42s. You heard the number 42 correctly, he was referring to the model of the machine guns rather than the quantity.
I served 2 years in the military in my country and I can say for sure, the night scene where soldiers gets lost and lost contact with your company/platoon is very realistically and well done. It happens, and when you are lost, you are on your own until you manage to find friendlies.
My great grandpa did this shit. I told him he had to be made of better stuff than me. He said when you have a job to do and good men to do it with, you can accomplish anything for your family and country.
When they premiere this episode they invited veterans from this event to the screening, and some actually had to leave, because the scene of them being dropped behind lines, brought up terrifying memories and flashbacks.
I don't even know how many times I've watched Band of Brothers. I watch it once or twice a year. The more you watch it, the more you notice and the more familiar you become with the men. There are other series that I love, but none can top BoB for me. It's a masterpiece.
The guy leading is Major Richard ‘Dick’ Winters. I actually wrote to him after watching this years and years ago. He’s sadly passed away since. But he wrote a book. A lot of the guys from Easy Company did, and I highly recommend them!
It always means so much to know my Grandfather drove flail tanks up the beaches on D-Day. He never talked about it, and I didn’t have the pleasure of meeting him as he died before I was born. He told only one story about his time in the war, that a buddy also driving a tank got blown up next to him by a mortar shell as they drove the tanks up the beaches on D-Day. He couldn’t bare to talk about anything more than that. And seeing events in shows like this really hammers home how brutal war can be and how all of these men would’ve been changed forever for their experiences.
We can never repay these men and their families who made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom and unity for us all. But I hope it teaches people to stand up to hate, and to embrace people from all walks of life. To never stay silent in the face of hate or injustice.
Looking forward to the next one with you guys already.
i've stood on the beaches that your Grandfather breached, and helped to make safe for those coming in behind him. a huge debt of gratitude is owed to your Grandfather, his friends, and loved ones who never made it back home. Both of my Grandfathers served in WWII, and my own father was a Navy corpsman attached to the Marines. i'll never be able to fully thank them for their service, for it's because of the efforts of our Grandfathers that now offer us a safe and quiet life, stateside. Cheers to you and yours, but especially to our Grandfathers.
After you have watch all the episodes, please watch "We Stand Alone Together - Band of Brothers Documentary". You can find the full Documentary on youtube!
Yeah, they were talking about wanting to see extended interviews with the real men. That is it, right there.
Happy mother's day Nikki! I know this series is going to be hard for you. Both of my grandfathers fought in WW2, I feel it's important to understand what those kids went through, good of you to put yourself through this, but I know it won't be easy.
same plus all my great uncles 3 of which were in D-Day they were so proud of their service as am I. Most that fought were Kids my Step father was 17 and a only child ! ! ! My Grandfather had been discharged and he went right back day the japaness attacked. It will be hard on nikki esp one episode as we get so attached to these men. I would recommend they watch teh special after the stories from the real men and how some when back to visit these sites they fought at.
It really breaks your heart seeing these old heroic men tear up and choke on their words.
Over 60 years later and it still makes them tear up. 😢
Yep, especially the last guy they interview in this episode (not giving the name because the show is hiding their identities at this point, he's the one in the first episode who signed up because paratroopers get paid an extra $50 a month).
His tone in most of these interviews is always kind of jovial, so to see him just get hit with emotion thinking about this 60 years later really hits home.
@@paulp9274 Can't remember his first name, but his last name is Maynard. And they never reveal it in the end.
Hi guys, happy you're reacting to this one. Its one of the best military shows ever but I'm a little biased as I served in the 101st in the 90s. Just a little perspective to add to your appreciation/visualization of the events since you guys saw Saving Private Ryan, the jump they did in this episode was the night before the other units landed on the beaches to clear the way.
like 6 hours prior, no ?
Where is the saving private Ryan video? Can’t find it
@@TheBASEBALLFAN24 Sorry I'm assuming they did some it's such a popular movie.
@@luketimewalker It was supposed to be 3 hours before at 0630.
@@darrylw5851 Wiki says this
The amphibious landings were preceded by extensive aerial and naval bombardment and an airborne assault-the landing of 24,000 American, British, and Canadian airborne troops shortly after midnight. Allied infantry and armoured divisions began landing on the coast of France at 06:30.
My family is from Eugene. So hearing the German prisoner state he was from there had us completely by surprise when this episode came out.
Real Malarkey wrote the meeting in his book. Irony is that Hitler's nephew, William Hitler defected to US after her and his family were living in UK before the war. William with an ok from US government became US citizen with his already British citizen, joined US Navy received medical training. After the war, William legally changed his last name. Married. Died in 1987.
I’m from Oregon too, it threw me for a loop as well!
@@MrTech226 :o
"It almost feels like a documentary" well actually HBO coined a term for this, and later Chernobyl. They called them Docudramas. Acted out portrayals of real events told acutely. And thats really what this feels like, like your actually there
DocuDramas are becoming huge these days but this definitely feels like one of the first and best.
@@leonbrooks2107 personally, I find real history to be far better than fiction. Its a trend I'm glad to see lol
My grandfather was in the air force during World War II (actually coming across in the same convoy as Bob Dole) and received a Purple Heart when a piece of flack (antiaircraft fire) hit his arm. He called it "Hitler's Christmas present." The opening scene here is probably the closest I can come to understanding what he went through.
The same people that made this and the pacific are filming a series about Bomber crews called Masters of the Air I believe. But I hope that will give you even more of an insight as to what he went through. Thank you for sharing his story.
Hitler's Christmas present! Haha your grandad sounds like a legend of a man mate! that's the keep moving forward spirit and backbone of a generation and the reason we all sit here today without swastikas flying above our family homes. Much respect and thanks to them all for the enormous sacrifice.
Glad this show gives us all just a tiny but of a taste of what they went through certainly gives more appreciation.
Always remember your grandad and be proud he donned a uniform to defend the rights of the free everywhere dude, so much respect Ryan 👍
I think there's some more content in the works involving the aviators of WWII so keep an eye out for that one probably give us more insight again especially your grandad's experience :)
My grandfather was in the dutch army, when that was beat down by the germans he whent underground,he was doing his best to protect my grandma ,she was a jew.
He was with the english commando's and a prince of the netherlands to free Groningen and to fight the germans..was a hard fights i heard from his stories.
Cause of him and my brothers whent in to the army did our duty,whe had some medals but my grandpa had way more,what he did was crazy....enjoy this story best story ever
@@trentrouse5991 There's actually way more to the story. His father fought in World War I and was killed in a chlorine gas attack, one of the most horrific ways to die ever created, but he still didn't hesitate to sign up himself. And after making it through World War II, he also went to Vietnam, where he made it out alive again so that I was able to know him personally.
@@Rmlohner that is incredible. He sounds like an amazing man. Not many men like him exist nowadays but thank the lord for all of the men who served and put everything out on the line for our freedom
Hard to believe this show is 20 years old, still looks amazing 🙌
I had a friend who was born close to Utah beach. When the invasion started all the family went into the cellar and stayed there for two days. My friend was five years old and saw American soldiers running around. One of them gave him a chocolate bar and, never having seen one, he ran to his mother. She smiled and had him try it. He became the head chef at the Cordon Bleu Cooking School.
relly ? Awesome. What was/is his name ? I'm French too
Christian Georges. I was there in ‘89-‘90.
Great, genuine reaction as always.
Couple of years ago my Unit went to an awards ceremony in London; the highlight was meeting actual D-Day veterans, and getting to ask them what it was like, how they dealt with things, thanking them for their service. It was such a humbling experience, all of these heroes were just regular guys, down to earth, no ego, doing their duty in the most trying circumstances.
Damian Lewis is so good in this role! I love the shots where camera is in front of Winters when he is running in the trench. I believe they shot those with lower framerate to give that frantic feeling... So well done..
Next up should be another great show "The Pacific " Marines in the pacific
Absolutely!
much more brutal than BoB.
That would be perfect to follow this one.
Both shows are outstanding, props to the creators for doing these heroes right
I agree! Such a great companion series to this one. Personally, I liked "The Pacific" just a tiny bit more because my grandfather fought in the Pacific theater. Felt a stronger personal connection. And it is brutal, heartbreaking, and beautiful.
My grandpa was in a B-24 that was shot down in April 1944 over Holland. He evaded capture until June 1945 in large part due to the Dutch Underground. Canadian Special Forces assisted in his evacuation to liberated Paris. My father followed up as a Navy officer during Vietnam and I enlisted in the US Coast Guard.
The show actually underplayed the battle for the guns due to time and dramatic constraints. The fighting lasted about 3-4 hours and there were something like 50-100 German defenders. The paratroopers were at constant risk of being flanked and annihilated. Winter's tactics kept the enemy confused and dispersed and many feel that he should have received the Medal of Honor for his actions there rather than "just" the Distinguished Service Cross.
18:28 Hahah the face he makes when she says "is he okay?"
I cannot wait for the next one!
I also recommend watching "The First Medal of Honor Ever Recorded" on RUclips. Such a great perspective of our Servicemembers' bravery and sacrifice.
I really appreciate how respectful you both are. I’ve seen other reaction channels do this show with very little knowledge of history but a lot of unfounded arrogance that whatever they think is right. You two are really respectful and acknowledge that you are learning as you go through this
To be honest, it is rare to see reactions that well aware of how heavy the history is, not just thrilled by the action.
I've rewatched this miniseries countless times over the years, there's so many characters to grow fond of, and follow through the show - It's cool to see it making the reactions!
There is an old saying in the military. "No plan survives contact with the enemy."
Mike Tyson had a similar quote. Everyone has a plan till you get punched in the face
@@nooked23 This difference being that the quote is almost 90 years older than Tyson, who did once state that he read a lot as a child and often paraphrased quotes during his career.
Same Phrase in the British Army
I believe the quote from ww2 was : In response to an officer that said if everything goes as planned, a senior officer responded with it's a military operation which means nothing ever goes according to plan.
@@thatnorwegianguy1986 Actually it was first used by Helmut Von Moltke, a famous German military general, in the 1880s.
I consider myself fortunate to have been raised in a family where my father is a veteran. He served during the Gulf War, he was in the Air Force. He's retired now, but my father worked hard and earned the rank of E-9 which is Chief Master Sergeant. He got assigned to go to the state headquarters at that time, which I believe only 2 or 3 people from each state make that rank or destination. Something like that. I was very proud of him. He made a lot of friends that way. Not to mention he also worked 2 jobs that whole time. Air Force and also worked for the Japanese company Denso Manufacturing. He gained a lot of respect from his time in the Air Force. After he retired, he was the Commander of a VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) post next to the air base here. I often helped him out there and raised money for his post, also for different veteran programs. I met a lot of great men who were veterans. Some WWII Vets, some from Vietnam, Korea, Gulf War. All of them were exceptional men and had great stories to tell about the war. I have a lot of respect for those men. The guy in the interview at the beginning who said,"We lost a lot of people that night." actually reminds me of my father. Same sort of mannerisms and expressions.
A lot of people in my family have served. I never got the chance to talk to him, but my grandpa was a paratrooper in WWII doing what these men did. I was too young to ask him or know much about the war, he died when I was little. He survived the war, but he was wounded. He got shot in the hip during the Battle of the Bulge and had to be taken out.
Watching this on what would be my grandfather’s 100th birthday today. He was a marine in WW2. Never talked to his grandkids about happened. He would give the biggest hugs to his grand daughters (all 6 of them) and would expect all the boys (5 of us)to respect and look after them. Of which, those girls didn’t need looking after.
"We're not lost Pvt. we're in Normandy" To this day, me and my buddy quote this whenever we met a group of new people.
The interviews at the beginning of each episode are from the survivors of Easy Company, they don't give their names so they keep some of the suspense for each episode of not knowing who made it through and who didn't.
As a paratrooper myself when this kind of mission happens. Especially at night when everyone is scattered. We have secondary missions that can be accomplished before the objectives. Mainly ambush, Sabotage (roads and railroads), urban clearing, skirmish battles (like artillery disruption and destruction), airfield seizures, cut & disrupt communications! Especially to disorientate & confuse the enemy of where the main battles is suppose to take! The dispersion of our paratroopers during WW2 confused the enemy they didn’t know where the actual battles or front was… History states with the paratroopers being dispersed during the pre-invasion literally helped with the D day invasion at Normandy beaches. Dedication to mission shows that with a few pocket of paratroopers, some even fighting with different units or Divisions! These paratroopers combine their skills and full knowledge of battle tactics to achieving certain objective and land marks necessary to prevent the Germans from massing an all out full frontal assault on the beaches! Especially during the brutal and deadly landing campaign at Omaha beach, (watch saving private Ryan to understand). It took the US longer then expected to complete that landing over 2000 of the initial 5000 troops assaulting that beach died on that beach. Even some Generals were about to abandon Omaha beach if wasn’t for the resilience of some American soldiers on the beach and the paratroopers who help saved them from being overrun!!!
Its just such a good series. I look forward to following along throughout this entire series. Something everyone must see at least once.
I remember reading a book called "Geronimo" based on the Airborne troops of WW2, and it has a section from the German side of D-Day. It talk about how soldiers patrolling noticed an abnormal amount of frogs and crickets during the night. What they actually heard was the cheap toy clicker you see at 7:25 and 11:16 (in Lt. Winters hand). It shows you how close some of these guys were to the enemy
Just to give you an idea of the casualty rate, here are the official numbers for that night
June 6, 1944 allied paratrooper strength -13,100
1,003 killed
2,657 wounded
4,490 missing in action (remains never identified or recovered)
To further reiterate to others on this, that meant that if you were one of those paratroopers that night, there was a 62.2% chance that you would end up being a casualty.
Are this casualties from the airborne divisions 82nd, 101st & British 6th ?
@@josevicentejrmeneses8552 82nd and 101st
oh no oh my god
Nothing compared to the numbers in the east.
First thing I learned when I got to my 1st unit - "Every plan goes to sh!t on first contact."
That is why my Daddy didnt talk about it much, he lost his best friend on D-Day. The Greatest Generation - One of a Kind!!
Thank you from France.
@@luketimewalker YW, Daddy died in 1998 but I know he would appreciate you!
@@mamadeereacts thank you ma'am. My family was blessed with becoming friends with a veteran from Montana who was just 22 when he landed on D Day. Now he has passed, as well as my dad (who was 17 in 1944), but we have kept in touch.
Actually, visiting them and a whole lot of the USA in 1986 is the reason why I'm able to converse with you.
Merci.
@@luketimewalker beautiful! ♥️
Loved the video. I had a Great Uncle that was killed in action at Point Du Hoc during the Invasion. Every year since my family has had at least one person at the D Day Anniversary in Normandy to pay our respects, I've even been able to go 3 times. Even after serving myself, its indescribable the surreal feeling you get from walking on the beaches and traveling through the areas these men fought through. On top of all that before he passed, I was able to meet Don Malarkey who is a character in this show. Having grown up in my family and seeing this show when it first aired, meeting him was I think the only time I've ever been speechless just by meeting someone. It honestly felt like meeting a living breathing Super Man because to me growing up, that's how I viewed men like him.
Great two episodes but I will give Nikki advance warning... the road gets pretty rough from here on out. It's important to strive through it though. Although this was a show that was made to make money for the network, I genuinely feel it's one of the best representations of warfare during this era someone can watch. It strays away from the glorification of war like most media and instead shines a very bright light on brotherhood and the values most if not all soldiers today think of when thinking of their own Band of Brothers. I won't give anything away about the show itself or the history (aside from Don Malarkey who I mentioned meeting earlier) but after the series wraps up you should genuinely watch the documentary that was made along with the show so you can see just how closely the actors and crew worked with these genuine heroes and will give you a deeper appreciation of the entire project.
Can't wait for the rest of the series. Take care and gods bless.
As someone else mentioned, there is an Episode 11 'We Stand Alone Together'. It was the companion disc that came with the DVD box set. It has the interviews that you've been seeing snippets of. It ties it all together nicely. But don't watch it until you're done! ✌ Also there is an excellent book Beyond Band of Brothers written by Dick Winters. An excellent read that fills in the gaps, more details, extra battles etc.
The interviews at the beginning of each episode add so much emotion to already amazing series. Can't tell how many times I've watched it but every time it still gets me.
Sobel was sent off to train military chaplains, doctors, and such to get their jumps quals. ;)
Yes, not civilians, but noncombatant military personnel.
He did make the Normandy jump though
My grandparents on my fathers side served in the RCAF(Royal Canadian Air Force) in ww2 grandpa was weatherman and grandma was wireless operator both making sure the weather was safe for pilots to fly in.
That documentary feel was something that Steven Spielberg was definitely trying his best for, and when the production was going, it was a BIG thing, and the stars were coming out of the woodwork to participate in this, so as you go through this, keep your eyes peeled for a bunch of very high tier actors :D
I’ve spent a while watching BoB reactions now and I’ve got to say you guys have the best ones by far. In my opinion, you’re watching for the right reasons and you aren’t constantly talking over everything.
Watching you guys discover this series is a treat.
we appreciate that James... it's an incredible show about even more incredible people
Also keep in mind. These units were not in any way capable of taking prisoners. The invasion on the beach had just started that morning. They were still alone and surrounded
"In preparing for battle, I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable." -Dwight D. Eisenhower
That was Garnier being gun happy because he was eager to get some revenge because he had just found out his brother was killed in Italy
My stepfather (born in NYC) in '30 and his family moved back to Germany in 'early '39, I believe, for this reason. I've tried to imagine - he was a kid and it was all fun and games in the Hitler Youth - like camp, he said (only with authoritarian propaganda of course, which unsurprisingly failed to take root I'm pretty sure - he was a kid, not an idiot). Later he had to swim the river to steal potatoes. That'll cure ya, I reckon. I don't remember the time of year honestly, but I've always imagined the water to be icy. Moved back to the Bronx after the war. I never saw him treat another person unfairly, me included, though he enjoyed and (I suppose) sympathized with Archie Bunker.
Though not an affectionate stepfather (thanks, I guess!), he was unfailingly considerate for a talented perfectionist, and good hard work was appreciated by me not having to do over again. Born left-handed, he had to learn to write right handed at school in Germany. Later, in my time, he would draw left-handed (he has 2 patents, btw) and write right handed. Both admirably neat and precise. Blah blah blah, but yeah, Germans were called back home and many paid for heeding that call. Still, I wish he'd taken me to a Mets game.
We as Americans and the world really, owe this generation more than we could ever repay. There are so few left, they are heroes, each and everyone.
There's a boxing mantra: "hard training, easy fight". That's what they were doing in currahee.
This series should be shown in school to show what these young men did for everyone today.
This show is so incredible. Whenever they do the marathons on TV I watch. If I could only watch 1 series for the rest of my life this would absolutely be the one.
My advice to you guys is to avoid trying to figure out who the real veterans are at the beginning of each episode. You'll find out at the end at it's a really satisfying payoff.
This is not only well done, its based in facts, its a real life story... which makes it even more amazing
ooooh yeah! I'm so happy that you guys are reacting to this show. This show is one of the reasons for me having a major in History, today.
Y'all: "You have to shoot everything."
Me: **chuckles in Lt. Speirs**
Steven, your reaction at 18:32 was friggin' priceless.
You obviously have a very good relationship, because you know when to keep your mouth shut, lol.
"We're not lost, Private, we're in Normandy"
You'll later learn the identities of the older men being interviewed at the beginning of each episode. They don't tell you until the last episode. Otherwise, you would know some characters are "safe" since they survived to become old men. They want you to watch the series understanding that in war, anyone could go at any second. No one is "safe".
1:42 Really appreciated your comments. Dear friend of mine was on the 3rd wave into Iwo Jima. He was so close to his Sgt who was a really tough fellow. He was killed right next to my friend. They all wept but had to keep fighting. He and others survived because of that NCOs dedication, toughness and, well, quite frankly: love. God bless our Vets.
18:30 Steven’s face in response to Nikki 😂😂😂
@10:33 I know this is a late comment, but this is the reason the Army, especially the Special Operations units, puts such a huge premium on land navigation skills. When I went through Special Forces Assessment and Selection, they never once tested our close combat ability or even our shooting accuracy, but they tested our land navigation (at night, solo) skills with one practical exam after another, for about 65% of the process. From what I've been told, CAG [Delta Force] Selection is almost entirely land navigation. As one of my Army mentors told me "it doesn't matter if you can fight if you can't get TO the fight."
so glad to see you both reacting to this series, its in the top 5 greatest series ever made along with BB, BCS, GOT and its sister series the pacific
BCS?
@@andreraymond6860 Better Call Saul I think
@@andreraymond6860 better call saul
@@andreraymond6860 yes better call saul
Don’t forget Sopranos
At 13:00: Nikki you make one of the most profound statements. Your empathy is really deep.
“An ounce of sweat on the parade ground will save gallons of blood up on the battlefield.” -Benjamin Franklin.
The soldier that says STAND UP, HOOK UP, EQUIPMENT CHECK is Major Richard Winters.
Can you please delete his rank? He's a Lt in this episode. That way they aren't spoiled for future episodes.
"It's like the beginning of "Overlord..."
Except there are far fewer zombies in this one...
Well, given that “Overlord” is the name of the whole D-Day operation, it’s more true than one might think.
Not even that many Zombies in that movie anyways
It's weird how history plays out. In 1801 and 1807 my country, Denmark, basically received 2 insane uppercuts by the English fleet in two naval battles. Those defeats actually later served to draw Denmark much closer to Britain economically and politically. At the end of WW II Britain adamantly insisted on getting to Denmark before The Red Army because it was considered their sphere of influence. 2 British divisions diverted from the NW front and liberated us - otherwise we would have been behind The Iron Curtain and speaking Russian. All because of something that happened 144 and 138 years prior...
So, thanks Britain! ❤️
Getting our asses handed to us by The Royal Navy was the best thing that could happen to us later on😂😂
As for the, "no one knows who is who". Americans decided to use these little things called clickers, where two clicks would convey "friendly". Sooner or later, Germans discovered the purpose of the clickers and used them to lure American paratroopers. In the episode, Winters uses a clicker as far as I remember.
they also use the code “thunder” as germans have a hard time saying the “th” noise apparently
In the book "Band of Brothers" one of the soldiers, it may have been Dick Winters, described being dropped in the wrong place on D-Day and rounding up some troops to go "make trouble". That's how they described being behind enemy lines far from their mission objective. "Make trouble.". Just an awe-inspiring group of men.
They were well-trained, and even when the jump was so disorganized, when they landed they still fought effectively, and the jumps being so spread out had the Germans thinking there were a lot more of them than was actually the case.
They are what we call LGOP's ( Little Group of Paratroopers).
Lmao the slow awkward look you give her when she asks if the kid is ok after running into a claymore