If you read Buck Compton's book, he was a varsity baseball player at UCLA before the war, one of his teammates was Jackie Robinson the first African American players in major league baseball.
Robinson wasn't the first black player in MLB, he wasn't even the first in the 20th century. The last black player to play in MLB before Robinson was in 1919. The first black player in MLB was Moses "Fleet" Walker and the first black pro baseball player was Bud Flowers. Robinson did however break the color barrier to the point where black players no longer had to either pretend to be native American or if they were light skinned enough pass as white.
@@kenyattaclay7666 "Robinson did however break the color barrier to the point where black players no longer had to either pretend to be native American or if they were light skinned enough pass as white." thankful for your final thoughts, you redeemed yourself in a way with that education. otherwise i was gonna piss on your apparent need to correct the OP's comment.
I read Malarkey’s book “Easy Company Soldier” and he talks about when he’s best friend Skip Muck was killed on that direct hit when he was in his foxhole. It hit him so hard that it took him decades to gain the strength to go see his grave after the wall. In his book he says that when he finally visited his grave he cried over 60 years worth of tears. Man, I almost cried when I read that.
These beautiful men endured so much it's really insane to think about it. Breaks your heart to see them start to break down in those interviews. They withstood it so well. There was an article talking about how the real Lt. Winters was invited on set and when he saw the actors in a truck portraying his men he had to walk away and broke down at the sight of seeing all of his "dead friends" again because he knew which ones of them didn't make it. Can't imagine.
@@JohnRodriguesPhotographer I never knew the details of one of my grandfather's service until after he had passed. I knew as a kid that it had been bad only because he had been planning to be a surgeon before the war, and he only performed surgery one time in all the years after the war (on his dog).
Wouldn't do much good, even watching it, I can't really comprehend how scary and miserable they were. I can only guess at it. Besides, peoples problems are always going to be the worst, because that is literally the worst that has ever happened to them. Their minds and bodies do not yet understand that they can endure much much worse, and they won't until they experience that worse thing.
@@vodkarage8227 I understand but I'm speaking for history class 80 percent of those kids learn by visual and this would stick in there brain compared to a book
"The Breaking Point" Well, it's not just a clever name. That's all I can say. Dike is essentially what Sobel would have been if he made it to the battlefield. He gets jumpy and you get killed. "The only hope you have is to accept the fact that you're already dead. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to function as a soldier is supposed to function: without mercy, without compassion, without remorse. All war depends upon it.” -Lieutenant Speirs, was a man of his word
What's horrible for a couple of reasons is that the Ardennes forest that surrounded Foy had been flattened in WWI, so the trees had been replanted in neatly-spaced rows. This meant that often when you stepped from behind a tree, you were plainly visible for quite a distance. That's part of why it was very important for the men to stay in their foxhole and why people would relieve themselves in a foxhole.
You two have such beautiful souls. It is such an enormous pleasure for me to watch you two react to this. I have watched this countless times. I have the series on dvd. The emotional trauma you experience while watching I still go through every time I watch it. Dan Rather called this generation the greatest generation. I cannot argue with that.
@@billrab1890 my bad. But does it matter? Hard to find argument with the statement. My point was the " greatest generation " not the originator of the statement.
@@robertprice6830 true. regardless who actually said it, it doesn't devalue the sentiment in any way. let's move on and not care about such little things.
so funny story during the 50th ann. for the Battle of the Bulge they had a big reenactment in PA. We had a bunch of E co. vets visiting. So we had a real EPIC Prop Blast Bash too. at some point as we were drinking & Singing 1 of our guys comes up to "Wild Bill" and says hey Bill i am going over to visit the area of the line you were in , is their anything you want me to bring back for you" Bill lowers his beer looks him straight in his eyes and says "Yeah, if you could find my leg that would be great" then he smiled and lifted his beer, we all laughed and cheered and toasted to Bill's leg. also toasted to Hinkel. those were some great time. Sadly that Scalawag passed away in 2014
He’s pretty controversial. BOB shows both the strengths and weaknesses of oral history. Some errors crept in that he should have caught. At the end of his life there were issues with plagiarism, not in BOB but other books.
@@michaelstach5744 It's fine if you look at it not as pure truth but as "how they saw it." Especially things in this episode. Regardless of how true to life they were, if it's how the troops he interviewed saw it, thats how it's framed.
@michaelstach5744 The one about Blithe was because everyone lost touch with him after the war and they assumed he had died. It wasn't until this TV series aired and one of his family members saw it they got in touch to set the record straight. I'm sure there is a new edition of the book with this all rolled up.
It’s sad to think that everyone in Easy company has know passed. I believe the last one passed away last year. RIP to the greatest generation. Love you two!!!❤
My Father served in the infantry in Italy during the war. Didn't really tell his sons about the actual horrors but related some semi-comedic incidents. In one engagement he had a German shell land next to him and buried him alive. A few moments later a second shell landed and blew all the earth off of him. When watching movies or TV the one thing that would affect him was the sound of an 88 shell breaking up. Some just sounded too real to him.
Guys, promise me you'll watch " The Pacific" soon after this... I got to meet one of the men that series is based on, Eugene Sledge, who was a personal hero to me.
Another great reaction, folks. We can hear how you are both “getting” the concept of what these soldiers had to endure. It’s unbelievable, really. This episode/series changed my view of Donnie Wahlberg (Lipton). He was absolutely incredible in the series. A long way from the New Kids On The Block….LONG way!
I have to tell you both I love your appreciation and passion and awe for this series! You are terrific and bringing your passion for this series and sharing it with your followers is absolutely so important. Thank you 🙏🏻
Speirs was all of 24 years old during the campaign. :-/ Most soldiers were like 18 - 20, maybe 21.. and the senior ones like Winters and Nixon were 26 - 27. o.O
Now if I remember correctly, the actor for Bill Guarnere called up the veteran to talk about the horrific scene, and the real Bill relayed the tempo at which his leg shook by tapping his ring against the receiver on the phone.
A great movie to follow up Band of Brothers is Patton. Won Oscars for best picture, best actor (George C Scott) and best screenplay, (Francis Ford Coppola) About America's best and craziest general. Great movie, shows another take on the invasion of Europe and the Battle of the Bulge
Was under the weather the other day and watched it, I agree, it's a great movie. I always grin at the scene at the end with the two victorious armies commanders dining and the standoff 😂 Another great (mostly fake) war movie I highly recommend youngsters check out is called Kelly's Heroes. A lot of comedy crammed into a yippie WWII movie staring Clint Eastwood and many other big names at the time.
That was my favorite story by far. Lipton is a role model of how to be a leader no matter how much or how little power you may have. It’s all about taking care of the people around you and trying to succeed. Also the story with lt dike is a perfect example of how there are almost always crappy coworkers and bosses in any organization and how to work around them (usually frustratingly slowly just like in this depiction)
Hi guy's, I haven't been commenting much lately but wanted to let you know that I've been watching all of these episodes with you. This one was a really tough watch, it gets me every time I watch it. What's crazy is that this stuff really happened, it's very accurate. How these guy's came home and held jobs and had families astounds me. Like my parent's, they were children of the Great Depression and had it tough growing up. The depression and then being kids sent to war is why they will always be known as "Our Greatest Generation" and that will always stand. My father came ashore on D-Day+1 with with a medical group. He was at the field hospitals like in this episode just a mile behind our lines. All I know is that he helped patch up wounds and changed dressings and stuff. He never really wanted to talk about it, he would tell funny stories about the war. I could only imagine what he saw at those hospitals. I guess it was too painful to rehash it and talk about it. He worked three jobs to support my mother and raise three kid's. He was quiet but I'm talking hilarious without trying too be funny and I mean funny. When he was mad he had no filter, he just let it rip. I must have got that from him, when I'm pissed off I say stuff and people laugh and say I'm very funny. That just pisses me off more because I'm being dead ass serious, I'm not trying too be funny. The bright spot in this episode was BJ "You've got too stop jumping like that" and he was borderline pissed. Asia, getting steamed and responding "You just jumped to" I gotta side with BJ on this one Asia. This is no BS, you made me jump, caught me completely off guard. When we get to episode nine, be warned, have the tissues ready. I ball my eyes out every time I see it. Not a lot of fighting and maybe none come to think of it but a tear jerker. Like I said earlier, I haven't been commenting much lately except to some Beatles reactions, some George Carlin and Bill Burr. If you guys haven't seen Burr's "Titanic Is A Horror Movie" it's a must watch and would love too see you guys react to it. Extremely funny! I've said this before, there's some really good reactors out there but you two are my favorite. Great chemistry between the two of you and Asia's movie reaction's crack me up, especially on scary movies. I truly love you guy's, you're a lot of fun. Peace ❤❤
I know I haven't been commenting, but I **have** been watching with y'all. I have been desperately trying not to comment so's not to ruin your experience. I hope you appreciate my sacrifice. 😉 This is one of my favorite series, and I watch it, at least once, every year. Asia and BJ your reactions are so genuine and moving (sometimes funny with BJ getting lowkey pissed at Asia jumping, haha!) ...I'm really glad I found y'all's channel. ❤
My father served in the 5th Army which went up the boot of Italy. Dad would be the first one to tell you he did not do anything and it was the guys at the front line that did it all. Yet, many years after the war, he me how a German mortar blew up the house to the right of the one he was in, and one hit the house to the left. When the shelling stopped, they found a dud in the house he and his buddies were in. He said, "Thank God for duds." And i thought, "That's why we had to go to church every Sunday!" God bless them all.
Thanks for checking out this amazing series. Ronald Speirs was the badass you think he is. That’s a guy who took the job seriously and did exactly what he was told to do. Once this series is done, I’m sure many people will fill you in on some of the details that were left out.
Reel talk! Tough episode to watch. 1SG Lipton epitomized the NCO. Read the NCO creed and tell me I'm wrong. Nothing worse than a useless officer. I had a Commander like him. He was so weak. I took him aside and had a come to Jesus meeting with him. Poked him in the chest as I spoke!!! He didn't even react to that. Eventually improved but troops need three things. Purpose, direction, and motivation. These men were so blessed with courage and resilience. The Army birthday was 14 June! I love you guys.
My favorite quote, and one that have hanging in my office: "He wasn't a bad leader because he made bad decisions, he was a bad leader because he made no decisions."
My grandpa's older brother was stationed in the Pacific he said he was happy the weather was good there instead of the freezing cold Europe front. He was in the Air Force was in the battle of Midway and had 4 confirmed kills he passed when I was 3-4 years old apparently the first time I walked as a baby he was there wish I could've talked to him about his experience. Their dad my great grandpa was in WW1 got gassed and almost died he went from 180 pounds to 100 pounds from the gas. Going back further a bunch of my ancestors were in wars and two were even in knights in Scotland I guess I have the warrior genes in me considering I was really good wrestler. RIP to all the soldiers that gave their lives for the good of mankind.
My then-teen son (he's 24 now) and I buried a US quarter in the sand at the foot of the Omaha Beach Memorial in 2016 just in case we ever got to come back, or maybe he and his future son after I'm gone. I wonder if it's still there. It's been a semi tradition for us to leave a hidden quarter at famous/historical sites we visit all over the US and Europe. We've been back to the same place we left one only once so far, by a water fall on a hiking trail at Big Sur, but it was six years later and we couldn't find the spot. I suspected we took a wrong turn, but it got too late to backtrack and still leave time for us to get off the mountain before dark. Bummer.
@@RMB42 I’m just back home , my final stop was just a mile or so from Pegasus Bridge where the first gliders landed . An amazing part of DDay , the local towns honour the allied troops with pictures and names of those young men hung from lampposts as you drive through the villages very moving .
Did you know that band of brothers is from Shakespeare. (from Henry V?From this day to the ending of the world, But we in it shall be remembered; We few, we happy few, we band of brothers. Shall be my brother.
The song the girls sing at the end dates back to 1784, a true oldie. The title is Plaisir d’Amour, the pleasure of love, not necessarily a song that you would associate with a convent. A very rough translation of the the first verse might be “The pleasure of love only lasts for a moment, the suffering of love lasts the whole life long.” In the 1960s this song underwent a change, a key change, a new bridge, and some dinking around to accommodate English lyrics. It became “Falling in Love with You,” one of Elvis’s most loved songs.
I miss my grandfathers. They both served in the Navy during WWII. My one grandfather was on the U.S.S. Missouri when the Japanese signed their surrender. I grew up around the greatest generation. I always felt safe around them. Now I am 56 and without them I afraid this country will fail.
Interestingly, I was very close to the town of Foy this morning, and I plan to head back there to visit that place and Bastogne, on my way to France next week. Where I was today I saw a lot of US flags and some war monuments, and I olso got stuck up in some kind of military transport which led to a traffic infarct. It was a large vehicle with tanks on it, I think those were WW2 tanks, not sure though. You can actually visit the fox holes you see in this episode as well, might do that if I get the time for it.
BJ is on the money. So hard to attack a fixed, defended position head on. Spiers’ philosophy, you recall, is to consider yourself already dead. That gave him the guts to run straight through the enemy, AND BACK. I also becomes easy to understand why infantry considers artillery their worst enemy.
My Gpa spent Christmas of '44 in Bastogne. He drove half-track and was a mechanic for an armored field artillery battalion. (253rd US Army AFAB) From reading the combat record of his unit, his most difficult days were 8/19/44 (lost his buddy during an incident on Utah Beach 1st night in France) RIP Walter P McKinney, Jr. (Normandy American Cemetery), Christmas 1944 in Bastogne and April 1945, he spent 2 weeks aiding in the content you'll experience in Episode 9.
So there is a BIG debate about LT. Dike and the attack on Foy and him being wounded many go with the Clancy story who said that he noticed Dike being wounded but there is no mention of him being hit during the attack. so per the old CO E/506th living history unit who has copies of all the E co & 506th reports and spent alot of time with all the vets - "they hated him (Dike). The only thing they didn't like in the series is that it didn't show the absolutely massive foxhole he had the Co HQ guys dig for him. "It was as big as a hotel". (heard Wild Bill talking about that) so Dike wasn't hit during the assault on Foy. A lot of people think he was due to the miniseries and some comments Clancy Lyall made (even though he never saw Dike during the assault). There’s absolutely no record of him being hit or mention in the morning report copies." Also for Speirs run through Foy to make contact with Item Co. which was down too about 22 troopers and they were shooting into Easy's positions in town so he want to tell them to stop shooting.
I really hope that when y'all finish this series, you watch the accompanying documentary, "We Stand Alone Together." It is fantastic, and you get to learn which of the old dudes in the beginning of each episode is which guy in the show. It is a must see after finishing the show.
I hope yall watch the follow up to this miniseries The Pacific - similar to Band of Brothers but its about Marines fighting in the Pacific theater of WWII. Though, IMO, it's much more difficult to watch. Its an important and beautiful and horrifying miniseries.
Yes, just as good but the themes are very different. Then again, the war in the PTO was very different. If you don’t expect the feel good of BOB you will appreciate it.
Not saying this is to be taken as gospel of how the luger went off as I'm purely speculating here. I think the hammer/ firing pin of the gun struck the primer on the cartridge round, but since the gun was so cold and wet it froze everything up. After a little while of being near Hooblers body heat, maybe the temperature increased as the day wore on, and the general handling of the firearm it warmed enough to "just go off" into poor Hooblers leg. That's my theory. You can see similar effects of frozen guns on Garand Thumbs youtube channel.
Little anecdotes about Buck Compton: As a child he worked in Hollywood as an extra in various films. His early career ended when he angered none other than Charlie Chapplin on the set of Modern Times and he was then kicked out.
There's something about this ep that makes it my favorite after the 1st one. The humor involved with needing a new platoon leader other than the clueless Dike, the focus on Lipton, Speirs' unexpected heroism, the end in the church- so good.
I enjoyed rewatching this with you two. I cant remember the lady's (wife) name but I think I remember her serving in Army Corps. My father was 82nd Airborne and did two tours in Vietnam and National Guard afterwards as a Master Sergeant. Only people like you keep this history going because no schools teach it.
There was a theory in WWII that men only had a certain number of days of combat in them before they were spent. This wasn't "life expectancy" but how long they could mentally hold up. Some could manage less, some much more. I thinkmit was something like 180 days, maybe more, I don't recall exactly. This could be extended by getting off the line for a while, but extended breaks could be counter productive with some. This ran up against the US military practice of leaving units on the line for long periods of time and funneling in replacements. This ground down veterans, mentally and through losses, and replacements often had mediocre training and no experience so tended not to last long. Tables exist for artillery fire. That is how much to fire on a certain target for a desired effect. What Easy Company was getting mostly was harassing fire, heavy though it was. This was designed to cause some casualties but mostly hinder movement and cause stress. That last one likely more of an intent to really mess them up and spoil the attack that was soon coming. Thing to remember about artillery was that it was so feared because there was nothing to do but sit there and take it, hoping you didn't get hit. With infantry or even tanks they could fight back or run.
@@Thane36425 "As more American servicemen entered into combat, the number of psychological casualties steadily rose. During the Normandy Campaign, army psychologists noted that the combat effectiveness of troops sharply declined after 30 days of combat. After 45 days, troops were in a near vegetative state. Psychiatrist John Appel, who studied combat exhaustion cases during the Battle of Monte Cassino and Anzio Campaign, came to the sobering conclusion that, “Practically all men in rifle battalions who are not otherwise disabled ultimately became psychiatric casualties.”" - From the National WWII Museum.
The soldier that got to go home is not the one that keeps yelling, he’s the one who everyone likes but a little clueless on the field. Lt Peacock is also colorblind.
This series likes to show Lt. Dyke in a bad light. He was wounded at Foy and in shock which explains his actions before Spiers took over. If I remember right he went on to serve with distinction in Korea too.
The Luger was a WW1 firearm. It was well known for accidental discharge. The Gremans would keep the gun with a empty chamber. Just to prevent discharging the firearm.
I don't know about anyone else but, something must have happened during the upload. Video and audio are not synced. I'm watching it on Roku device. Edit: rewatched on tablet, both were in sync. Thanks Asia and BJ, enjoyed your reaction and commentary at the end. Looking forward to the next one.
My uncle was with the 84th infantry division in the bulge, said their canteen froze from the cold ,also had to piss on their rifles bolts to unfreeze them .
Yeah I was scrolling through to see if anybody else was going to make that comment!! This is not the first time that it's happened on this channel either!! It's mildly annoying!!
It's not the sync of the video. It may have something to do with ads not playing correctly. Trying to stream to my Chromecast was out of sync, but playing the video on my phone was fine. Not the first time this has happened and not only on this channel. So, something is messed up with YT's playback. Really frustrating, unfortunately...
One thing that this series does that hadn’t really been done before was to personalize the experience. Most people born years after only know see the nameless people from the old newsreels and documentaries.
The earlier model Lugers had a defect that if the handle was squeezed in a certain way it would fire on it's own. Most likely what caused Hubler's accident.
You were asking how the Germans were able to pinpoint their positions and sight in on the Americans with such accurate artillery fire. It was because the Americans were occupying defensive positions the Germans had once held and were forced to abandon earlier. So the Germans had the coordinates of all the fox holes, bunkers, and most favorable denfensive spots they had once held and all they had to do was dial those coordinates to those positions into their guns and fire. Atleast this is how it is told by a former US Captain in this book IF You Survive. About his experience fighting in France , the Battle of the Bulge and Germany.
I have watched this series probably 20 times or more. The scene where Dyke runs through the Germans and THEN BACK through them still gives me chills. That guy was a beast.
The look on Dike's face when Winters is laying out the plan - it's almost like all he is hearing Winter's say in "Blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah..." Completely clueless.
Remember in The Sixth Sense at the very beginning there is a boy just wearing underwear who attacks Bruce Willis? That same actor, Donnie Wahlberg, plays 1st Sgt Lipton here. Quite a range. Oh, I don’t want to get in the middle of a fight but reviewing the video it looks like BJ jumps from Asia’s jump, not the horse. But I’m not an umpire.
God Bless all the soldiers, sailors, and airmen who took part in this massive, horrible war. They didn't know at the time of Bastogne how truly awful the Waffen-ᛋᛋ was. The men who fought lost everything in that war, including pieces of themselves, sometimes literally. We can never thank that great generation enough for stomping tyranny and Nazism into the dirt where it belongs.
BoB is an amazing series. And for the sake of the narrative I understand why they made this episode the way that they did. That said, this episode was somewhat inaccurate about Norman Dike. Just so you know, in real life, Dike was a twice decorated (for bravery) veteran Platoon leader - just like Buck Compton. But Dike was not a strong Company Commander, which most solders will tell you is an entirely different role. In addition, the battle sequence on Foy does NOT show the fact that Dike was actually wounded at the start of the attack. His nonsensical orders for a flanking maneuver were likely the result of his growing blood loss and disorientation. You can learn more about Dike by watching the full interviews with Dick Winters. Anyway, just a little info. Love watching you both go through this journey.
Factually US forces in Europe as depicted in this show, faced lightly defended German lines. This is because US forces weren't as experienced as UK and Canadian forces. UK and Canadian Forces took the bery heavily defended German lines on the Northern Route.
World War 2 was a struggle for a moral condition we have today. God bless those brave man who stood up and fought against true evil. My grandpa (Im from Poland) fought first with germans, then with soviets. He is a hero to me.
Such a great show/series. I never served during WW2, my grandparents weren’t even quite old enough. I served in Iraq though… war is a strange thing. When someone talks about guns, I cringe a little inside. I know what I’ve done and I’m not sure it’s ok, I’ve lost friends and I’m not sure why. Their enemies wore uniforms, mine didn’t. Were they enemies? What’s the point? Can you blame a man for crumbling under that pressure (Dyke), is another man insane (Spears)? I’m glad that I get to think about these things and it’s a little sad that I have to.
If you read Buck Compton's book, he was a varsity baseball player at UCLA before the war, one of his teammates was Jackie Robinson the first African American players in major league baseball.
Robinson wasn't the first black player in MLB, he wasn't even the first in the 20th century. The last black player to play in MLB before Robinson was in 1919. The first black player in MLB was Moses "Fleet" Walker and the first black pro baseball player was Bud Flowers. Robinson did however break the color barrier to the point where black players no longer had to either pretend to be native American or if they were light skinned enough pass as white.
@@kenyattaclay7666 "Robinson did however break the color barrier to the point where black players no longer had to either pretend to be native American or if they were light skinned enough pass as white."
thankful for your final thoughts, you redeemed yourself in a way with that education. otherwise i was gonna piss on your apparent need to correct the OP's comment.
But it sounds like he played football since they mention the Rose Bowl.
@@feralvulcan7955 He was a three sport athlete. Played basketball too
That man did a lot of shit in his life, for real.
I read Malarkey’s book “Easy Company Soldier” and he talks about when he’s best friend Skip Muck was killed on that direct hit when he was in his foxhole. It hit him so hard that it took him decades to gain the strength to go see his grave after the wall. In his book he says that when he finally visited his grave he cried over 60 years worth of tears. Man, I almost cried when I read that.
These beautiful men endured so much it's really insane to think about it. Breaks your heart to see them start to break down in those interviews. They withstood it so well.
There was an article talking about how the real Lt. Winters was invited on set and when he saw the actors in a truck portraying his men he had to walk away and broke down at the sight of seeing all of his "dead friends" again because he knew which ones of them didn't make it. Can't imagine.
I grew up with WWII combat vet. 6th Armored Division. He could talk about what he saw except Buchenwald. That man was my father.
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@@JohnRodriguesPhotographer I never knew the details of one of my grandfather's service until after he had passed. I knew as a kid that it had been bad only because he had been planning to be a surgeon before the war, and he only performed surgery one time in all the years after the war (on his dog).
This was such a good lesson in history I think in high school it should be played to our teens who act like there life is so hard!!!
Wouldn't do much good, even watching it, I can't really comprehend how scary and miserable they were. I can only guess at it. Besides, peoples problems are always going to be the worst, because that is literally the worst that has ever happened to them. Their minds and bodies do not yet understand that they can endure much much worse, and they won't until they experience that worse thing.
@@vodkarage8227 I understand but I'm speaking for history class 80 percent of those kids learn by visual and this would stick in there brain compared to a book
@@Letha-Mae Maybe, probably would help put things in perspective better than nothing.
@@vodkarage8227 I'll just say everyone learns different visual reading being told etc
@@Letha-Maeyou're spot on
♥ Still blows me away at how good this series was done!
"The Breaking Point" Well, it's not just a clever name. That's all I can say. Dike is essentially what Sobel would have been if he made it to the battlefield. He gets jumpy and you get killed. "The only hope you have is to accept the fact that you're already dead. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to function as a soldier is supposed to function: without mercy, without compassion, without remorse. All war depends upon it.”
-Lieutenant Speirs, was a man of his word
1977 Midway
What's horrible for a couple of reasons is that the Ardennes forest that surrounded Foy had been flattened in WWI, so the trees had been replanted in neatly-spaced rows. This meant that often when you stepped from behind a tree, you were plainly visible for quite a distance. That's part of why it was very important for the men to stay in their foxhole and why people would relieve themselves in a foxhole.
Gosh, Y’all I love American’s , Love our Nation so much, we love the reactions so much , Thank Y’all for sharing 🙏👍✌️🇺🇸
nothing stabs me in the heart more, than buck dropping his helmet.
for me it's about as sad as "i could have got one more person" in schindlers list
You two have such beautiful souls. It is such an enormous pleasure for me to watch you two react to this. I have watched this countless times. I have the series on dvd. The emotional trauma you experience while watching I still go through every time I watch it. Dan Rather called this generation the greatest generation. I cannot argue with that.
Tom Brokaw coined the phrase "the greatest generation" in 1984 when he covered the 40th anniversary of the Normandy invasion. Not Dan Rather.
@@billrab1890 my bad. But does it matter? Hard to find argument with the statement. My point was the " greatest generation " not the originator of the statement.
@@robertprice6830 true. regardless who actually said it, it doesn't devalue the sentiment in any way. let's move on and not care about such little things.
so funny story during the 50th ann. for the Battle of the Bulge they had a big reenactment in PA. We had a bunch of E co. vets visiting. So we had a real EPIC Prop Blast Bash too. at some point as we were drinking & Singing 1 of our guys comes up to "Wild Bill" and says hey Bill i am going over to visit the area of the line you were in , is their anything you want me to bring back for you" Bill lowers his beer looks him straight in his eyes and says "Yeah, if you could find my leg that would be great" then he smiled and lifted his beer, we all laughed and cheered and toasted to Bill's leg. also toasted to Hinkel. those were some great time. Sadly that Scalawag passed away in 2014
S. Ambrose wrote the book, “Band of Brothers”. Incredible historian. RIP.
He’s pretty controversial. BOB shows both the strengths and weaknesses of oral history. Some errors crept in that he should have caught. At the end of his life there were issues with plagiarism, not in BOB but other books.
@@michaelstach5744 It's fine if you look at it not as pure truth but as "how they saw it." Especially things in this episode. Regardless of how true to life they were, if it's how the troops he interviewed saw it, thats how it's framed.
@michaelstach5744 The one about Blithe was because everyone lost touch with him after the war and they assumed he had died. It wasn't until this TV series aired and one of his family members saw it they got in touch to set the record straight. I'm sure there is a new edition of the book with this all rolled up.
It’s sad to think that everyone in Easy company has know passed. I believe the last one passed away last year. RIP to the greatest generation. Love you two!!!❤
I am SO thrilled y'all are doing this series. I've watched it dozens of times, but rewatching it with you makes it seems new to me again.
My Father served in the infantry in Italy during the war. Didn't really tell his sons about the actual horrors but related some semi-comedic incidents. In one engagement he had a German shell land next to him and buried him alive. A few moments later a second shell landed and blew all the earth off of him. When watching movies or TV the one thing that would affect him was the sound of an 88 shell breaking up. Some just sounded too real to him.
Guys, promise me you'll watch " The Pacific" soon after this...
I got to meet one of the men that series is based on, Eugene Sledge, who was a personal hero to me.
Him and Robert “Lucky” Lecke
Another great reaction, folks. We can hear how you are both “getting” the concept of what these soldiers had to endure. It’s unbelievable, really.
This episode/series changed my view of Donnie Wahlberg (Lipton). He was absolutely incredible in the series. A long way from the New Kids On The Block….LONG way!
I have to tell you both I love your appreciation and passion and awe for this series!
You are terrific and bringing your passion for this series and sharing it with your followers is absolutely so important. Thank you 🙏🏻
Speirs was all of 24 years old during the campaign. :-/ Most soldiers were like 18 - 20, maybe 21.. and the senior ones like Winters and Nixon were 26 - 27. o.O
Now if I remember correctly, the actor for Bill Guarnere called up the veteran to talk about the horrific scene, and the real Bill relayed the tempo at which his leg shook by tapping his ring against the receiver on the phone.
A great movie to follow up Band of Brothers is Patton. Won Oscars for best picture, best actor (George C Scott) and best screenplay, (Francis Ford Coppola) About America's best and craziest general. Great movie, shows another take on the invasion of Europe and the Battle of the Bulge
Was under the weather the other day and watched it, I agree, it's a great movie. I always grin at the scene at the end with the two victorious armies commanders dining and the standoff 😂 Another great (mostly fake) war movie I highly recommend youngsters check out is called Kelly's Heroes. A lot of comedy crammed into a yippie WWII movie staring Clint Eastwood and many other big names at the time.
My grandfather actually met Gen Patton once in WW2.
Gen Omar Bradley was the technical advisor for the film. He hated Patton.
That was my favorite story by far. Lipton is a role model of how to be a leader no matter how much or how little power you may have. It’s all about taking care of the people around you and trying to succeed.
Also the story with lt dike is a perfect example of how there are almost always crappy coworkers and bosses in any organization and how to work around them (usually frustratingly slowly just like in this depiction)
When Spears gets sent in i can hear "Master Chief has entered the game" in my head. The line "he came back" gets me hyped every time.
Hi guy's, I haven't been commenting much lately but wanted to let you know that I've been watching all of these episodes with you.
This one was a really tough watch, it gets me every time I watch it. What's crazy is that this stuff really happened, it's very accurate. How these guy's came home and held jobs and had families astounds me.
Like my parent's, they were children of the Great Depression and had it tough growing up. The depression and then being kids sent to war is why they will always be known as "Our Greatest Generation" and that will always stand.
My father came ashore on D-Day+1 with with a medical group. He was at the field hospitals like in this episode just a mile behind our lines.
All I know is that he helped patch up wounds and changed dressings and stuff. He never really wanted to talk about it, he would tell funny stories about the war. I could only imagine what he saw at those hospitals. I guess it was too painful to rehash it and talk about it. He worked three jobs to support my mother and raise three kid's. He was quiet but I'm talking hilarious without trying too be funny and I mean funny.
When he was mad he had no filter, he just let it rip. I must have got that from him, when I'm pissed off I say stuff and people laugh and say I'm very funny.
That just pisses me off more because I'm being dead ass serious, I'm not trying too be funny.
The bright spot in this episode was BJ "You've got too stop jumping like that" and he was borderline pissed.
Asia, getting steamed and responding "You just jumped to" I gotta side with BJ on this one Asia. This is no BS, you made me jump, caught me completely off guard.
When we get to episode nine, be warned, have the tissues ready. I ball my eyes out every time I see it.
Not a lot of fighting and maybe none come to think of it but a tear jerker.
Like I said earlier, I haven't been commenting much lately except to some Beatles reactions, some George Carlin and Bill Burr. If you guys haven't seen Burr's "Titanic Is A Horror Movie" it's a must watch and would love too see you guys react to it.
Extremely funny! I've said this before, there's some really good reactors out there but you two are my favorite.
Great chemistry between the two of you and Asia's movie reaction's crack me up, especially on scary movies.
I truly love you guy's, you're a lot of fun.
Peace ❤❤
I know I haven't been commenting, but I **have** been watching with y'all. I have been desperately trying not to comment so's not to ruin your experience. I hope you appreciate my sacrifice. 😉
This is one of my favorite series, and I watch it, at least once, every year. Asia and BJ your reactions are so genuine and moving (sometimes funny with BJ getting lowkey pissed at Asia jumping, haha!) ...I'm really glad I found y'all's channel. ❤
My father served in the 5th Army which went up the boot of Italy. Dad would be the first one to tell you he did not do anything and it was the guys at the front line that did it all. Yet, many years after the war, he me how a German mortar blew up the house to the right of the one he was in, and one hit the house to the left. When the shelling stopped, they found a dud in the house he and his buddies were in. He said, "Thank God for duds." And i thought, "That's why we had to go to church every Sunday!" God bless them all.
This series gives you a deeper respect and honor for our military Thank you guys for the good movie night 😊
Thanks for checking out this amazing series. Ronald Speirs was the badass you think he is. That’s a guy who took the job seriously and did exactly what he was told to do. Once this series is done, I’m sure many people will fill you in on some of the details that were left out.
Reel talk! Tough episode to watch. 1SG Lipton epitomized the NCO. Read the NCO creed and tell me I'm wrong. Nothing worse than a useless officer. I had a Commander like him. He was so weak. I took him aside and had a come to Jesus meeting with him. Poked him in the chest as I spoke!!! He didn't even react to that. Eventually improved but troops need three things. Purpose, direction, and motivation. These men were so blessed with courage and resilience. The Army birthday was 14 June! I love you guys.
My favorite quote, and one that have hanging in my office: "He wasn't a bad leader because he made bad decisions, he was a bad leader because he made no decisions."
My grandpa's older brother was stationed in the Pacific he said he was happy the weather was good there instead of the freezing cold Europe front. He was in the Air Force was in the battle of Midway and had 4 confirmed kills he passed when I was 3-4 years old apparently the first time I walked as a baby he was there wish I could've talked to him about his experience. Their dad my great grandpa was in WW1 got gassed and almost died he went from 180 pounds to 100 pounds from the gas. Going back further a bunch of my ancestors were in wars and two were even in knights in Scotland I guess I have the warrior genes in me considering I was really good wrestler. RIP to all the soldiers that gave their lives for the good of mankind.
I’m in Normandy at the moment where the DDAY landings and parachute dropped . It’s unbelievable what those young men did .
My then-teen son (he's 24 now) and I buried a US quarter in the sand at the foot of the Omaha Beach Memorial in 2016 just in case we ever got to come back, or maybe he and his future son after I'm gone. I wonder if it's still there. It's been a semi tradition for us to leave a hidden quarter at famous/historical sites we visit all over the US and Europe.
We've been back to the same place we left one only once so far, by a water fall on a hiking trail at Big Sur, but it was six years later and we couldn't find the spot. I suspected we took a wrong turn, but it got too late to backtrack and still leave time for us to get off the mountain before dark. Bummer.
@@RMB42 I’m just back home , my final stop was just a mile or so from Pegasus Bridge where the first gliders landed . An amazing part of DDay , the local towns honour the allied troops with pictures and names of those young men hung from lampposts as you drive through the villages very moving .
Did you know that band of brothers is from Shakespeare. (from Henry V?From this day to the ending of the world, But we in it shall be remembered; We few, we happy few, we band of brothers. Shall be my brother.
The song the girls sing at the end dates back to 1784, a true oldie. The title is Plaisir d’Amour, the pleasure of love, not necessarily a song that you would associate with a convent. A very rough translation of the the first verse might be “The pleasure of love only lasts for a moment, the suffering of love lasts the whole life long.”
In the 1960s this song underwent a change, a key change, a new bridge, and some dinking around to accommodate English lyrics. It became “Falling in Love with You,” one of Elvis’s most loved songs.
I miss my grandfathers. They both served in the Navy during WWII. My one grandfather was on the U.S.S. Missouri when the Japanese signed their surrender. I grew up around the greatest generation. I always felt safe around them. Now I am 56 and without them I afraid this country will fail.
Interestingly, I was very close to the town of Foy this morning, and I plan to head back there to visit that place and Bastogne, on my way to France next week. Where I was today I saw a lot of US flags and some war monuments, and I olso got stuck up in some kind of military transport which led to a traffic infarct. It was a large vehicle with tanks on it, I think those were WW2 tanks, not sure though. You can actually visit the fox holes you see in this episode as well, might do that if I get the time for it.
BJ is on the money. So hard to attack a fixed, defended position head on. Spiers’ philosophy, you recall, is to consider yourself already dead.
That gave him the guts to run straight through the enemy, AND BACK.
I also becomes easy to understand why infantry considers artillery their worst enemy.
I was at a private screening of BoB before it was o HBO and got to introduce Lipton to those in attendance. A great memory.
I've watched this series multiple times and I always cry....
My Gpa spent Christmas of '44 in Bastogne. He drove half-track and was a mechanic for an armored field artillery battalion. (253rd US Army AFAB) From reading the combat record of his unit, his most difficult days were 8/19/44 (lost his buddy during an incident on Utah Beach 1st night in France) RIP Walter P McKinney, Jr. (Normandy American Cemetery), Christmas 1944 in Bastogne and April 1945, he spent 2 weeks aiding in the content you'll experience in Episode 9.
So there is a BIG debate about LT. Dike and the attack on Foy and him being wounded many go with the Clancy story who said that he noticed Dike being wounded but there is no mention of him being hit during the attack. so per the old CO E/506th living history unit who has copies of all the E co & 506th reports and spent alot of time with all the vets - "they hated him (Dike). The only thing they didn't like in the series is that it didn't show the absolutely massive foxhole he had the Co HQ guys dig for him. "It was as big as a hotel". (heard Wild Bill talking about that)
so Dike wasn't hit during the assault on Foy. A lot of people think he was due to the miniseries and some comments Clancy Lyall made (even though he never saw Dike during the assault). There’s absolutely no record of him being hit or mention in the morning report copies."
Also for Speirs run through Foy to make contact with Item Co. which was down too about 22 troopers and they were shooting into Easy's positions in town so he want to tell them to stop shooting.
I really hope that when y'all finish this series, you watch the accompanying documentary, "We Stand Alone Together." It is fantastic, and you get to learn which of the old dudes in the beginning of each episode is which guy in the show. It is a must see after finishing the show.
I hope yall watch the follow up to this miniseries The Pacific - similar to Band of Brothers but its about Marines fighting in the Pacific theater of WWII. Though, IMO, it's much more difficult to watch. Its an important and beautiful and horrifying miniseries.
Yes, just as good but the themes are very different. Then again, the war in the PTO was very different. If you don’t expect the feel good of BOB you will appreciate it.
I highly recommend the movie "All Quiet on the Western Front" from 2022. Winner of 4 Oscars.
One of the first movies since being an adult that had multiple scene I had to turn away from
the original is even better
Propaganda movie
Watch the original, from 1931, first. Best Picture winner
Not saying this is to be taken as gospel of how the luger went off as I'm purely speculating here. I think the hammer/ firing pin of the gun struck the primer on the cartridge round, but since the gun was so cold and wet it froze everything up. After a little while of being near Hooblers body heat, maybe the temperature increased as the day wore on, and the general handling of the firearm it warmed enough to "just go off" into poor Hooblers leg. That's my theory. You can see similar effects of frozen guns on Garand Thumbs youtube channel.
I have read he somehow triggered it off in his pocket crossing a fence.
I’ve also heard that Lugers were known to be finicky with the trigger and often misfired with tiny, small touches. I could be totally wrong, though.
Little anecdotes about Buck Compton: As a child he worked in Hollywood as an extra in various films. His early career ended when he angered none other than Charlie Chapplin on the set of Modern Times and he was then kicked out.
They toned down Speirs to make it believable. During his run he was making fun of the Germans ability to shoot straight.
So much more about Speirs not even told here. That man was the baddest of all badasses.
I purchased this on DVD in 2003 or so and wore them out.
There's something about this ep that makes it my favorite after the 1st one. The humor involved with needing a new platoon leader other than the clueless Dike, the focus on Lipton, Speirs' unexpected heroism, the end in the church- so good.
I enjoyed rewatching this with you two. I cant remember the lady's (wife) name but I think I remember her serving in Army Corps. My father was 82nd Airborne and did two tours in Vietnam and National Guard afterwards as a Master Sergeant. Only people like you keep this history going because no schools teach it.
There was a theory in WWII that men only had a certain number of days of combat in them before they were spent. This wasn't "life expectancy" but how long they could mentally hold up. Some could manage less, some much more. I thinkmit was something like 180 days, maybe more, I don't recall exactly. This could be extended by getting off the line for a while, but extended breaks could be counter productive with some.
This ran up against the US military practice of leaving units on the line for long periods of time and funneling in replacements. This ground down veterans, mentally and through losses, and replacements often had mediocre training and no experience so tended not to last long.
Tables exist for artillery fire. That is how much to fire on a certain target for a desired effect. What Easy Company was getting mostly was harassing fire, heavy though it was. This was designed to cause some casualties but mostly hinder movement and cause stress. That last one likely more of an intent to really mess them up and spoil the attack that was soon coming. Thing to remember about artillery was that it was so feared because there was nothing to do but sit there and take it, hoping you didn't get hit. With infantry or even tanks they could fight back or run.
It's 30 days. No way they can handle 180.
@@catherinelw9365 It was more than 30 by a good bit. The number might have changed or what they consider combat conditions.
@@Thane36425 "As more American servicemen entered into combat, the number of psychological casualties steadily rose. During the Normandy Campaign, army psychologists noted that the combat effectiveness of troops sharply declined after 30 days of combat. After 45 days, troops were in a near vegetative state. Psychiatrist John Appel, who studied combat exhaustion cases during the Battle of Monte Cassino and Anzio Campaign, came to the sobering conclusion that, “Practically all men in rifle battalions who are not otherwise disabled ultimately became psychiatric casualties.”" - From the National WWII Museum.
Such a great series!
I love this episode. Lipton getting a battlefield commission was a BIG deal.
I really hope ya'll gonna do the Pacific after this. Another great show on the same level as this!!
The soldier that got to go home is not the one that keeps yelling, he’s the one who everyone likes but a little clueless on the field. Lt Peacock is also colorblind.
Ronald Speirs did not break. He took the attack on in.
This series likes to show Lt. Dyke in a bad light. He was wounded at Foy and in shock which explains his actions before Spiers took over. If I remember right he went on to serve with distinction in Korea too.
The Luger was a WW1 firearm. It was well known for accidental discharge. The Gremans would keep the gun with a empty chamber. Just to prevent discharging the firearm.
These last few episodes really get the emotions going.
I don't know about anyone else but, something must have happened during the upload. Video and audio are not synced. I'm watching it on Roku device. Edit: rewatched on tablet, both were in sync.
Thanks Asia and BJ, enjoyed your reaction and commentary at the end. Looking forward to the next one.
My uncle was with the 84th infantry division in the bulge, said their canteen froze from the cold ,also had to piss on their rifles bolts to unfreeze them .
Everything about Speirs is true!
As we say in Texas; y'all be safe. ( I know you guys know this. LOL)
Love your reactions. The sync is off in this one.
Yeah I was scrolling through to see if anybody else was going to make that comment!! This is not the first time that it's happened on this channel either!! It's mildly annoying!!
It's not the sync of the video. It may have something to do with ads not playing correctly. Trying to stream to my Chromecast was out of sync, but playing the video on my phone was fine. Not the first time this has happened and not only on this channel. So, something is messed up with YT's playback. Really frustrating, unfortunately...
Sorry about that, it was ok for us but we’ll look into it! Thanks
@@ReelinwithAsiaandBJ no worries, it seems to start okay then gets about 30 seconds off.
One thing that this series does that hadn’t really been done before was to personalize the experience.
Most people born years after only know see the nameless people from the old newsreels and documentaries.
The word courage is tossed around pretty lightly in current year but that's real courage.
The earlier model Lugers had a defect that if the handle was squeezed in a certain way it would fire on it's own. Most likely what caused Hubler's accident.
Watching on an iPad, not audio issues
Babe you gotta stop jumpin like that
YOU JUMPED TOO
32:17 - Winters had a plan. Dyke didn’t execute.
You cut out Spears running straight through a explosion!!!!!!!!! Totally Badass........
Damn you cut winters scene when he relieved dyke? Best part
Donnie Wahlberg was around 15 years older than the real Sgt Lipton...who was barely over 20 years old...I think 22 at this point.
You were asking how the Germans were able to pinpoint their positions and sight in on the Americans with such accurate artillery fire. It was because the Americans were occupying defensive positions the Germans had once held and were forced to abandon earlier. So the Germans had the coordinates of all the fox holes, bunkers, and most favorable denfensive spots they had once held and all they had to do was dial those coordinates to those positions into their guns and fire. Atleast this is how it is told by a former US Captain in this book IF You Survive. About his experience fighting in France , the Battle of the Bulge and Germany.
I think you touched on the element of war that rules often on the battlefield: Chaos. Absolute luck of the draw. One minute here, the next gone.
Ep.9 had me choked up I wanted to cry so bad
I'm really hoping this episode is shown at the various NCO schools in the U.S. Armed forces. This is what being an NCO is about.
I have watched this series probably 20 times or more. The scene where Dyke runs through the Germans and THEN BACK through them still gives me chills. That guy was a beast.
It was Speirs, not Dike. But yeah, he was a warrior.
The look on Dike's face when Winters is laying out the plan - it's almost like all he is hearing Winter's say in "Blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah..."
Completely clueless.
How could you watch everyone around you, people you love,die and not be changed?
Remember in The Sixth Sense at the very beginning there is a boy just wearing underwear who attacks Bruce Willis? That same actor, Donnie Wahlberg, plays 1st Sgt Lipton here. Quite a range.
Oh, I don’t want to get in the middle of a fight but reviewing the video it looks like BJ jumps from Asia’s jump, not the horse. But I’m not an umpire.
Asia read my mind.. they are being SO loud. 2 seconds later.. BOOM
Asia cracks me up. She is so safety-minded. She'd make a good troubleshooter.
The sound that Joe makes when he says he has to get up will haunt me till i die.
God Bless all the soldiers, sailors, and airmen who took part in this massive, horrible war. They didn't know at the time of Bastogne how truly awful the Waffen-ᛋᛋ was. The men who fought lost everything in that war, including pieces of themselves, sometimes literally. We can never thank that great generation enough for stomping tyranny and Nazism into the dirt where it belongs.
I’m loving your videos. I feel like Asia has a military background. Somethings she says hit
Me like that. But great videos, keep it up😊
The rosary that Malarkey is holding was all that was left of Muck and Pinkala..😥
Don't get me wrong. You are coming down the otherside of the mountain, but you are still on the mountain.
BoB is an amazing series. And for the sake of the narrative I understand why they made this episode the way that they did. That said, this episode was somewhat inaccurate about Norman Dike. Just so you know, in real life, Dike was a twice decorated (for bravery) veteran Platoon leader - just like Buck Compton. But Dike was not a strong Company Commander, which most solders will tell you is an entirely different role. In addition, the battle sequence on Foy does NOT show the fact that Dike was actually wounded at the start of the attack. His nonsensical orders for a flanking maneuver were likely the result of his growing blood loss and disorientation. You can learn more about Dike by watching the full interviews with Dick Winters. Anyway, just a little info. Love watching you both go through this journey.
I can't believe Mark Wahlberg gets all the roles he does when Donnie is a much better actor. He kills it in everything he's in.
Factually US forces in Europe as depicted in this show, faced lightly defended German lines.
This is because US forces weren't as experienced as UK and Canadian forces.
UK and Canadian Forces took the bery heavily defended German lines on the Northern Route.
World War 2 was a struggle for a moral condition we have today. God bless those brave man who stood up and fought against true evil. My grandpa (Im from Poland) fought first with germans, then with soviets. He is a hero to me.
Love y’all! Remember all the sacrifices
Ronald Speirs was an animal.
The thin red line!
Oooo nobody reacts to it, and probably my fav war movie. Next to Apocalypse now.
🤷♂️👍 just popped to mind.
I feel this is the best flick among all WW2 movies and series. I’m glad you guys are enjoying it.
Such a great show/series. I never served during WW2, my grandparents weren’t even quite old enough. I served in Iraq though… war is a strange thing.
When someone talks about guns, I cringe a little inside. I know what I’ve done and I’m not sure it’s ok, I’ve lost friends and I’m not sure why. Their enemies wore uniforms, mine didn’t. Were they enemies? What’s the point?
Can you blame a man for crumbling under that pressure (Dyke), is another man insane (Spears)?
I’m glad that I get to think about these things and it’s a little sad that I have to.
In defense of Dyke. He won the silver star before being promoted. He had PTSD.
Awesome content as usual guys, audio sync wayyyy off though in case you didn't realise 👍
These last two were probably the toughest episodes to watch.
One of the best mini series ever made. Another great one is the pacific from the same people the time against the Japanese
That my friend is as real as war gets There will be more suprise but none like this. I told you this was the best yet documentary of WWII.