Actually, you want training to be harder than anything you expect them to face. That way, when the shit hits the fan, they're up to the challenge. Sobel was a complete asshole, but he was also a damned good trainer (for the time) and they all credited his training for their performance and survival in the war. And yeah, Sobel very much resented the transfer. He had to leave his company and not actually fight the war, after spending all that much time and effort training for it. That would be hard on anyone.
Yeah but Sobel was completely incompetent in the field, and that would have gotten a large number of men killed. Also, you can train people hard and not be that much of jerk. In the book, most of the men interviewed still hated him. I think his training succeeded due to the high quality of men they had in that initial batch (and many of them washed out). I don't know how well he succeeded on following classes.
@@Erik-um1zn yeah, they paint him as someone who doesn't have respect for his men, and talks down to them. As opposed to Winters. And no doubt all of these guys would've loved to come home from war and say 'that was rough, but nothing was rougher than Curahee'. But when all was said and done, all of them would've traded that time they spent in battle for 2 more years with Sobel in training.
Sobel never gotten over being transferred out of his company. After the war he married, had 3 kids, he tried to commit suicide in the 60's but the bullet entered the head and exited on the other side only severing the optical nerves, leaving him blind untill he died in 1987. Nobody attended his funeral.
Sobel was a captain who acted like a drill sergeant. An enlisted officer playing the role of an NCO basically. He made them tough, sure. That said, he had no tactical acumen and no connection to his men. His NCOs literally mutinied against him en masse as a unit. About the best unifying he managed there I'd say.
I'm so glad to see you covering this series. EVERYBODY should watch Band of Brothers at least once in their lifetime - it's an amazing story, very well told, AND has incredible historical significance.
Sobel was a bad leader, but he did have the right concept for training. Being an elite Soldier is about fortitude - forcing yourself to continue through hardship and pain and keep fighting. Soldiers need to believe that they can endure and this kind of training gives them that. After that, then they teach them the skills to stay alive.
In interviews with surviving members of Easy Company, most of them hated Sobel but were grateful in retrospect for how hard he pushed them, seeing it as one of the greatest factors that got them through.
Having served in the military I can say that Sobel is not a good trainer. A good trainer is hard but fair and there is nothing fair about Sobel. I know what his men said about his training and I also know it was said grudgingly. Any good that came from his training was not on purpose. His terrible work in the field is training also. Had he been a good trainer they wouldn't have pulled the stunt with the fence or the NCO's wouldn't have written the letters of resignation either. What kind of CO gives a man a promotion then gives him 14 days of mess hall duty. An asshole that's who. This was jump school not boot camp which they had already gone through.
Correct. He was a phenomenal instructor but a terirble field leader. Many of easy company said they wouldn't of survived if it wasn't for his training.
"Cut them some slack!" No, actually you want the training to be hard on them...the more you train, and the harder you train, the more ingrained the skills become into muscle memory, so when under fire the soldier just automatically does the correct actions without having to stop and think about it. Or, to put it another way, "training is bloodless combat, and combat is bloody training." "How are they smoking so much while doing this stuff?" Well, the men (and women) of the 1940s were built different than they are today...most had a pretty hard upbringing during the Great Depression, as well as being raised by a much tougher generation that lived through WWI, and so they ended up being some very tough bastards. Doesn't help that people actually thought smoking was good for you back then. "Imagine how heavy that must be" well, it's roughly doubling their body weight for a lot of those guys, so yeah...there's no real option for resupply for paratroopers when they jump into combat, so they were jumping with everything they thought they could possibly need for 72 hours of combat behind enemy lines...pretty insane really, but then, the whole concept of the Airborne was pretty crazy for the time. "Are they dropping straight into combat?" Yup, that's the point of paratroopers...drop them behind enemy lines to attack key targets like command posts or artillery positions, disrupt supply lines, and generally sow chaos wherever possible to soften up the front lines a bit for the main invading force. Paratroopers are supposed to be surrounded by the enemy. BTS tidbit about the planes taking off: they could only find 6 of those C-47s that could still safely fly, and CGI wasn't advanced enough then to do the planes taking off realistically, so they had the planes take off on one airstrip, circle around behind the cameras, land on a different airstrip, taxi back to the first airstrip, and take off again, over and over, to get the feel of a massive fleet of planes...they also had them do some different formations with all 6 in the air, then composited the different groups together for the final wide shot of all the planes in the air. Glad to see you doing this...it's a great series that everybody should watch, though it does get pretty rough emotionally-speaking in some of the later episodes.
Actually, Hanks plays one of the Red Devils when Easy goes on a mission to retrieve them. He also plays a French Soldier who executes some Germans as Easy drives by in a truck. :-)
Sobel's training methods are spot on. There's an old adage that states " the more you sweat in peacetime, the less you bleed in war" He couldn't afford to give them a break, and in ordering them to do what might seem inhuman to anyone who has not experienced it, actually improved their chances of accomplishing any mission they might have been given, but also their chances of survival. Other than actually being in combat, training soldiers to accomplish feats of athleticism that are beyond anything that they believe themselves capable of, is, and has been, the best way to prepare them, even if it is second best.
“The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in battle.” The harder and more realistic the training is, the less combat will affect most Soldiers.
Yes they were dropping straight into combat, they were dropping in behind enemy lines so that the enemy forces defending the beaches would be attacked from behind as well as from the beach.
But heir most important missions was to secure the flanks of the beaches' landing zones-the U.S. paras on the west flank and the British 6th Airborne Division on the east.
Their mission was to cut off reinforcements to the beach, attack any supporting artillery, and capture road ways and towns so landing units could link up further inland.
@@dirus3142 I agree that those objectives you point out were part of the mission plan but they were secondary goals. The primary goal was to protect the flanks of the invasion area. If not, using your reasoning, then ask yourself why weren't paratroopers dropped behind the interior beaches of Omaha, Gold, and Juno? Two regiments of the 101st were tasked with exactly the missions as you described. The remaining regiment of the 101st would cover the approach from Carentan and the 82nd Airborne was intended to cover the bulk of the invasions right flank by blocking the approaches from the west and north. Similarly, the British 6th Airborne would cover the left flank of the invasion area to block any German incursions from the east.
The reason for checking the canteens after the march is that partially filled canteens make noise from the sloshing of water; if you're trying to move silently, that makes it difficult.
You're right about soldiers being a society unto themselves. If you watch "We Stand Alone Together". Kind of a 11th episode you'll see more in depth interviews with the soldiers. Joe Toye and Shifty did not even tell their families what they had done in the war. The old men at the beginning of most episodes are the surviving members of Easy Company. You won't find out who they are until the end of the last episode. I hope you and all of the Homies are doing well. You are much closer to the fighting than most of your fans.
I once heard separating from the military descried as "Being an immigrant from a nation that doesn't exist", and it has stuck with me. It's the best way I've heard it described, that feeling of being alienated and separate.
My uncle John was part of both the 101st Airborne, the screaming eagles but he started WW 2 in the 82nd Airborne, the All American division. He lost a lot of friends during the fighting. These soldiers were the best of America 🇺🇸.
The purpose of being strict and rough with them during training is to toughen them up both physically and mentally. If they can make it through a controlled environment like basic training then they’ll be able to handle an uncontrolled environment like a war zone. Particularly being airborne infantry they are trained to be self reliant because their purpose is to be dropped behind enemy lines. It may seem mean but they can be called into combat at any time and they have to be ready.
Hey blue, I'm so glad you finally got into this. You're going to laugh you're going to cry and you're going to fall in love with these guys. It's an amazing ride enjoy every second of it. ❤️💚☘️🇺🇦
$100 80yrs ago was worth a lot more then,than now(inflation) Yes that's Ross from friends Dispite Sobels harsh drills easy company credit him with getting them battle ready Tom hanks is a execative producer not acting in this show One of the best TV shows ever great reaction Blue😃
Making them run at a moments notice, even after just eating serves a purpose. You never know when you will have to move out/fight in the middle of a warzone!
I know this is going to be a hard mini-series to get through, but I’m so happy you finally get to watch Band of Brothers. It’s an amazing true story based on real veterans from one of the most distinguished US Army units of World War II. It really makes one appreciate all the little blessings they have in life. So thank you Blue! ❤️ Captain Herbert M. Sobel had a reputation for being a harsh disciplinarian, and one of the strictest officers in the US Army. Many in Easy Company hated him as he would often come across as a petty, and vindictive tyrant. At the same time, the veterans of Easy Company credited Sobel’s training for physically and mentally preparing them for war. Their very survival depended on it. I know it seems harsh, but this is how elite combat units train. You want the training to be hard, this way your troops are able to endure the inevitable hardships of war. Sobel might have been as asshole, but he pushed these men hard, and transformed them into one of the toughest units in the 101st Airborne Division. While his flaws as a leader and tactician in the field became apparent, he was recognized for his training and administrative skills. 15:39 One of the reasons is that the paratroopers have to land in the same Drop Zone, so the transport aircraft have to remain in relatively close proximity in order to ensure that the paratroopers arrive at the same location as cohesive fighting units. This is important since these men will be landing behind enemy lines, surrounded by the German Army, hours before Allied troops land on the beaches of Normandy.
Im making a 6" custom action figure of Winters. Have been working on an off it for a year now. Found a 12" Head of the actor on ebay about a year ago and shrunk it down to 6" scale with chemicals and molds. Using a body from a 6" toyline that is making Saving Private Ryan figures at the moment. I always take the time to watch reactions to this series, it never gets old.
@@joshuasantana685 They already did. Check out a brand called DID 1/12 toys. They are in the middle of making the whole crew. Vin Diesel is up for preorder.
Most people are surprised at the amount of knowledge a modern era soldier needs to know. First Aid, field sanitation unless you want to be sick, how to call in reports when attacked, how to call for fire (like artillery and now air strikes), how to call medical assistance on the radio for medevacs, how best to utilize your troops, weapon capabilities, study of enemy positions as well as your own, fall back locations, where to avoid, and more.
The German Lugar was awesome looking, mid-60's my dad gave me a replica Lugar as a toy. I lived 3 years in France; I camped as a boy-scout where Easy company had landed.
Trixy, you do realize that being resident in Eastern Europe you may be facing the same in your very own back-yard / country in a few months time, but against Russia.
When paratroopers are dropped, they attempt to maintain unit cohesion by keeping battalions and their companies in close proximity to each other. They are more of an effective fighting unit as opposed to being scattered. That is why the planes are flying in close formations.
May seem cruel the way they were treated, but after all was said and done...they were grateful for it. Have listened to the guys talk about it. Said that they were really tough on them and did things like try to convince them that they weren't men. Basically did everything they could to break them, to weed out the ones who weren't strong enough to handle the pressure. War is unforgiving. If you can't handle the worst conditions and the stress...you just aren't cut out for it. Outside of Sobel, it was Sink who was put in charge. Sink wanted to forge them in the way that he envisioned them to be. He wanted them all to start out together and go together. I mean the guy was like a father to them all. He stuck with them during the war as well.
Great seeing you do this series, back in the day i was in E/506th ( WW2 Living History unit ) and was in the Barracks in PA during the annual Battle of the Bulge reenactment. and we would have many of the Org Troopers you see in this series with us. We had XXXXX read the letter from Tom Hanks asking their blessing to make this show. he then asked us what we all thought and we all shouted a big HELL YES!!! noting like a barrack's full about 100 drunk Troopers having a Prop Blast Bash cheering this and in 2001 after it came out get to talk with them about what they thought they got right and wrong with it. also in 2017 worked on a film with Ron Livingston (Nixon) i tried like hell to find a copier / Bat & a bottle of VAT69 , but no luck but Ron was game to do it ) we talked alot about BOB as we had stories to share about drinking with XXX & XXXX.
Tom Hanks did not have an acting role in this mini-series. His involvement was as producer along with Steven Spielberg, also as director in episode 5. His son does have an acting part in one of the episodes towards the end.
When you asked about the planes they have to stay in formation, to make sure they all make it to there destination. It was a very risk factor because once a plane is shot down it can crash into other planes being a higher casualty rate it must of been terrifying. May they never be forgot...
@@timroebuck3458 how? What you said is basically the same thing..? You literally came to the comment section to comment because you thought what she said was stupid.. quit crying when I tell the truth.. sick of the babying of everyone these days. Wahhh wahhh 🤦♂️🙄
@@timroebuck3458 don’t care if you don’t like what I said alright.. nothing more for you and I to go on about. I’m sure you’ll pick out something in this too 🤷♂️🤦♂️🥱
Thank you for starting this groundbreaking, remarkable, and inspiring miniseries. For all of the troubles in our world, let this true story remind us that when called upon, that ordinary men can rise up and do extraordinary things. Good will triumph over evil.
Thank you for starting this series. You will learn, grow, laugh and cry along with the men of Easy Company. What they and all Allied soldiers did for the world can never be underestimated. Looking forward to your next installment. Cheers!
This company had, at least, one dude who was around 14-15 years old when he joined, his parents were shocked when they got a letter about their, in actuality 17 year old son's death overseas in the Army.
My highest compliments to you for that sincere introduction and the thoughtful intentionality compelling you to watch this series. May we all remain safe as the global ramifications of the ongoing war unfold.
Let me explain some things, that it seems you don't understand due to your age. First, in military training they make it very, very hard and intense for a reason. They are trying to create stress for you so you can get familiar with that feeling and still perform you task. They are also giving instructions and ALL instructions need to be followed, in detail, 100% of the time. Why? Because in combat it will get very, very, very intense and violent and a soldier needs to still be able to think clearly and perform. Also, the orders given need to be followed 100% accurately -- this is the reason for the intense training. Your questions about smoking -- what you don't understand is that prior to you being born, smoking was very, very popular!! Smoking is still quite popular in Asia. As time has progressed many things go "out of style" - smoking is one of them.
Even at that age she has no common sense and it’s scary.. This is what the world looks like now. Bunch of clueless teenagers and people in their 20s not knowing the simplest of things. I’m just telling the truth but people will get mad at it 🤣🤦♂️🤷♂️ don’t even care.
The beginning comments are from actual Easy Company members. After the last episode all of these men are identified. Some, through excellent casting, are easy to get. The extra $50, jump pay, gave them twice as much as infantrymen. There have always been people like "Ross". Sometimes there were "accidents"that kept them from getting other people killed. Sobel wasn't a nice guy and incompetent under pressure. Short of discharge, keeping him from combat was the best option. Nice you recognized these high-school and college kids were doing this instead of working at "McDonald's". Many tried to volunteer, were rejected, and committed suicide when they were told they didn't qualify to serve. We still call these war fighters the greatest generation. Good watch!
Most of them are under 20 YOA. Lieutenants were in their early twenties, but privates were 16-19 for the most part. The minimun was 18, but many lied to get in and fight.
6:12 Well, Sobel has a point there. . . . 15:23 The arithmetic average age of the combat soldier was said to be 26, but in WW2, men as old as 40 participated, which pushes that average up. In reality, the age range of the average combat soldier was 18 - 25 years old, with some as young as 16 and 17 lying about their age so they could get into the armed forces. (The older gents were, more often than not, placed in Construction Battalions, i.e. blue collar workers who would construct the air, land and sea bases that the troops would be located in.) And since the legal drinking age in the US at the time was 21, that meant that the younger soldiers were too young to buy themselves a beer. This is one of the best miniseries ever made - a great choice to react to!
The more you sweat in training, the less you'll bleed in combat. That's a good rule of thumb, in most cases. Sobel was a decent training officer for the time, and hadn't done anything, specifically, to warrant being dismissed back to the States...OTOH, having basically the entire NCO cadre of his company commit Mutiny by writing a letter to Col. Sink saying that they had lost confidence in him as a leader, guaranteed that he'd be replaced, no matter what. Sink likely knew that there were problems with Sobel, but not how bad they really were. That's why Sobel was "promoted sideways", by being given a training command, because it got him out of the way. Also, side note 1: The average US paratrooper load in WW2 was c.136lbs, or c.61-62kg...Which is about what is currently carried by troops on a foot march. Another rule of thumb is that, as gear and equipment get lighter, you will be handed more gear to carry around. Side Note 2: Infantry troops need to be well-educated, cunning and ruthless. Stupid infantry are moving targets, and die in direct proportion to how stupid and badly educated they are.
This is my favorite episode in some ways...if only for the fact that Captain Sobel and "Army noodles with ketchup" are their biggest concerns. While knowing what lies ahead...be prepared to grow, learn, laugh and suffer with these characters Blue.
Tom Hanks directed/produced with Steven Spielberg but did not act in it. His son however has a bit part in episode 8 The Last Patrol. Please remember this is a true story.
Your question about the distance between the planes. In WW2 they did not have the experience of this types of scenarios. The american and british air force changed the way they flew later, with greater distance between planes.
The enemy does not care if you've just eaten or if you're in the middle of taking a dump for that matter. Sobel was a twat of a man but a damn good training officer. As for all the smoking, most of the guys I served with were chain-smoking, functioning alcoholics that were seriously fit men. Amazing what the human body can adapt to 😁.
I understand Sobel. He's not a good combat leader, but he's trained the Company very well. The reason I was hard on them was to psychologically prepare them to endure the horrors of war. The reason to make them run after the meal before finishing was because in the middle of the war, the enemy doesn't care if you were eating. They will attack at any moment. Everything in military training has a reason to be. Sobel was very important in turning those men into what they became.
What a lot of people don't realize unless they have read one of the many books is that their regiment (the 506th), which consisted of them, 2 other companies, and an HQ company, was completely experimental. They served with everyone that showed up on day 1 (unless they washed out) to the end of the war. Basic training, jump school, field training, everything was done together. If you weren't in the 506th, the people that were in basic and jump training were probably not with them by the time they entered combat. This is why the guys in Easy company were so close.
You're talking about 2nd Battalion only, with the 4 Companies. The 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment in WWII consisted of 3 Battalions with a total of 14 Companies-9 rifle companies, 3 Battalion HQ Companies, a Regimental HQ Company and a Service Company. I don't know how it was organized from the '50s onward.
Hey Blue, here's an interesting fact. Parachuters carry so much gear before they jump, if they're sitting on the ground, they will need someone to help them stand up. This episode does a great job of showing Lt Winters performing that task for each of the soldiers assigned to his plane.
So I think I saw you react to Schindler's List on The Homies Channel? This came across my feed and I love this series, So I subscribed and am along for the ride. It's always great when a young person gets educated about this era. Thanks for watching.
Military aircraft fly in close formation for a number of reasons; in this case, I think it's to make it harder for enemy radar to tell how many individual aircraft in the formation.
Part of the idea with the canteen/water thing is that sometimes when your deployed its not safe to drink or partake in the food/water of the land your located in. This could be for a multitude of reasons. The most common is the water can contain parasites and such your body isnt used that are harmful. The other, is that in war its not uncommon or unheard of for a retreating army that being pushed back to poison/spoil the water and food sources as they retreat in a effort to kill injured enemy soldier, taking them out of the fight and tying up medical supplies. This means what you are carrying with you may be the only food/water youll have for a substantial amount of time..... officer's will then allocate when you can drink/eat inorder to preserve that resource. Hence why being disciplined enough to abstain when ordered to is very important. Its not Sobel's just being a jerk.......atleast, not entirely.
In regards to your "Does he know who they have to deal with" question...no, he likely didn't. He probably saw the performance records of the men in reports (which, as he said when he promoted Sobel to Captain, were excellent) and assumed all was well. It wasn't until all the NCOs (usually the highest ranking and most experienced enlisted ratings in a military unit) came forward with their refusal to follow him that he realized how deep the situation was. He had to be upset with them. These were enlisted men refusing to follow lawfully given orders by a superior officer in a time of war, after all. But he realized it as a symptom of a bigger problem and solved it by transferring Sobel out.
This is absolutely appropriate blue! Band of Brothers is a tale of brotherhood and War. Both of which are going on in the world right now...well, we could use more brotherhood, anyways. Alle menchen wirden brüder.
These men were training to jump behind enemy lines (Hitler's Atlantic wall) to fight the German army knowing when they landed there would be enemy no matter which direction they went. They had to train hard. It was the only way they could win or even survive. Their regiment, the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division started out with over 8000 volunteers and were whittled down to under 2000 men because their training was so brutal causing most of the men to quit and fo back to regular army units leaving only the best of the best. The army doesn't make elite soldiers by being sensitive to them and giving them a break and we definitely would not have beaten nazi Germany or imperial Japan if we we didn't train our soldiers, sailors and marines hard.
it is a common training practice within military units to designate one higher ranking individual to be the asshole to give everyone else a single target to direct their ire. it helps build trust between the men, having a common disdain. it is not usually an officer. every officer in the Marines i ever served under would consider Sobol's behavior beneath the position.
Re: Sobel........there are some "leaders" who think that inflicting petty, chicken s##t discipline makes tougher soldiers. As far as the Sobel-Winters relationship, Sowell was using a chicken s##t Article 15 to knock Winters down a peg, thinking that he would just roll over and accept the Article 15. Winters screwed that plan up by demanding a court-martial. Colonel Sink, although coming down hard on Easy Company's non-coms, couldn't ignore their action. He had to have known about Sobels& lack of field skills. The opening at the jump school gave him a way of getting Sobel out of Easy and fill the need they had for a training officer at the same time
The planes did fly close to each other in order to drop men with the same area, so that they could quickly overwhelm any small Germany units. Well that was the idea anyway, no plans survives engagement with the enemy. Paratroopers we're still a new concept then. They were elite units designed to operate as light infantry behind enemy lines. They were expected to take out Nazi artillery positions, take strategic towns and bridges, and hold these against German tanks and armored units until such time as they could be relieved to by our our armored units.
This is one of the best WWII series ever made. It is very difficult to watch at times - just so you know. Hanks and Spielberg producing it do it right. And Ross is a dick in this :P
Hope you're feeling ok too Trixy. I sometimes go online and talk about being aware of other people's mental health when I'm feeling wobbly so hope you're all good. :-)
this can be a hard series to watch, but its made incredibly well and portrays some of what these young men went through. Looking forward to going thru this with you. Try to avoid the spoilers, really makes the whole experience better.
Trix, please realize. The starting pay during that time was $50 a month (about $800 today) and Paratroopers received an additional $50, meaning double pay of $1600 in today's money. Count in the fact that buying stuff was also cheaper back then in comparison to the value of the money.......and that makes for a very good incentive to join. But......as many of those men stated later, it was "blood money" because the expected survival rate of paratroopers was way lower then the average soldier during WW2.
Sobel getting kicked off for incompetence in leadership is something other armies in the world dont do. In most armies, officers often get their positions because of the people they know or the money they have... and they end up killing their men.
6:00 "Cut them some slack." It's precisely because war will be rougher on them than anything in training that you do not cut them any slack. You want training to push people beyond what they thought possible. If they're going to break, you want them to break in training - not in combat.
I just finished re-watching this series last night. I never get tired of watching this. You should also look for the book and give it a read. Tom Hanks produced this along with Steven Spielberg but he is not actually in it; his son, Colin Hanks, is in one episode. As a Veteran myself, Richard Winters was a better, more capable leader than Sobel and the kind of leader I would gladly have followed. Looking forward to your reactions to the following episodes of this series as you follow Easy Company through the war and across Europe.
Today we don't equate smoking with health (for obvious reasons) and physically fit people are never seen smoking, but back in the 1940's most people smoked. In fact, most healthy people smoked. Movie stars, politicians, writers, scientists, even professional athletes. Smoking was seen as being adult and cool, much like alcohol is still seen as today. If you didn't smoke, you were seen as a "Square"(uncool and or weird). Heck back then it wasn't unheard of for kids to smoke, away from the eyes of their parents of course.
There's a saying - if you train hard, you fight easy. If you train easy, you fight hard. Men need to get used to the rigors of war if they are to survive, going easy on them doesn't produce tough soldiers. You don't need to be horrible to them like Sobel was, but he created the toughest soldiers
Starp in, it only gets worse. Doing anything, including nothing can get you killed in a war zone. Glad you are watching it. Yes, its hard to watch and the hard is what makes it great. They didnt pull punches. As an Iraq vet, I approve this message.
As you said war would always be worse. So if they weren't prepared and hardened, they would never have survived it. Sobel was a good trainer, but apparently not a good field tactician.
I couldn't believe that you discovered this TV series. It was the favorite of my father when I was a kid. I used to watch some episodes with him, but today I can understand the message. I hope you can afford the violence and crudity of the content. It could be hard but it's a great show, very realistic.
Sobel was trying to assert total dominance over winters by arbitrarily changing the latrine duty time by 15 minutes, and failing to notify him, and then telling winters he was going to revoke his 48 hour passes for 60 days or request a trial by cort martial, thinking winters would just say okay, and take it. Winters called his bluff by requesting a trial. Sobel was very petty. Also, after losing easy company, he was transferred to a traing school, and then got bumped down to being a supply officer.
@@thereturningshadow he's one of the members of the Red Devils in episode 5. You see him very briefly. And I believe he also has a cameo later as a French soldier who executes two (?) captured SS soldiers.
@@soho2409 Ok. I believe I saw him. I reduced the play speed to 25% and saw him in the background when everyone was toasting in the barn. He actually ducked behind another soldier. IMDB sites him as being in that episode uncredited but not others.
Actually, you want training to be harder than anything you expect them to face. That way, when the shit hits the fan, they're up to the challenge.
Sobel was a complete asshole, but he was also a damned good trainer (for the time) and they all credited his training for their performance and survival in the war. And yeah, Sobel very much resented the transfer. He had to leave his company and not actually fight the war, after spending all that much time and effort training for it. That would be hard on anyone.
Yeah but Sobel was completely incompetent in the field, and that would have gotten a large number of men killed. Also, you can train people hard and not be that much of jerk. In the book, most of the men interviewed still hated him. I think his training succeeded due to the high quality of men they had in that initial batch (and many of them washed out). I don't know how well he succeeded on following classes.
@@Erik-um1zn The men also credit him for making easy a good unit, and toughening them for hardship.
@@Erik-um1zn yeah, they paint him as someone who doesn't have respect for his men, and talks down to them. As opposed to Winters.
And no doubt all of these guys would've loved to come home from war and say 'that was rough, but nothing was rougher than Curahee'. But when all was said and done, all of them would've traded that time they spent in battle for 2 more years with Sobel in training.
Sobel never gotten over being transferred out of his company. After the war he married, had 3 kids, he tried to commit suicide in the 60's but the bullet entered the head and exited on the other side only severing the optical nerves, leaving him blind untill he died in 1987. Nobody attended his funeral.
Sobel was a captain who acted like a drill sergeant. An enlisted officer playing the role of an NCO basically. He made them tough, sure. That said, he had no tactical acumen and no connection to his men. His NCOs literally mutinied against him en masse as a unit. About the best unifying he managed there I'd say.
I'm so glad to see you covering this series. EVERYBODY should watch Band of Brothers at least once in their lifetime - it's an amazing story, very well told, AND has incredible historical significance.
I think she came here for the views, which is great, but I think she'll leave believing what you just wrote.
Sobel was a bad leader, but he did have the right concept for training. Being an elite Soldier is about fortitude - forcing yourself to continue through hardship and pain and keep fighting. Soldiers need to believe that they can endure and this kind of training gives them that. After that, then they teach them the skills to stay alive.
its why he was moved to be a trainer, Sobel was a great teacher and drill instructor but a horrible leader.
In interviews with surviving members of Easy Company, most of them hated Sobel but were grateful in retrospect for how hard he pushed them, seeing it as one of the greatest factors that got them through.
Having served in the military I can say that Sobel is not a good trainer. A good trainer is hard but fair and there is nothing fair about Sobel. I know what his men said about his training and I also know it was said grudgingly. Any good that came from his training was not on purpose. His terrible work in the field is training also. Had he been a good trainer they wouldn't have pulled the stunt with the fence or the NCO's wouldn't have written the letters of resignation either. What kind of CO gives a man a promotion then gives him 14 days of mess hall duty. An asshole that's who. This was jump school not boot camp which they had already gone through.
@@dorkmier at the time, I think he’s a good trainer.
Correct. He was a phenomenal instructor but a terirble field leader. Many of easy company said they wouldn't of survived if it wasn't for his training.
Keep in mind that in 1941 or 1942, $50 back then is equivalent to $956.29 USD today and $100 is equivalent to $1,912.57 when you adjust for inflation.
Jesus, I didn't know it was that little. I wouldn't jump out of an airplane behind enemy lines for $2000 a month.
Keep in mind that you'll also have next to no costs during that time. Everything is provided.
"Cut them some slack!" No, actually you want the training to be hard on them...the more you train, and the harder you train, the more ingrained the skills become into muscle memory, so when under fire the soldier just automatically does the correct actions without having to stop and think about it. Or, to put it another way, "training is bloodless combat, and combat is bloody training."
"How are they smoking so much while doing this stuff?" Well, the men (and women) of the 1940s were built different than they are today...most had a pretty hard upbringing during the Great Depression, as well as being raised by a much tougher generation that lived through WWI, and so they ended up being some very tough bastards. Doesn't help that people actually thought smoking was good for you back then.
"Imagine how heavy that must be" well, it's roughly doubling their body weight for a lot of those guys, so yeah...there's no real option for resupply for paratroopers when they jump into combat, so they were jumping with everything they thought they could possibly need for 72 hours of combat behind enemy lines...pretty insane really, but then, the whole concept of the Airborne was pretty crazy for the time.
"Are they dropping straight into combat?" Yup, that's the point of paratroopers...drop them behind enemy lines to attack key targets like command posts or artillery positions, disrupt supply lines, and generally sow chaos wherever possible to soften up the front lines a bit for the main invading force. Paratroopers are supposed to be surrounded by the enemy.
BTS tidbit about the planes taking off: they could only find 6 of those C-47s that could still safely fly, and CGI wasn't advanced enough then to do the planes taking off realistically, so they had the planes take off on one airstrip, circle around behind the cameras, land on a different airstrip, taxi back to the first airstrip, and take off again, over and over, to get the feel of a massive fleet of planes...they also had them do some different formations with all 6 in the air, then composited the different groups together for the final wide shot of all the planes in the air.
Glad to see you doing this...it's a great series that everybody should watch, though it does get pretty rough emotionally-speaking in some of the later episodes.
So much common sense is lacked. Hard to watch
Tom Hanks was a producer for this. The closest you get to him onscreen is his son having a part towards the end.
Actually, Hanks plays one of the Red Devils when Easy goes on a mission to retrieve them. He also plays a French Soldier who executes some Germans as Easy drives by in a truck.
:-)
@@bryanburton6087 I think he was a Belgian soldier.
you said "some of them were boys like 20". Yes, and even younger (16-17) because some of them lied about their age because they wanted to be engaged.
Sobel's training methods are spot on. There's an old adage that states " the more you sweat in peacetime, the less you bleed in war" He couldn't afford to give them a break, and in ordering them to do what might seem inhuman to anyone who has not experienced it, actually improved their chances of accomplishing any mission they might have been given, but also their chances of survival. Other than actually being in combat, training soldiers to accomplish feats of athleticism that are beyond anything that they believe themselves capable of, is, and has been, the best way to prepare them, even if it is second best.
“The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in battle.” The harder and more realistic the training is, the less combat will affect most Soldiers.
Yes they were dropping straight into combat, they were dropping in behind enemy lines so that the enemy forces defending the beaches would be attacked from behind as well as from the beach.
But heir most important missions was to secure the flanks of the beaches' landing zones-the U.S. paras on the west flank and the British 6th Airborne Division on the east.
Their mission was to cut off reinforcements to the beach, attack any supporting artillery, and capture road ways and towns so landing units could link up further inland.
@@dirus3142 I agree that those objectives you point out were part of the mission plan but they were secondary goals. The primary goal was to protect the flanks of the invasion area. If not, using your reasoning, then ask yourself why weren't paratroopers dropped behind the interior beaches of Omaha, Gold, and Juno?
Two regiments of the 101st were tasked with exactly the missions as you described. The remaining regiment of the 101st would cover the approach from Carentan and the 82nd Airborne was intended to cover the bulk of the invasions right flank by blocking the approaches from the west and north. Similarly, the British 6th Airborne would cover the left flank of the invasion area to block any German incursions from the east.
The reason for checking the canteens after the march is that partially filled canteens make noise from the sloshing of water; if you're trying to move silently, that makes it difficult.
You're right about soldiers being a society unto themselves. If you watch "We Stand Alone Together". Kind of a 11th episode you'll see more in depth interviews with the soldiers. Joe Toye and Shifty did not even tell their families what they had done in the war. The old men at the beginning of most episodes are the surviving members of Easy Company. You won't find out who they are until the end of the last episode. I hope you and all of the Homies are doing well. You are much closer to the fighting than most of your fans.
A MUST watch imo.
I once heard separating from the military descried as "Being an immigrant from a nation that doesn't exist", and it has stuck with me. It's the best way I've heard it described, that feeling of being alienated and separate.
My uncle John was part of both the 101st Airborne, the screaming eagles but he started WW 2 in the 82nd Airborne, the All American division. He lost a lot of friends during the fighting. These soldiers were the best of America 🇺🇸.
fun fact: Its called the "all American Division" because it had someone from every state in The Union.
The purpose of being strict and rough with them during training is to toughen them up both physically and mentally. If they can make it through a controlled environment like basic training then they’ll be able to handle an uncontrolled environment like a war zone.
Particularly being airborne infantry they are trained to be self reliant because their purpose is to be dropped behind enemy lines.
It may seem mean but they can be called into combat at any time and they have to be ready.
Hey blue, I'm so glad you finally got into this. You're going to laugh you're going to cry and you're going to fall in love with these guys. It's an amazing ride enjoy every second of it. ❤️💚☘️🇺🇦
I’m 25 it’s crazy to hear and see people I was related too. And hearing from veterans of this how young they were.
And so it begins at last, looking forward to it - a great series for sure.
This is why Ross wasn't there when Chandler proposed to Monica, lol
$100 80yrs ago was worth a lot more then,than now(inflation)
Yes that's Ross from friends
Dispite Sobels harsh drills easy company credit him with getting them battle ready
Tom hanks is a execative producer not acting in this show
One of the best TV shows ever great reaction Blue😃
Thank you for watching this with us old veterans
Making them run at a moments notice, even after just eating serves a purpose. You never know when you will have to move out/fight in the middle of a warzone!
I know this is going to be a hard mini-series to get through, but I’m so happy you finally get to watch Band of Brothers. It’s an amazing true story based on real veterans from one of the most distinguished US Army units of World War II. It really makes one appreciate all the little blessings they have in life. So thank you Blue! ❤️
Captain Herbert M. Sobel had a reputation for being a harsh disciplinarian, and one of the strictest officers in the US Army. Many in Easy Company hated him as he would often come across as a petty, and vindictive tyrant. At the same time, the veterans of Easy Company credited Sobel’s training for physically and mentally preparing them for war. Their very survival depended on it. I know it seems harsh, but this is how elite combat units train. You want the training to be hard, this way your troops are able to endure the inevitable hardships of war. Sobel might have been as asshole, but he pushed these men hard, and transformed them into one of the toughest units in the 101st Airborne Division. While his flaws as a leader and tactician in the field became apparent, he was recognized for his training and administrative skills.
15:39 One of the reasons is that the paratroopers have to land in the same Drop Zone, so the transport aircraft have to remain in relatively close proximity in order to ensure that the paratroopers arrive at the same location as cohesive fighting units. This is important since these men will be landing behind enemy lines, surrounded by the German Army, hours before Allied troops land on the beaches of Normandy.
Im making a 6" custom action figure of Winters. Have been working on an off it for a year now. Found a 12" Head of the actor on ebay about a year ago and shrunk it down to 6" scale with chemicals and molds. Using a body from a 6" toyline that is making Saving Private Ryan figures at the moment. I always take the time to watch reactions to this series, it never gets old.
Someone is making a Saving Private Ryan toyline?
@@joshuasantana685 They already did. Check out a brand called DID 1/12 toys. They are in the middle of making the whole crew. Vin Diesel is up for preorder.
@@CMCustom112 Cool!
Thanks for the heads up!
Most people are surprised at the amount of knowledge a modern era soldier needs to know. First Aid, field sanitation unless you want to be sick, how to call in reports when attacked, how to call for fire (like artillery and now air strikes), how to call medical assistance on the radio for medevacs, how best to utilize your troops, weapon capabilities, study of enemy positions as well as your own, fall back locations, where to avoid, and more.
The German Lugar was awesome looking, mid-60's my dad gave me a replica Lugar as a toy. I lived 3 years in France; I camped as a boy-scout where Easy company had landed.
Trixy, you do realize that being resident in Eastern Europe you may be facing the same in your very own back-yard / country in a few months time, but against Russia.
When paratroopers are dropped, they attempt to maintain unit cohesion by keeping battalions and their companies in close proximity to each other. They are more of an effective fighting unit as opposed to being scattered. That is why the planes are flying in close formations.
May seem cruel the way they were treated, but after all was said and done...they were grateful for it. Have listened to the guys talk about it. Said that they were really tough on them and did things like try to convince them that they weren't men. Basically did everything they could to break them, to weed out the ones who weren't strong enough to handle the pressure. War is unforgiving. If you can't handle the worst conditions and the stress...you just aren't cut out for it. Outside of Sobel, it was Sink who was put in charge. Sink wanted to forge them in the way that he envisioned them to be. He wanted them all to start out together and go together. I mean the guy was like a father to them all. He stuck with them during the war as well.
Great seeing you do this series, back in the day i was in E/506th ( WW2 Living History unit ) and was in the Barracks in PA during the annual Battle of the Bulge reenactment. and we would have many of the Org Troopers you see in this series with us. We had XXXXX read the letter from Tom Hanks asking their blessing to make this show. he then asked us what we all thought and we all shouted a big HELL YES!!! noting like a barrack's full about 100 drunk Troopers having a Prop Blast Bash cheering this and in 2001 after it came out get to talk with them about what they thought they got right and wrong with it. also in 2017 worked on a film with Ron Livingston (Nixon) i tried like hell to find a copier / Bat & a bottle of VAT69 , but no luck but Ron was game to do it ) we talked alot about BOB as we had stories to share about drinking with XXX & XXXX.
Tom Hanks did not have an acting role in this mini-series. His involvement was as producer along with Steven Spielberg, also as director in episode 5. His son does have an acting part in one of the episodes towards the end.
"Cut them some slack..."lol.
I know right.. 🤣🤦♂️ uh durrrr
When you asked about the planes they have to stay in formation, to make sure they all make it to there destination. It was a very risk factor because once a plane is shot down it can crash into other planes being a higher casualty rate it must of been terrifying. May they never be forgot...
Cut them some slack? The enemy sure as hell aren't going to give them any slack.
She lacks common sense..
Not cool, dude.
@@timroebuck3458 how? What you said is basically the same thing..? You literally came to the comment section to comment because you thought what she said was stupid.. quit crying when I tell the truth.. sick of the babying of everyone these days. Wahhh wahhh 🤦♂️🙄
I never said she was stupid.
@@timroebuck3458 don’t care if you don’t like what I said alright.. nothing more for you and I to go on about. I’m sure you’ll pick out something in this too 🤷♂️🤦♂️🥱
You can’t cut them slack though, because it’s exactly like you said war is worse than training.
Thank you for starting this groundbreaking, remarkable, and inspiring miniseries. For all of the troubles in our world, let this true story remind us that when called upon, that ordinary men can rise up and do extraordinary things. Good will triumph over evil.
This is so awesome that you have started watching this series, it's a masterpiece and one emotional journey.
$50 in 1940 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $1,013.27 today, so double that for Airborne pay.
Thank you for starting this series. You will learn, grow, laugh and cry along with the men of Easy Company. What they and all Allied soldiers did for the world can never be underestimated. Looking forward to your next installment. Cheers!
Dereliction of duty in a time of war is punishable by being shot /hung as the highest punishments
This company had, at least, one dude who was around 14-15 years old when he joined, his parents were shocked when they got a letter about their, in actuality 17 year old son's death overseas in the Army.
My highest compliments to you for that sincere introduction and the thoughtful intentionality compelling you to watch this series. May we all remain safe as the global ramifications of the ongoing war unfold.
Let me explain some things, that it seems you don't understand due to your age. First, in military training they make it very, very hard and intense for a reason. They are trying to create stress for you so you can get familiar with that feeling and still perform you task. They are also giving instructions and ALL instructions need to be followed, in detail, 100% of the time. Why? Because in combat it will get very, very, very intense and violent and a soldier needs to still be able to think clearly and perform. Also, the orders given need to be followed 100% accurately -- this is the reason for the intense training.
Your questions about smoking -- what you don't understand is that prior to you being born, smoking was very, very popular!! Smoking is still quite popular in Asia. As time has progressed many things go "out of style" - smoking is one of them.
Even at that age she has no common sense and it’s scary.. This is what the world looks like now. Bunch of clueless teenagers and people in their 20s not knowing the simplest of things. I’m just telling the truth but people will get mad at it 🤣🤦♂️🤷♂️ don’t even care.
The beginning comments are from actual Easy Company members. After the last episode all of these men are identified. Some, through excellent casting, are easy to get. The extra $50, jump pay, gave them twice as much as infantrymen. There have always been people like "Ross". Sometimes there were "accidents"that kept them from getting other people killed. Sobel wasn't a nice guy and incompetent under pressure. Short of discharge, keeping him from combat was the best option. Nice you recognized these high-school and college kids were doing this instead of working at "McDonald's". Many tried to volunteer, were rejected, and committed suicide when they were told they didn't qualify to serve. We still call these war fighters the greatest generation. Good watch!
Most of them are under 20 YOA. Lieutenants were in their early twenties, but privates were 16-19 for the most part. The minimun was 18, but many lied to get in and fight.
as you may have gathered...the old gent on the bike was part of the exercise.
War is going to be tougher, that's why you need to be subjected to a level of intensity and punishment that helps prepare you for the horror of war.
6:12 Well, Sobel has a point there. . . .
15:23 The arithmetic average age of the combat soldier was said to be 26, but in WW2, men as old as 40 participated, which pushes that average up. In reality, the age range of the average combat soldier was 18 - 25 years old, with some as young as 16 and 17 lying about their age so they could get into the armed forces. (The older gents were, more often than not, placed in Construction Battalions, i.e. blue collar workers who would construct the air, land and sea bases that the troops would be located in.) And since the legal drinking age in the US at the time was 21, that meant that the younger soldiers were too young to buy themselves a beer.
This is one of the best miniseries ever made - a great choice to react to!
The more you sweat in training, the less you'll bleed in combat. That's a good rule of thumb, in most cases. Sobel was a decent training officer for the time, and hadn't done anything, specifically, to warrant being dismissed back to the States...OTOH, having basically the entire NCO cadre of his company commit Mutiny by writing a letter to Col. Sink saying that they had lost confidence in him as a leader, guaranteed that he'd be replaced, no matter what. Sink likely knew that there were problems with Sobel, but not how bad they really were. That's why Sobel was "promoted sideways", by being given a training command, because it got him out of the way.
Also, side note 1: The average US paratrooper load in WW2 was c.136lbs, or c.61-62kg...Which is about what is currently carried by troops on a foot march. Another rule of thumb is that, as gear and equipment get lighter, you will be handed more gear to carry around.
Side Note 2: Infantry troops need to be well-educated, cunning and ruthless. Stupid infantry are moving targets, and die in direct proportion to how stupid and badly educated they are.
Awesome Blue finally watches BOB. You are going to enjoy this miniseries and become a fan. CURRAHEE!!!
This is my favorite episode in some ways...if only for the fact that Captain Sobel and "Army noodles with ketchup" are their biggest concerns. While knowing what lies ahead...be prepared to grow, learn, laugh and suffer with these characters Blue.
You won't see Tom Hanks for a while...and you won't see him until everyone points him out as a French Soldier. BUT you will see his Son.
Tom Hanks directed/produced with Steven Spielberg but did not act in it. His son however has a bit part in episode 8 The Last Patrol. Please remember this is a true story.
This is the greatest work ever put on film. Enjoy the ride.
Your question about the distance between the planes. In WW2 they did not have the experience of this types of scenarios. The american and british air force changed the way they flew later, with greater distance between planes.
Oh no. This series makes me cry every time I watch it. It is a heart wrecker.
The enemy does not care if you've just eaten or if you're in the middle of taking a dump for that matter. Sobel was a twat of a man but a damn good training officer. As for all the smoking, most of the guys I served with were chain-smoking, functioning alcoholics that were seriously fit men. Amazing what the human body can adapt to 😁.
I understand Sobel. He's not a good combat leader, but he's trained the Company very well. The reason I was hard on them was to psychologically prepare them to endure the horrors of war. The reason to make them run after the meal before finishing was because in the middle of the war, the enemy doesn't care if you were eating. They will attack at any moment. Everything in military training has a reason to be. Sobel was very important in turning those men into what they became.
What a lot of people don't realize unless they have read one of the many books is that their regiment (the 506th), which consisted of them, 2 other companies, and an HQ company, was completely experimental. They served with everyone that showed up on day 1 (unless they washed out) to the end of the war. Basic training, jump school, field training, everything was done together. If you weren't in the 506th, the people that were in basic and jump training were probably not with them by the time they entered combat. This is why the guys in Easy company were so close.
You're talking about 2nd Battalion only, with the 4 Companies. The 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment in WWII consisted of 3 Battalions with a total of 14 Companies-9 rifle companies, 3 Battalion HQ Companies, a Regimental HQ Company and a Service Company. I don't know how it was organized from the '50s onward.
Hey Blue, here's an interesting fact. Parachuters carry so much gear before they jump, if they're sitting on the ground, they will need someone to help them stand up. This episode does a great job of showing Lt Winters performing that task for each of the soldiers assigned to his plane.
So I think I saw you react to Schindler's List on The Homies Channel? This came across my feed and I love this series, So I subscribed and am along for the ride. It's always great when a young person gets educated about this era. Thanks for watching.
Military aircraft fly in close formation for a number of reasons; in this case, I think it's to make it harder for enemy radar to tell how many individual aircraft in the formation.
Subbed for Band of Brothers. Freedom is not free as the world is finding out.
Part of the idea with the canteen/water thing is that sometimes when your deployed its not safe to drink or partake in the food/water of the land your located in. This could be for a multitude of reasons. The most common is the water can contain parasites and such your body isnt used that are harmful. The other, is that in war its not uncommon or unheard of for a retreating army that being pushed back to poison/spoil the water and food sources as they retreat in a effort to kill injured enemy soldier, taking them out of the fight and tying up medical supplies.
This means what you are carrying with you may be the only food/water youll have for a substantial amount of time..... officer's will then allocate when you can drink/eat inorder to preserve that resource. Hence why being disciplined enough to abstain when ordered to is very important.
Its not Sobel's just being a jerk.......atleast, not entirely.
Incredible miniseries!
In regards to your "Does he know who they have to deal with" question...no, he likely didn't. He probably saw the performance records of the men in reports (which, as he said when he promoted Sobel to Captain, were excellent) and assumed all was well. It wasn't until all the NCOs (usually the highest ranking and most experienced enlisted ratings in a military unit) came forward with their refusal to follow him that he realized how deep the situation was. He had to be upset with them. These were enlisted men refusing to follow lawfully given orders by a superior officer in a time of war, after all. But he realized it as a symptom of a bigger problem and solved it by transferring Sobel out.
This is absolutely appropriate blue! Band of Brothers is a tale of brotherhood and War. Both of which are going on in the world right now...well, we could use more brotherhood, anyways. Alle menchen wirden brüder.
These men were training to jump behind enemy lines (Hitler's Atlantic wall) to fight the German army knowing when they landed there would be enemy no matter which direction they went. They had to train hard. It was the only way they could win or even survive. Their regiment, the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division started out with over 8000 volunteers and were whittled down to under 2000 men because their training was so brutal causing most of the men to quit and fo back to regular army units leaving only the best of the best. The army doesn't make elite soldiers by being sensitive to them and giving them a break and we definitely would not have beaten nazi Germany or imperial Japan if we we didn't train our soldiers, sailors and marines hard.
So it begins... Yes! Have a great day everybody!
Great! Love to see people reacting to this.
it is a common training practice within military units to designate one higher ranking individual to be the asshole to give everyone else a single target to direct their ire. it helps build trust between the men, having a common disdain. it is not usually an officer.
every officer in the Marines i ever served under would consider Sobol's behavior beneath the position.
Re: Sobel........there are some "leaders" who think that inflicting petty, chicken s##t discipline makes tougher soldiers.
As far as the Sobel-Winters relationship, Sowell was using a chicken s##t Article 15 to knock Winters down a peg, thinking that he would just roll over and accept the Article 15. Winters screwed that plan up by demanding a court-martial.
Colonel Sink, although coming down hard on Easy Company's non-coms, couldn't ignore their action. He had to have known about Sobels& lack of field skills. The opening at the jump school gave him a way of getting Sobel out of Easy and fill the need they had for a training officer at the same time
The planes did fly close to each other in order to drop men with the same area, so that they could quickly overwhelm any small Germany units. Well that was the idea anyway, no plans survives engagement with the enemy.
Paratroopers we're still a new concept then. They were elite units designed to operate as light infantry behind enemy lines. They were expected to take out Nazi artillery positions, take strategic towns and bridges, and hold these against German tanks and armored units until such time as they could be relieved to by our our armored units.
This is one of the best WWII series ever made. It is very difficult to watch at times - just so you know. Hanks and Spielberg producing it do it right. And Ross is a dick in this :P
The age for the soldiers, even today, ranges from 18 to mid 20's
I love you, Blue! You have just started an amazing emotional roller coaster. Brace yourself.
7:32 Is that soldier Upam from Saving Private Ryan?
Hope you're feeling ok too Trixy. I sometimes go online and talk about being aware of other people's mental health when I'm feeling wobbly so hope you're all good. :-)
this can be a hard series to watch, but its made incredibly well and portrays some of what these young men went through. Looking forward to going thru this with you. Try to avoid the spoilers, really makes the whole experience better.
Trix, please realize. The starting pay during that time was $50 a month (about $800 today) and Paratroopers received an additional $50, meaning double pay of $1600 in today's money. Count in the fact that buying stuff was also cheaper back then in comparison to the value of the money.......and that makes for a very good incentive to join. But......as many of those men stated later, it was "blood money" because the expected survival rate of paratroopers was way lower then the average soldier during WW2.
My favorite mini series ever made.
first time I am excited. great series one of the best
Sobel getting kicked off for incompetence in leadership is something other armies in the world dont do. In most armies, officers often get their positions because of the people they know or the money they have... and they end up killing their men.
If you go easy on them.intrainong theybwont make it in the war. Tear them down to build them stronger.
6:00 "Cut them some slack."
It's precisely because war will be rougher on them than anything in training that you do not cut them any slack. You want training to push people beyond what they thought possible. If they're going to break, you want them to break in training - not in combat.
What's happening in Ukraine right now is just heartbreaking.
@@jimmysmith5418 It really does look that way. I find myself eating more iodized salt.
Army basic was such a great time!!!
I just finished re-watching this series last night. I never get tired of watching this. You should also look for the book and give it a read. Tom Hanks produced this along with Steven Spielberg but he is not actually in it; his son, Colin Hanks, is in one episode. As a Veteran myself, Richard Winters was a better, more capable leader than Sobel and the kind of leader I would gladly have followed. Looking forward to your reactions to the following episodes of this series as you follow Easy Company through the war and across Europe.
If you get a chance read RENDEZVOUS WITH DESTINY History of the 101st Airborne Division-Leonard Rappaport. Fantastic read about these men.
Today we don't equate smoking with health (for obvious reasons) and physically fit people are never seen smoking, but back in the 1940's most people smoked. In fact, most healthy people smoked. Movie stars, politicians, writers, scientists, even professional athletes. Smoking was seen as being adult and cool, much like alcohol is still seen as today. If you didn't smoke, you were seen as a "Square"(uncool and or weird). Heck back then it wasn't unheard of for kids to smoke, away from the eyes of their parents of course.
There's a saying - if you train hard, you fight easy. If you train easy, you fight hard. Men need to get used to the rigors of war if they are to survive, going easy on them doesn't produce tough soldiers. You don't need to be horrible to them like Sobel was, but he created the toughest soldiers
The great thing about BoB, the Pacific and Hacksaw Ridge is that these were real people who did these things.
Starp in, it only gets worse. Doing anything, including nothing can get you killed in a war zone. Glad you are watching it. Yes, its hard to watch and the hard is what makes it great. They didnt pull punches. As an Iraq vet, I approve this message.
This was right after the great depression so 50 extra dollars was a huge deal to most of these guys.
As you said war would always be worse. So if they weren't prepared and hardened, they would never have survived it. Sobel was a good trainer, but apparently not a good field tactician.
Oh this is gonna go well…
Exactly.. derp derp derp
You'll enjoy this series but some episodes will require tissues. So well done.
I couldn't believe that you discovered this TV series. It was the favorite of my father when I was a kid. I used to watch some episodes with him, but today I can understand the message. I hope you can afford the violence and crudity of the content. It could be hard but it's a great show, very realistic.
It’s not like it’s a rare gem or something? It’s a highly successful miniseries by HBO?
"i hope the next episode picks up" oh boy. will it ever.
They fly close together in order to drop the soldiers close to one another.
$50 back then was real money - average home rent was $25/month back then, and that'd be for a 2-bedroom.
Sobel was trying to assert total dominance over winters by arbitrarily changing the latrine duty time by 15 minutes, and failing to notify him, and then telling winters he was going to revoke his 48 hour passes for 60 days or request a trial by cort martial, thinking winters would just say okay, and take it. Winters called his bluff by requesting a trial.
Sobel was very petty. Also, after losing easy company, he was transferred to a traing school, and then got bumped down to being a supply officer.
Tom Hanks only has a very small role, like "blink and you'll miss him" small, he produced it though.
Tom Hanks was never in this series. He only produced it. His son Colin Hanks was in ONE episode.
@@thereturningshadow he's one of the members of the Red Devils in episode 5. You see him very briefly. And I believe he also has a cameo later as a French soldier who executes two (?) captured SS soldiers.
@@soho2409 I will have to go back and take a look see. Thanks. Get it?
Thanks? T. Hanks.
@@thereturningshadow I see what you did there.
@@soho2409 Ok. I believe I saw him. I reduced the play speed to 25% and saw him in the background when everyone was toasting in the barn. He actually ducked behind another soldier. IMDB sites him as being in that episode uncredited but not others.