Mary, I want to thank you for the way you presented Band of Brothers. My father served with Pattons third army who claimed to have rescued easy company. My dad had great respect for those men. Before his death in 2009, he and I watched Band of Brothers many many times. He fought all the way through Germany to the camps, and he told me that none of them knew that the Germans were killing Jews. They only knew that they were using slave labor. You did a great job reacting to this. Thank you for your emotions and your tenderness. Keep doing the things you are doing and being the person that you are. Your new friend in Utah, United States, Jeff Corbin
Allowing the German Colonel to keep his sidearm was a sign of respect. Officers sidearms are the modern equivalent of officers swords carried over from the days of flintlock rifles. Officers of losing armies would offer their swords as part of their surrender. The Officers of the winning wars/battles would allow the losing Officers to keep their swords as a sign of respect towards their opponents. Especially ones who acted honorably during the battle/war.
That scene is somewhat fictionalized. In reality Winters accepted the sidearm. Later, while cleaning it, he realized it had never been fired. He kept it for the rest of his life. Never firing it, as a symbol of his commitment to peace.
Letting an enemy officer, captain or above, keep his sidearm/sword serves a few purposes: It lets the enemy officer maintain his dignity, without which he could become a problem, unwilling to cooperate, etc. Yes, it's a gesture of respect. But it's more a message. "I'll respect you, but in turn you must respect me." And, without his sidearm his men could see that as his authority over them being taken away, and that means they wouldn't have to respect him which makes controlling the prisoners harder.
In 1999 I moved to a new neighborhood and across the street lived an old US Navy sailor, alone. He had been in the Navy and was in combat starting from the attack at Pearl Harbor until his ship sailed into Tokyo harbor for the surrender in 1945. I would send my two sons ( 8 & 10 ) to do whatever chores he needed done and he'd tell him about his life and the war. It is important to listen and learn history from those who were a part of it...
You might enjoy the film: "We stand alone together" it's a sort of documentary made from Band of Brothers, interviewing the actual men that fought in Easy Company.
I had the honor of meeting Easy Co. veterans at a military base some years ago. Later that day, I had a drink in the cafe with Dick Winters. We spoke about the War and he asked so I told him about my father who served for 8 years, during WW2 and Korea. Mgr. Winters graciously said that my father was a hero, and I had every right to be proud of him and to be proud to be his son. I never forgot that.
Concentration camps were largely unknown to the western world(general public) outside of Europe. Remember that in 1945 there was no social media to sensationalize it, no way to communicate what was happening daily, and those who it was happening to were basically barred from society. A very similar event is occurring, and HAS been occurring in China for years, and very few people have any idea
Yes, the currently ongoing Chinese genocide of millions, most of them part of the Uyghur ethnic minority. As for the question "did the world know". At the start of the "Shoah by Gas" some western papers found out and reported it. They were shouted down by most of the American population for spreading propaganda because nobody could believe something so horrendous could be happening. Despite the fact that in the previous decades many countries - including several western ones - had set up concentration camps, some of them even intentionally killing large numbers of minorities, but that wasn't well known to the public because most countries tend to not teach their population about the horrible things they do. For example, I'm Belgian and I can tell you that we're not taught in school that our country had by a huge margin the largest percentage of Nazi colaborators of any western country, or that our post-war government intentionally didn't investigate almost any of them. We're taught a small part of Leopold II's horrors and that's almost the only negative thing we're taught.
Churchhill knew something like this was going on. They had intercepted intelligence before the first camp was ever discovered. Likely did not know the extent of it. He sent out an announcement of sorts condemning it. This was a risky move as it gave the Germans a heads up that there was a leak or possibly a code cracked. Most German communication concerning camps went to strictly paper or hard line comms after that.
Average people in the US knew about concentration camps, but assumed they were regular prisons and not extermination camps. Concentration camps are not only mentioned in the classic and then highly popular 1942 film Casablanca, but are a major aspect of the background of one of the main characters, Victor Laszlo.
Intelligence sources had found out about the camps, so they were known about at the highest levels of government, but I don't think even the generals in the field knew about them.
So happy that you honored their memory by watching this series. I hope you'll do The Pacific next. Thank you Mary. As a former Marine, I'm so thankful for the contributions of the generation that served in WW2. Hard to express the deep gratitude I have for those who served.
The importance of things like this - even second-and-third-hand accounts presented in a entertainment format - cannot be overstated. It's something, at least, in lieu of a deep and comprehensive dive into world and world war history, and it presents enough and holds up enough to be important on a historical level.
I have been to Belgium and lived in the Netherlands. I have recommended this show to my friends in both countries several times, and it has been wonderful sharing this journey with you through this channel. I enjoy all your reactions, but this one was special. Hard to imagine a 10 episode TV mini-series from 20 years ago having such an impact on so many people from different generations and nationalities. Thank you for sharing.
Spielberg and Hanks are currently producing another mini-series called "Masters of the Air." It focuses on a WWII bomber crew. Of the 105,000 U.S. service members killed in the European theater of operations, 26,000 of them were Eighth Air Force.
You are one of my all time favorite reactors. You are genuine, intelligent and obviously a good person. Thank you for sharing that magic with the world. Its nice to see people outside the USA not hating us.. or at least what we we were. When I see you, I don't feel like we are separate nations, but one world, together. Thank you.
When I was young I worked in a hobby store, and there were a number of old men who were regular customers (mainly to build aircraft models); after a while we got to chatting, and I realized that they were actual bomber crews from the war. I was very eager to listen to their stories (myself being an aviation enthusiast), but it was almost surreal... these were regular guys, but who had done extraordinary things. War is horrific, but I think it does bring out the best in people, and not only the worst.
I knew a guy like that who got me into a local hobby club when I was in high school in the 1970s. He went to England as a crew chief on black painted B-24D Liberators tasked with dropping OSI agents over occupied France. He said they eventually lost so many planes, he was absorbed into the 4th Fighter Group. The would get up for breakfast and the sky was full of RAF bombers returning from night missions over Germany, when they left the chow hall, the sky was full of B-17Gs forming up for a daylight raid. His squadron would send up 50 P-51s out of 4 to 500 every day. It's doubtful we will ever see up to 1,000 planes forming into such huge formations again. We remained friend until he passed on some thirty years later...
@@uberduberdave Those guys who were doing daylight bombing over Germany in 1943... that was a tough gig. Some of the highest loss rates of the war. My guy was also a B-24 crewman, but I think he was in the Pacific.
As always, a tremendous reaction video, Mary. Couple things: with the 20-year anniversary of Band of Brothers release, there was a series of podcasts that took an hour to reflect on each one of the episodes. I'd highly recommend it. ....and to answer your question about the previous episode: my parents generation told me that, at the time, SOME of the things about what was happening to the Jews were starting to surface, but almost EVERYBODY felt it was us demonizing an enemy (historically, not unusual at all) and nobody really BELIEVED somebody would actually do anything like that......especially on that scale. As we know now, they did.
In 2010 the producers followed up with THE PACIFIC, showing the stories of U.S. Marines fighting the Japanese. And they are currently working on their third WWII series called MASTERS OF THE AIR, about the U.S. Army Air Force, specifically those airmen involved in the bombing campaign against Germany. I believe that one is due to be released on Apple TV+ next year.
My dad was a radio operator in a B17 and was shot down on his last mission back. Was in a German POW for a year and like most prisoners was involved in the "death march" as the Germans moved POW to western Europe. Like most vetrant would not talk about the war until the last few years of his life. I have a daughter and grandkids that live in Brussels (she married a Belgian) and I have been impressed with the Belgian reverence of Americas involvement in WW2. Many of the public parks I go to in Belgium have American flags . My teenage grandchildren have a keen awareness of the history of WW2 and how thhe allies stopped the German aggression. Appreciate your heartfelt reaction throughout the series.
Of the reactors I have seen do Band of Brothers, this was one of the best outro's I have seen. Mary so beautifully described how she felt and what she had learned like so many of us.
Great reaction, Mary. The concentration camps were known to higher command, but not to the common soldier. Rumors did spread early in the war but many were unsure or dismissive for several reasons: 1. During WWI, propaganda about German atrocities spread in order to drum up support for the war, so this time the Allies were skeptical; 2. The stories were horrific and there was a sense of “no, this can’t be possible”.
there was actually a guy in poland who went in and snuck out of a camp and gave reports to the resistance. they thought it was an exaggeration because of how bad it was
I know I'm late to this, but Germany was still coasting on it's reputation from the 18th and 19th centuries as a centre of learning, culture, and enlightenment. That contributed greatly to people's disbelief before evidence became widespread, no one could believe that the nation of Freud, Beethoven, Nietzsche, Gauss, and so much of the enlightenment were capable of such absolute horror.
For clarification at 8:58 he was being questioned about Hitler's photo album that went missing during this 10th episode where you see him looking through it. This is true that he did take it and it showed up many years later in the US, I believe after his death.
When you rewatch and you get to Ep 7 and the real life Mularkey is talking about his troubles in later life you know exactly what he is talking about and your lip quivers right along with his.
Though David Webster was lost at sea, he had kept a wartime diary of his experiences that his wife had published years after his death. His insights contributed greatly to both the Band of Brothers book and series, and this is how his character was able to narrate "The Patrol" episode. Next to "Bastogne" this is my favorite episode, because with the war over there's more time to focus just on the characters and their lives. The strength of this series is the characters, the men of Easy. I think it has the best written characters of anything done for TV.
I always thought it was interesting that when Major Winters told the men the war was over, there was no cheering or whooping or high-fiving, they just took it in for a minute and went back to what they were doing.
I do strongly recommend "From the Earth to the Moon" which is another late 90s HBO show partially produced by Tom Hank, this however is about the race to the Moon.
I really enjoyed watching this series with you. Your reaction was genuinely honest yet bitter sweet. Thank you for your honesty. I can't find any other words. Thank you.
Thanks for doing this series Mary! I never get tired of seeing the impact it has on different people, particularly the extremely difficult and emotional episodes 9 and 10. I hope people never forget this war, or the horror of the Holocaust. Anything that helps keep the memory alive is a good thing.
The perfect ending for a remarkable miniseries. This is one that should be shown often, lest we forget the hard-earned lessons they sacrificed for. I hope that you will do a reaction on "We Stand Alone Together". This was the documentary tied to "Band of Brothers", with addition interviews from the vets of the unit, etc.
More than a decade after my intial viewing, this series stays with me. I had uncles in the war. Most were in the Air Corps, but knowing friends who had fathers who were in battle, this series gave me a better perspective of what those men had been through. Yeah, not easy to forget, this series. So happy that you were able to enjoy it.
We Stand Alone Together is basically episode 11, with extended interviews and more content with the real veterans. After you’ve taken some time to let Band of Brothers sink in and maybe emotionally recoup, you definitely need to watch The Pacific. It will definitely show you things that they would never teach you in school.
My grandfather was a signalman on a Destroyer Escort (DE-641 USS William C. Cole) in the the Pacific theater. He was at the battle of Okinawa. What stories he shared about his time in WWII were mostly lighthearted but stories he did share about conflict always brought tears to my eyes even as a kid. Luckily he didn't see a ton of action. This series however highlights why learning history, especially this period in history, is so important.
As of now, the only surviving member of the WW2 complement of Easy Company is Bradford C. Freeman (born 1924), who attained the rank of Private, First Class. The second to the last surviving member, and the last surviving commissioned officer, was Edward Shames. (He was seen in Episode 4, telling the troops to “Get moving” in the midst of a crowd of celebrating Dutch, and again in Episode 7, when Winter said that he, Shames, had been watching too many war movies.) He was 99 when he passed away on December 3, 2021, and had attained the rank of Colonel. Gentlemen, and all the other soldiers you represented - thank you. Thank you for your service. Thank you for sharing your stories with us. And Mary - wonderful reactions! Yup, nothing like getting visceral to really feel what history classes teach. Currahee!
Thank you, Mary, for your wonderfully sensitive and empathic reaction to this series overall. You were one of my favourite commentators. I’m an old Aussie bloke and my Dad served in the Pacific theatre of war during World War 2 as a pilot in the RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force). So, the next series that I would suggest you watch is The Pacific but, be warned, it is very brutal. Cheers, young lady, and thanks again 👍🤗🤠🤩
Mary, thank you so much for watching this and sharing your journey with us! Now you know why it is so highly recommended and it remains my favorite piece of cinema ever. Insanely cast, acted, written, directed, and scored. It doesn’t get better than this. Have you seen Generation War? I recommend it if not.
There's some dispute about which unit reached the Eagle's Nest first, but the 2nd Battalion of the 506th was definitely there at the time they're depicted as being there in the miniseries. It's possible a handful of French and Spanish soldiers got there the day before, and a small number of soldiers from another US Army unit claim to have been there before the 506th, but neither group stayed or seemed to have looted much.
5:31 it was once customary for a vanquished commander to offer his sword to the victorious in a gesture of surrender. The victor would allow the defeated to keep his sword as a gesture of magnanimity in victory rather than strip the defeated commander of his dignity. Same with an officer’s sidearm in this scene.
Mary, I do so enjoy your reactions. You know, Listening to you just now, I remembered something about my Father. He was an officer in the US Navy from 1955 until 1957 during peacetime. He served aboard a brand-new aircraft carrier (USS Saratoga), and he saw many pilots crash their aircraft when they attempted to land on the ship. One day, I was watching the move called "The Bridges of Toko Ri," on television (a movie about US Navy pilots in the Korean War), and he said, "Jeff, I cannot watch this. I've seen too many guys splattered against a bulkhead," and he left the room. My Dad was not a pilot - he was in charge of a battery of 5-inch artillery turrets - but even so, he couldn't watch jets trying to land on an aircraft carrier even in a movie.
This episode is my favourite, I never get bored of watching the ending. So moving to see the real guys. And yes the show is historically accurate. You might want to read the book (the tv show is very faithful to it). It contains lots of great photos. It even has a photo of Nixon the morning after they found the wine cellar. It looks like he's got one hell of a hangover.
There is a video by a paratrooper who became a legend in Bastogne for serving beer to some wounded men. The result was Airborne beer. The paratrooper did not return to Europe until much later in life. In a bar he told his story, and then learned about how it resulted in the brand of beer coming into its own. The people thought it was a legend, just a story from the war. When he told the story to the patrons who had heard the story growing up, the reaction was totally unexpected. I hope you will find this interview of the paratrooper in question. Vincent Speranza - Bastogne Beer Run - American Veterans Center channel
That moment with the German POW who says "It's the end of my 2nd war" .... people lived through that, sadly. To complete this amazing journey I suggest you watch "We stand alone together" .... I can promise it's worth it.
Every year starting June 6th I've re-watched this series since it premiered followed by "We stand alone together" and later "The Pacific" and every impactful moment, every tearful moment still hits deep.
Thank you for doing this series. It was great as an American to see a European perspective, especially someone who has lived near the places. I visited Normandy several years ago. One thing that brought things home is on many markers, the home state of the fallen soldier is listed. Seeing one from where I am from made me think he could have been my neighbor in a different time.
I’m glad you got to Watch this series. Very impactful. If the memories in my mind ever start to fade I go back and watch it again. “We Stand Alone Together “ is a great documentary that other reactors have noted it gives them closure. Of course I would love to see you react to it but if nothing else watch it on your own. You won’t regret it!!
Easy Company of the 101st was assigned to occupation duty in Berchtesgaden, specifically the "Eagle's Nest", but, it was actually the 3rd Infantry Division that got there first, and, captured it.
I had the chance to visit the grave of Dick Winters earlier this year. Believe it or not, he’s not buried in Arlington or some other military grave yard, as fitting as that would be. He’s buried in his family plot in a relatively unassuming cemetery in rural Pennsylvania. You get the sense from interviews that while he was certainly proud of his service, he didn’t want it to define his life.
Thank you so much for sharing with us your reactions to this fantastic miniseries. Band of Brothers is a wonderful testament to the men who served in the most significant conflict in human history.
So, glad you found it. I've watched it every year on Memorial Day since it was released and have never tired of it. Some of that is because of my father who served in the 8th Air Corps. His tour was England as a Ground Crew Chief for General Lamay or so I was told by my Aunt. The Series Masters of the Air, I think its called, is coming soon from those who brought us this series. I think it too will be an eye opener as I know of some of what will be told. I can't justly put into words my respect and admiration I have for these men form Easy Company. Even just as this little last interlude plays out the tears fall down my cheeks...and will undoubtedly do so till I move on. And as to your wondering if the Allies knew of the Germany atrocities they had heard rumors but had no real concrete evidence and frankly thought them too horrific to be real, until. So, they didn't burden the average soldiers with this unconfirmed situation. Note: The Masters of the Air will relate in some fashion that more Air Crews died in something like 9 months in the opening air campaign than died fighting in the entirety of the ground wars in both Europe and the pacific theaters. They may not however pint out this was expected and understood from the get go by the commanders of the allied air corps and it was a specific action because they felt they needed a sufficient distraction to the ground war in order to win on the whole. They also from the outset had no fighter air superiority against the Luftwaffe till the introduction of the P-51 Mustang and the I think the P-41 Thunder Bolt. These planes allowed the Air Campaign to provide the air cover desperately needed for the bomber squadrons dying in droves for lack of air support. I am not saying the other planes the Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane, and the Arvio Lancaster bombers were useless and anything else the allies through at the German War machine it was just not as potent nor could they provide the edge needed to win.
So very pleased I was able to share rewatching these episodes with you. After a break "The Pacific" produced by the same people follows the war on the other side of the world. Different enemy, different environment, but same tragedies and heroics. My dad served as a Marine who fought at Bougainville in the Pacific. Take care Mary!
I Hope you take the time to watch the mini-series The Pacific. It is also a Spielberg/Hanks work, but is about the Marines in the Pacific. Be sure to watch it with the Historical facts turned on, and afterwards watch the extras which has interviews with the still living Marines in the series, along with interviews with the Marines wives and children.
From most accounts, the average soldier had no idea that the camps existed until they found them. Intelligence branches may have known something, but it wasn't common knowledge
There is an excellent movie about war veterans coming home from war. "The Best Years of Our Lives" from 1946 follows three veterans returning from World War Two as they try to readjust to civilian life after the emotional and physical trauma of war.
The Eagle's Nest is still there. It's a public restaurant. I visited in the 1990's. The fireplace, a gift from Mussolini, is chipped up from soldiers knocking pieces off for souvenirs. I did the same thing to some pieces of the Berlin Wall which were waiting for disposal in Potsdamer Platz.
I'm in my 70's My Father and the Fathers of all my school friends served in World War II. Not all saw combat (my Father was an Instructor Pilot who was never sent overseas) but they all served whether in the military or as civilian in a defense plant.
In the early 90's there was a US TV series titled Homefront, which was about the end of the war and how the characters in the story adjusted to life returning to "normal." While the men were fighting, women worked in the factories, made good wage, and worked as supervisors and managers. When the troops returned they were hired back to fill their old jobs, and the women were forced out of their jobs. While their husbands were away, their wives were the lords of the castle so speak, and it was difficult to give up that authority and independent decision making.
You mentioned it was strange of them to go back to normal jobs after the war....and your right...But then I realized I did the same after my two wars...I left the army in 1995 and went to school. What amazed me is how fast time has gone by. I look back at the Gulf War and Somalia as it was last week, and I am still in my twenties, then I come to realization that I in my fifties. It amazing during battle how minutes seems to last hours, yet when the war is over a lifetime seems to disappear in weeks. Thank you Mary for watching this....
Hi Mary, the 101st did get deployed to Japan after the war anyway. I was in the 101st in the 90s and my infantry Brigade was deployed to Japan for the occupation and was named The Rakkasans which means parachute in Japanese. Just one of the many unit history type things that you learn when assigned to units in the military.
Its a tough series to watch huh Mary? Confronting, educating, horrific and somehow also hopeful. I'm really happy you watched this and gave us your unique perspective. Given how much I enjoy watching shows with you, I'd imagine it'll mean a lot to the children, grandchildren and loved-ones of those who served. You bring a high level of maturity, empathy and sincerity to everything you do and this was no different- but this time, I think you brought comfort and hope too. As always, I look forward to seeing your next reaction. Stay healthy and strong Mary! The world needs more people like you. :)
Everyone will recommend The Pacific by the same producers, and it's also great (and I say even darker than BoB) and definitely should be on the list, but maybe take a break from World War II for a bit. I'll keep recommending the series Rome, only two seasons with around 10 or 12 episodes each, often told through the viewpoint of two Roman soldiers, Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo, with season one having Julius Caesar's struggle for power as the backdrop, and season two the same for his nephew turned son, Octavian/Augustus.
Winters did accept the sidearm during the surrender. Later when examining the weapon he realized that it had never been fired. In an interview he said that not only had he kept it but that it still hadn't been fired and never would be.
To answer the question at the beginning in part, the United States intelligence services knew about them because they were working with the locals before the Normandy invasion, but the primary focus was pushing Germany back into Berlin and getting Hitler to surrender, so the average American soldier was not informed about the concentration camps. In England, the government and intelligence services knew about the camps, and more soldiers were aware of them because a lot of refugees volunteered to fight when they got to England. But generally speaking, the average soldier who didn't live in mainland Europe was not educated on the concentration camps until after the fact.
In regards to only one name in the helmet. It was done on purpose. Shifty did not have anywhere near enough points to make it home and everyone thought, based on what he accomplished, throughout the war that he deserved to go go home more than anyone else. So the officers pretended it was a lottery and pretended that a lot of names were in the helmet. The pretended to move his hand around the helmet, pretending to shuffle the papers with all the names. Of course, only one name was in there, that being Shifty's. Also, no one knew the extent to the Concentration Camps on the Allied side. They knew that the Jews were being treated badly by the Germans but they didn't know about the Camps.
The Allied leadership actually did know about it. The Polish home army had one of their officers, Witold Pilecki, purposely get captured to be sent to Auschwitz, where he set up an intelligence cell. He broke out in 1943 and debriefed the Polish home army, which passed the information on to the Polish government in exile in London. The British and Americans didn't want to hear it. The US government would actually suppress news about the Holocaust so as not to give Credence to German claims that we were fighting for Jews. It wasn't until a March of Jewish rabbis in New York City and Washington DC that the US government felt obligated to do anything.
I watch this show every couple of years and it never ceases to be impactful. If you ever watch the pacific, it's great, but it's different. I was disappointed because I basically expected Band of Brothers 2 and it's not. But still very much worth watching.
The war in the Pacific was so different from the war in Europe, that creating a sort of second Band of Brothers would be very difficult to do as the survival rate of the average soldier was so low. I think by concentrating the story around the three persons they picked was the best way to portray the horrors of that war.
I strongly recommend watching the Expanse. I'm 100% sure you will love it! It has some of the best female characters I've even seen in (Sci-Fi) show. It's based on a series of books which it does justice to. It's been described as Game of Thrones in space and after the Game of Thrones disappointing ending the Expanse has now become my favourite show of all time (so far).
I believe most of Easy Company has gone home now, but I am so grateful we have this everlasting tribute to their courage and sacrifice. All gave some, some gave all.
I have seen this series multiple times yet tremendously enjoyed experiencing it again with you as you did for the first time. Your heartfelt and intelligent appreciation of the story and the men involved was greatly gratifying. You have a new subscriber and I look forward to future reactions.
I highly recommend watching Ken Burns “The War.” The documentary features interviews from WW2 veterans and family members who experienced The War from an American perspective. Also includes stories about two of the Marines from the next miniseries “The Pacific.”
My Grandpa was a Polish national who served in the Polish army and later the resistance against german occupation. He never talked about it and I’ve always wanted to find out what he went through. He passed away not long after i was born.
Mary, never have I been on a journey with such a tender, vulnerable and valuable guide. Video recreations of war always omit so much that they aren't "true", not in the way that printed material is true and more or less complete. But videos convey the emotional impact and your heart made that impact all the more visceral. I've watched this series with many reactors, and trust me, you are the best. Thank you.
This show is worth watching at least once a year. It hits hard every single time. There's one more "episode" you should watch called "We Stand Along Together". It has a lot of interviews with the actual men depicted in the mini-series. You should then watch "The Wire". It's one of the greatest TV shows in American history.
When the German General gives his speech to his men, IMO he is not only talking to his men. But the American men as well, it proves like you said how similar they really are. Regardless of the atrocities that Germany had done. A grunt will forever be a grunt.
Winters didn't take the surrendering German's sidearm as he didn't want to further humiliate him. Surrendering a personal weapon (ie sword or pistol) was a traditional sign of submission. Also traditionally, the victor would allow the surrendering officer to keep his personal weapon (because in the old days, officers had to buy them out of their own pocket and thus were often represented a good deal of personal investment).
The story of the drunken corporal(?) that shot allies has an incredible amount of detail to it in real life, for all the accounts on what happened that night. The show didn't get it quite right but it was in the ballpark of how monstrous it was.
Thanks again for sharing your honest reactions. I find it reassuring that young people take an interest in the history of WW II, and want to learn the causes and effects.
They Gave Their Today For Our Tomorrow,, Lest We Forget Their Sacrifice. Fantastic reaction it is clear to see how you were affected as much as we all who had viewed the Episodes before. I highly recommend you watch.. We Stand Alone.. Is personal interviews with the actual people from Easy Company and is very moving.
Great Reaction to this series, it touches every human emotion. So now you need a break and watch a movie called CAVEMAN from 1981, has BEATLES RINGO STARR as the lead and only 10 words in the entire movie, A comedy classic!!
I Highly recommend The Pacific as another amazing WW2 series from HBO. The Pacific shows the absolute brutality that was the Pacific theater of war and the island-hopping campaign against the Japanese. Movie-wise, I recommend Hacksaw Ridge, a story about Desmond Doss, an Army medic awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on Okinawa. He was a Seventh-day Adventist who refused to kill enemy soldiers or even carry a weapon in combat due to his religious beliefs. He also stuck to a stringent vegetarian diet which meant that the only thing he could consume from the rations issued to him was the crackers and the candies, he would supplement his food intake with coconuts when he could. Generation Kill is another HBO mini-series I recommend but it is about the Iraq War in the early 2000s, while very good it is very different from Band of Brothers and The Pacific.
Was a great series and it's insightful to see the reaction of people who live in the affected areas as they have a more direct tie with the past it seems. We stand alone together is a documentary that fleshes out some more info of these men and I would highly recommend it
Thanks for the reaction of this tv show. It has been a pleasure to seen you enjoy what good cinema or good television can do, with examples like this tv show you can understand why cinema is so important and why there is no art like it. Neither music, nor painting, nor photography can transmit by themselves as many emotions and truths as cinema, which is a compound of all of them. I watched this series for the first time twenty one years ago, and I have seen it many times since, but watching it through your eyes is the closest thing to seeing it for the first time again. Thank you.
While no one could understand what the veterans of WW2 had been through, but for that generation the majority had served. Army, Navy, Army Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard the vast majority of able bodied young men served in one. So while the folks back home didn't, couldn't really understand; however much like during their time overseas they could count one one group who could, each other. In VFW Posts and the like across the country they could often find someone to talk to and relate when families and friends could not. Mostly they got each other through it.
I loved the reaction you had when you saw that after fighting a war they would instantly rotate them/101 to another theater of war. When I came back from a year and half of being deployed to Iraq our unit got orders get ready to go to Australia for a few weeks training and then get ready for Afghanistan.
The war in Europe, for the American forces at least, was a relatively easy one compared to the fighting going on in the Pacific. People overlook just how intense the fighting was against the Japanese, and how fanatical the Japanese were in defending each island to the death. It was pretty reasonable for US war planners to expect to need more troops sent from the European Theater to the Pacific Theater, even in 1945, and a veteran unit like the 101st Airborne could have been a real asset if the atomic bombs weren't dropped to end the war when it did.
Another great war show (in fact, one of the best if not *the* best) that is a must watch is Das Boot, about a German WWII submarine crew on a combat patrol. It's available both as a movie (in several versions, the 3.5 hour 1997 Directors cut recommended) and a 5 hour miniseries, I recommend the miniseries version as it's got a bit more detail. It also recently got a sequel of the same name (still ongoing), but I haven't watched it so I can't say anything about it other than it seems to be pretty well received.
Easy was indeed the first to the Eagle's Nest (which is still there, & is open for the public to visit. I think there is also a restaurant). Google maps tells me that from Brussels it is only 900km; perfect for a 3-day weekend. Mary - time for a road trip.
“No. But I served in a company of heroes.” Nothing has ever consistently brought tears to my eyes like that line.
Love the wordplay of “the company of/a company of.”
Yep, gets me every time. A hard SOB like Winters fighting back tears is what does it.
It's a tear bomb. Every time.
Broadcasting things like that is something I avoid. But in this case I can't deny it -- every time, water works.
I'm a 45 year old man and it brings me to tears EVERY TIME. It's so full of pain, humility, and sacrifice.
Mary, I want to thank you for the way you presented Band of Brothers. My father served with Pattons third army who claimed to have rescued easy company. My dad had great respect for those men. Before his death in 2009, he and I watched Band of Brothers many many times. He fought all the way through Germany to the camps, and he told me that none of them knew that the Germans were killing Jews. They only knew that they were using slave labor. You did a great job reacting to this. Thank you for your emotions and your tenderness. Keep doing the things you are doing and being the person that you are.
Your new friend in Utah, United States, Jeff Corbin
Allowing the German Colonel to keep his sidearm was a sign of respect. Officers sidearms are the modern equivalent of officers swords carried over from the days of flintlock rifles. Officers of losing armies would offer their swords as part of their surrender. The Officers of the winning wars/battles would allow the losing Officers to keep their swords as a sign of respect towards their opponents. Especially ones who acted honorably during the battle/war.
That scene is somewhat fictionalized. In reality Winters accepted the sidearm. Later, while cleaning it, he realized it had never been fired. He kept it for the rest of his life. Never firing it, as a symbol of his commitment to peace.
@@RyanE8787 Winters accepted the surrender of many German officers- it’s not improbable that he let one or more keep his sidearm.
Didn’t actually happen though. Winters accepted the officer’s sidearm in real life
@@RyanE8787 "That's the way all wars should end - with an agreement with no blood on it" Major Richard Winters, from We Stand Alone Together
Letting an enemy officer, captain or above, keep his sidearm/sword serves a few purposes: It lets the enemy officer maintain his dignity, without which he could become a problem, unwilling to cooperate, etc. Yes, it's a gesture of respect. But it's more a message. "I'll respect you, but in turn you must respect me." And, without his sidearm his men could see that as his authority over them being taken away, and that means they wouldn't have to respect him which makes controlling the prisoners harder.
We Stand Alone Together is the Band of Brothers documentary and is filled with more interviews with the real Band of Brothers. It is a must watch.
Highly recommended!
I'm shocked that she never watched it D:
In 1999 I moved to a new neighborhood and across the street lived an old US Navy sailor, alone. He had been in the Navy and was in combat starting from the attack at Pearl Harbor until his ship sailed into Tokyo harbor for the surrender in 1945. I would send my two sons ( 8 & 10 ) to do whatever chores he needed done and he'd tell him about his life and the war. It is important to listen and learn history from those who were a part of it...
You might enjoy the film: "We stand alone together" it's a sort of documentary made from Band of Brothers, interviewing the actual men that fought in Easy Company.
Yup; I agree. "We Stand Alone Together" should be watched after having seen and reacted to "Band of Brothers."
@@frenchfan3368 except change "should be" to MUST BE.
@@chetstevens4583 I can go with that statement.
I had the honor of meeting Easy Co. veterans at a military base some years ago. Later that day, I had a drink in the cafe with Dick Winters. We spoke about the War and he asked so I told him about my father who served for 8 years, during WW2 and Korea. Mgr. Winters graciously said that my father was a hero, and I had every right to be proud of him and to be proud to be his son. I never forgot that.
There’s also a documentary called “We Stand Alone Together” you may want to watch as well.
It's really good.
YES. It's a must-watch.
Yeah, and by the looks of it, the YT edit might show us all of 6 minutes of that one.
Concentration camps were largely unknown to the western world(general public) outside of Europe. Remember that in 1945 there was no social media to sensationalize it, no way to communicate what was happening daily, and those who it was happening to were basically barred from society. A very similar event is occurring, and HAS been occurring in China for years, and very few people have any idea
Yes, the currently ongoing Chinese genocide of millions, most of them part of the Uyghur ethnic minority.
As for the question "did the world know". At the start of the "Shoah by Gas" some western papers found out and reported it. They were shouted down by most of the American population for spreading propaganda because nobody could believe something so horrendous could be happening. Despite the fact that in the previous decades many countries - including several western ones - had set up concentration camps, some of them even intentionally killing large numbers of minorities, but that wasn't well known to the public because most countries tend to not teach their population about the horrible things they do. For example, I'm Belgian and I can tell you that we're not taught in school that our country had by a huge margin the largest percentage of Nazi colaborators of any western country, or that our post-war government intentionally didn't investigate almost any of them. We're taught a small part of Leopold II's horrors and that's almost the only negative thing we're taught.
higher authorities knew from more then one source. The normal soldier or (N)CO did not know of course.
Churchhill knew something like this was going on. They had intercepted intelligence before the first camp was ever discovered. Likely did not know the extent of it. He sent out an announcement of sorts condemning it. This was a risky move as it gave the Germans a heads up that there was a leak or possibly a code cracked. Most German communication concerning camps went to strictly paper or hard line comms after that.
Average people in the US knew about concentration camps, but assumed they were regular prisons and not extermination camps. Concentration camps are not only mentioned in the classic and then highly popular 1942 film Casablanca, but are a major aspect of the background of one of the main characters, Victor Laszlo.
Intelligence sources had found out about the camps, so they were known about at the highest levels of government, but I don't think even the generals in the field knew about them.
So happy that you honored their memory by watching this series. I hope you'll do The Pacific next. Thank you Mary. As a former Marine, I'm so thankful for the contributions of the generation that served in WW2. Hard to express the deep gratitude I have for those who served.
The importance of things like this - even second-and-third-hand accounts presented in a entertainment format - cannot be overstated. It's something, at least, in lieu of a deep and comprehensive dive into world and world war history, and it presents enough and holds up enough to be important on a historical level.
I have been to Belgium and lived in the Netherlands. I have recommended this show to my friends in both countries several times, and it has been wonderful sharing this journey with you through this channel. I enjoy all your reactions, but this one was special. Hard to imagine a 10 episode TV mini-series from 20 years ago having such an impact on so many people from different generations and nationalities. Thank you for sharing.
Enjoyed watching this with you. "The Pacific" is also worth the watch. The hell in that conflict is really impactful too.
Spielberg and Hanks are currently producing another mini-series called "Masters of the Air." It focuses on a WWII bomber crew. Of the 105,000 U.S. service members killed in the European theater of operations, 26,000 of them were Eighth Air Force.
I’ve read that heavy bomber crews had the highest casualty rate of any type of service during WWII.
You are one of my all time favorite reactors. You are genuine, intelligent and obviously a good person. Thank you for sharing that magic with the world. Its nice to see people outside the USA not hating us.. or at least what we we were. When I see you, I don't feel like we are separate nations, but one world, together. Thank you.
When I was young I worked in a hobby store, and there were a number of old men who were regular customers (mainly to build aircraft models); after a while we got to chatting, and I realized that they were actual bomber crews from the war. I was very eager to listen to their stories (myself being an aviation enthusiast), but it was almost surreal... these were regular guys, but who had done extraordinary things.
War is horrific, but I think it does bring out the best in people, and not only the worst.
I knew a guy like that who got me into a local hobby club when I was in high school in the 1970s. He went to England as a crew chief on black painted B-24D Liberators tasked with dropping OSI agents over occupied France. He said they eventually lost so many planes, he was absorbed into the 4th Fighter Group. The would get up for breakfast and the sky was full of RAF bombers returning from night missions over Germany, when they left the chow hall, the sky was full of B-17Gs forming up for a daylight raid. His squadron would send up 50 P-51s out of 4 to 500 every day. It's doubtful we will ever see up to 1,000 planes forming into such huge formations again. We remained friend until he passed on some thirty years later...
@@uberduberdave Those guys who were doing daylight bombing over Germany in 1943... that was a tough gig. Some of the highest loss rates of the war. My guy was also a B-24 crewman, but I think he was in the Pacific.
As always, a tremendous reaction video, Mary. Couple things: with the 20-year anniversary of Band of Brothers release, there was a series of podcasts that took an hour to reflect on each one of the episodes. I'd highly recommend it. ....and to answer your question about the previous episode: my parents generation told me that, at the time, SOME of the things about what was happening to the Jews were starting to surface, but almost EVERYBODY felt it was us demonizing an enemy (historically, not unusual at all) and nobody really BELIEVED somebody would actually do anything like that......especially on that scale. As we know now, they did.
In 2010 the producers followed up with THE PACIFIC, showing the stories of U.S. Marines fighting the Japanese. And they are currently working on their third WWII series called MASTERS OF THE AIR, about the U.S. Army Air Force, specifically those airmen involved in the bombing campaign against Germany. I believe that one is due to be released on Apple TV+ next year.
I was really excited to hear about Masters of the Air, but that was an awfully long time ago.
@@ariochiv Shooting was delayed by covid, but it's underway right now.
@@cptjeff1 It was announced 8 years ago as "The Mighty Eighth." If I'm thinking about the same project.
My dad was a radio operator in a B17 and was shot down on his last mission back. Was in a German POW for a year and like most prisoners was involved in the "death march" as the Germans moved POW to western Europe. Like most vetrant would not talk about the war until the last few years of his life. I have a daughter and grandkids that live in Brussels (she married a Belgian) and I have been impressed with the Belgian reverence of Americas involvement in WW2. Many of the public parks I go to in Belgium have American flags . My teenage grandchildren have a keen awareness of the history of WW2 and how thhe allies stopped the German aggression. Appreciate your heartfelt reaction throughout the series.
Of the reactors I have seen do Band of Brothers, this was one of the best outro's I have seen. Mary so beautifully described how she felt and what she had learned like so many of us.
Great reaction, Mary. The concentration camps were known to higher command, but not to the common soldier. Rumors did spread early in the war but many were unsure or dismissive for several reasons:
1. During WWI, propaganda about German atrocities spread in order to drum up support for the war, so this time the Allies were skeptical;
2. The stories were horrific and there was a sense of “no, this can’t be possible”.
there was actually a guy in poland who went in and snuck out of a camp and gave reports to the resistance. they thought it was an exaggeration because of how bad it was
I know I'm late to this, but Germany was still coasting on it's reputation from the 18th and 19th centuries as a centre of learning, culture, and enlightenment. That contributed greatly to people's disbelief before evidence became widespread, no one could believe that the nation of Freud, Beethoven, Nietzsche, Gauss, and so much of the enlightenment were capable of such absolute horror.
For clarification at 8:58 he was being questioned about Hitler's photo album that went missing during this 10th episode where you see him looking through it. This is true that he did take it and it showed up many years later in the US, I believe after his death.
Your viewpoint is much appreciated Mary. Thanks again for giving this show a chance.
When you rewatch and you get to Ep 7 and the real life Mularkey is talking about his troubles in later life you know exactly what he is talking about and your lip quivers right along with his.
I read his book. It's amazing and heartbreaking. Lots of crying 😢
Though David Webster was lost at sea, he had kept a wartime diary of his experiences that his wife had published years after his death. His insights contributed greatly to both the Band of Brothers book and series, and this is how his character was able to narrate "The Patrol" episode. Next to "Bastogne" this is my favorite episode, because with the war over there's more time to focus just on the characters and their lives. The strength of this series is the characters, the men of Easy. I think it has the best written characters of anything done for TV.
I always thought it was interesting that when Major Winters told the men the war was over, there was no cheering or whooping or high-fiving, they just took it in for a minute and went back to what they were doing.
You are a treasure, Mary -
Thanks for bringing us this series so deftly and in such a kind spirit. I truely enjoyed your reactions.
Peace -
I do strongly recommend "From the Earth to the Moon" which is another late 90s HBO show partially produced by Tom Hank, this however is about the race to the Moon.
Coming back from war is very isolating, knowing that no one around you understands what you’ve experienced, unless they were there
i felt lost when I came home. I didn't want to be around "civilian pukes".
@@kxd2591 Coming back from Vietnam, it hurt to hear “Baby killer!” shouted at you.
There's a good movie called _The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit_ from 1956 with Gregory Peck that addresses the issue.
@@ariochiv Thank you! I’ll give it a watch.
I really enjoyed watching this series with you. Your reaction was genuinely honest yet bitter sweet. Thank you for your honesty. I can't find any other words. Thank you.
Thanks for doing this series Mary! I never get tired of seeing the impact it has on different people, particularly the extremely difficult and emotional episodes 9 and 10. I hope people never forget this war, or the horror of the Holocaust. Anything that helps keep the memory alive is a good thing.
The perfect ending for a remarkable miniseries. This is one that should be shown often, lest we forget the hard-earned lessons they sacrificed for.
I hope that you will do a reaction on "We Stand Alone Together". This was the documentary tied to "Band of Brothers", with addition interviews from the vets of the unit, etc.
More than a decade after my intial viewing, this series stays with me. I had uncles in the war. Most were in the Air Corps, but knowing friends who had fathers who were in battle, this series gave me a better perspective of what those men had been through. Yeah, not easy to forget, this series. So happy that you were able to enjoy it.
We Stand Alone Together is basically episode 11, with extended interviews and more content with the real veterans.
After you’ve taken some time to let Band of Brothers sink in and maybe emotionally recoup, you definitely need to watch The Pacific. It will definitely show you things that they would never teach you in school.
My grandfather was a signalman on a Destroyer Escort (DE-641 USS William C. Cole) in the the Pacific theater. He was at the battle of Okinawa. What stories he shared about his time in WWII were mostly lighthearted but stories he did share about conflict always brought tears to my eyes even as a kid. Luckily he didn't see a ton of action. This series however highlights why learning history, especially this period in history, is so important.
As of now, the only surviving member of the WW2 complement of Easy Company is Bradford C. Freeman (born 1924), who attained the rank of Private, First Class. The second to the last surviving member, and the last surviving commissioned officer, was Edward Shames. (He was seen in Episode 4, telling the troops to “Get moving” in the midst of a crowd of celebrating Dutch, and again in Episode 7, when Winter said that he, Shames, had been watching too many war movies.) He was 99 when he passed away on December 3, 2021, and had attained the rank of Colonel.
Gentlemen, and all the other soldiers you represented - thank you. Thank you for your service. Thank you for sharing your stories with us.
And Mary - wonderful reactions! Yup, nothing like getting visceral to really feel what history classes teach.
Currahee!
Thank you, Mary, for your wonderfully sensitive and empathic reaction to this series overall. You were one of my favourite commentators. I’m an old Aussie bloke and my Dad served in the Pacific theatre of war during World War 2 as a pilot in the RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force). So, the next series that I would suggest you watch is The Pacific but, be warned, it is very brutal. Cheers, young lady, and thanks again 👍🤗🤠🤩
It is important to note that there was a BIG difference between SS and regular German soldiers. Respect was given to the regulars, not the SS.
Mary, thank you so much for watching this and sharing your journey with us! Now you know why it is so highly recommended and it remains my favorite piece of cinema ever. Insanely cast, acted, written, directed, and scored. It doesn’t get better than this. Have you seen Generation War? I recommend it if not.
There's some dispute about which unit reached the Eagle's Nest first, but the 2nd Battalion of the 506th was definitely there at the time they're depicted as being there in the miniseries. It's possible a handful of French and Spanish soldiers got there the day before, and a small number of soldiers from another US Army unit claim to have been there before the 506th, but neither group stayed or seemed to have looted much.
5:31 it was once customary for a vanquished commander to offer his sword to the victorious in a gesture of surrender. The victor would allow the defeated to keep his sword as a gesture of magnanimity in victory rather than strip the defeated commander of his dignity.
Same with an officer’s sidearm in this scene.
Mary, I do so enjoy your reactions. You know, Listening to you just now, I remembered something about my Father. He was an officer in the US Navy from 1955 until 1957 during peacetime. He served aboard a brand-new aircraft carrier (USS Saratoga), and he saw many pilots crash their aircraft when they attempted to land on the ship. One day, I was watching the move called "The Bridges of Toko Ri," on television (a movie about US Navy pilots in the Korean War), and he said, "Jeff, I cannot watch this. I've seen too many guys splattered against a bulkhead," and he left the room. My Dad was not a pilot - he was in charge of a battery of 5-inch artillery turrets - but even so, he couldn't watch jets trying to land on an aircraft carrier even in a movie.
This episode is my favourite, I never get bored of watching the ending. So moving to see the real guys. And yes the show is historically accurate. You might want to read the book (the tv show is very faithful to it). It contains lots of great photos. It even has a photo of Nixon the morning after they found the wine cellar. It looks like he's got one hell of a hangover.
There is a video by a paratrooper who became a legend in Bastogne for serving beer to some wounded men. The result was Airborne beer. The paratrooper did not return to Europe until much later in life. In a bar he told his story, and then learned about how it resulted in the brand of beer coming into its own. The people thought it was a legend, just a story from the war. When he told the story to the patrons who had heard the story growing up, the reaction was totally unexpected. I hope you will find this interview of the paratrooper in question. Vincent Speranza - Bastogne Beer Run - American Veterans Center channel
That moment with the German POW who says "It's the end of my 2nd war" .... people lived through that, sadly.
To complete this amazing journey I suggest you watch "We stand alone together" .... I can promise it's worth it.
Every year starting June 6th I've re-watched this series since it premiered followed by "We stand alone together" and later "The Pacific" and every impactful moment, every tearful moment still hits deep.
Thank you for doing this series. It was great as an American to see a European perspective, especially someone who has lived near the places. I visited Normandy several years ago. One thing that brought things home is on many markers, the home state of the fallen soldier is listed. Seeing one from where I am from made me think he could have been my neighbor in a different time.
It's definitely worth rewatching the show! Adds a new dimension when you know where they'll end up by the time it's over
I’m glad you got to Watch this series. Very impactful. If the memories in my mind ever start to fade I go back and watch it again. “We Stand Alone Together “ is a great documentary that other reactors have noted it gives them closure. Of course I would love to see you react to it but if nothing else watch it on your own. You won’t regret it!!
Easy Company of the 101st was assigned to occupation duty in Berchtesgaden, specifically the "Eagle's Nest", but, it was actually the 3rd Infantry Division that got there first, and, captured it.
That's disputed.
I had the chance to visit the grave of Dick Winters earlier this year. Believe it or not, he’s not buried in Arlington or some other military grave yard, as fitting as that would be. He’s buried in his family plot in a relatively unassuming cemetery in rural Pennsylvania. You get the sense from interviews that while he was certainly proud of his service, he didn’t want it to define his life.
Thank you so much for sharing with us your reactions to this fantastic miniseries. Band of Brothers is a wonderful testament to the men who served in the most significant conflict in human history.
I'm so glad you enjoyed " Band of Brothers" .
So many of the world's younger people are not even aware of Horrors of that War .
So, glad you found it. I've watched it every year on Memorial Day since it was released and have never tired of it. Some of that is because of my father who served in the 8th Air Corps. His tour was England as a Ground Crew Chief for General Lamay or so I was told by my Aunt. The Series Masters of the Air, I think its called, is coming soon from those who brought us this series. I think it too will be an eye opener as I know of some of what will be told. I can't justly put into words my respect and admiration I have for these men form Easy Company. Even just as this little last interlude plays out the tears fall down my cheeks...and will undoubtedly do so till I move on. And as to your wondering if the Allies knew of the Germany atrocities they had heard rumors but had no real concrete evidence and frankly thought them too horrific to be real, until. So, they didn't burden the average soldiers with this unconfirmed situation. Note: The Masters of the Air will relate in some fashion that more Air Crews died in something like 9 months in the opening air campaign than died fighting in the entirety of the ground wars in both Europe and the pacific theaters. They may not however pint out this was expected and understood from the get go by the commanders of the allied air corps and it was a specific action because they felt they needed a sufficient distraction to the ground war in order to win on the whole. They also from the outset had no fighter air superiority against the Luftwaffe till the introduction of the P-51 Mustang and the I think the P-41 Thunder Bolt. These planes allowed the Air Campaign to provide the air cover desperately needed for the bomber squadrons dying in droves for lack of air support. I am not saying the other planes the Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane, and the Arvio Lancaster bombers were useless and anything else the allies through at the German War machine it was just not as potent nor could they provide the edge needed to win.
So very pleased I was able to share rewatching these episodes with you. After a break "The Pacific" produced by the same people follows the war on the other side of the world. Different enemy, different environment, but same tragedies and heroics. My dad served as a Marine who fought at Bougainville in the Pacific. Take care Mary!
So glad you went through this journey! I'm always so happy when people watch this amazing series
I Hope you take the time to watch the mini-series The Pacific. It is also a Spielberg/Hanks work, but is about the Marines in the Pacific. Be sure to watch it with the Historical facts turned on, and afterwards watch the extras which has interviews with the still living Marines in the series, along with interviews with the Marines wives and children.
From most accounts, the average soldier had no idea that the camps existed until they found them. Intelligence branches may have known something, but it wasn't common knowledge
Thank you for your reaction to this series! Your comments are genuine and come from your heart!
There is an excellent movie about war veterans coming home from war. "The Best Years of Our Lives" from 1946 follows three veterans returning from World War Two as they try to readjust to civilian life after the emotional and physical trauma of war.
The Eagle's Nest is still there. It's a public restaurant. I visited in the 1990's. The fireplace, a gift from Mussolini, is chipped up from soldiers knocking pieces off for souvenirs. I did the same thing to some pieces of the Berlin Wall which were waiting for disposal in Potsdamer Platz.
I'm in my 70's My Father and the Fathers of all my school friends served in World War II. Not all saw combat (my Father was an Instructor Pilot who was never sent overseas) but they all served whether in the military or as civilian in a defense plant.
The ending of this episode was the first and only time seeing people’s names made me tear up.
In the early 90's there was a US TV series titled Homefront, which was about the end of the war and how the characters in the story adjusted to life returning to "normal." While the men were fighting, women worked in the factories, made good wage, and worked as supervisors and managers. When the troops returned they were hired back to fill their old jobs, and the women were forced out of their jobs. While their husbands were away, their wives were the lords of the castle so speak, and it was difficult to give up that authority and independent decision making.
Good Work, Girl.
What they sacrificed, we all should be humbled. Young people now days do not know, do not care to know. So Sad.
You mentioned it was strange of them to go back to normal jobs after the war....and your right...But then I realized I did the same after my two wars...I left the army in 1995 and went to school. What amazed me is how fast time has gone by. I look back at the Gulf War and Somalia as it was last week, and I am still in my twenties, then I come to realization that I in my fifties. It amazing during battle how minutes seems to last hours, yet when the war is over a lifetime seems to disappear in weeks. Thank you Mary for watching this....
Hi Mary, the 101st did get deployed to Japan after the war anyway. I was in the 101st in the 90s and my infantry Brigade was deployed to Japan for the occupation and was named The Rakkasans which means parachute in Japanese. Just one of the many unit history type things that you learn when assigned to units in the military.
Its a tough series to watch huh Mary? Confronting, educating, horrific and somehow also hopeful. I'm really happy you watched this and gave us your unique perspective. Given how much I enjoy watching shows with you, I'd imagine it'll mean a lot to the children, grandchildren and loved-ones of those who served. You bring a high level of maturity, empathy and sincerity to everything you do and this was no different- but this time, I think you brought comfort and hope too. As always, I look forward to seeing your next reaction. Stay healthy and strong Mary! The world needs more people like you. :)
Everyone will recommend The Pacific by the same producers, and it's also great (and I say even darker than BoB) and definitely should be on the list, but maybe take a break from World War II for a bit. I'll keep recommending the series Rome, only two seasons with around 10 or 12 episodes each, often told through the viewpoint of two Roman soldiers, Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo, with season one having Julius Caesar's struggle for power as the backdrop, and season two the same for his nephew turned son, Octavian/Augustus.
An excellent recommendation!
Rome is my fav tv show ever. i hope its not too violent for Mary however it is a work of art...
I wouldn’t. The Pacific isn’t good.
The Pacific is also much darker than BoB. I'm glad I watched it, but it's not something I'm eager to rewatch.
@@DeltaAssaultGaming the Pacific is just as good if not better it shows way more the harsh realities of War than Band of Brothers ever did
Thank you for sharing your reaction to this series
Winters did accept the sidearm during the surrender. Later when examining the weapon he realized that it had never been fired. In an interview he said that not only had he kept it but that it still hadn't been fired and never would be.
To answer the question at the beginning in part, the United States intelligence services knew about them because they were working with the locals before the Normandy invasion, but the primary focus was pushing Germany back into Berlin and getting Hitler to surrender, so the average American soldier was not informed about the concentration camps.
In England, the government and intelligence services knew about the camps, and more soldiers were aware of them because a lot of refugees volunteered to fight when they got to England.
But generally speaking, the average soldier who didn't live in mainland Europe was not educated on the concentration camps until after the fact.
In regards to only one name in the helmet. It was done on purpose. Shifty did not have anywhere near enough points to make it home and everyone thought, based on what he accomplished, throughout the war that he deserved to go go home more than anyone else. So the officers pretended it was a lottery and pretended that a lot of names were in the helmet. The pretended to move his hand around the helmet, pretending to shuffle the papers with all the names. Of course, only one name was in there, that being Shifty's. Also, no one knew the extent to the Concentration Camps on the Allied side. They knew that the Jews were being treated badly by the Germans but they didn't know about the Camps.
The Allied leadership actually did know about it. The Polish home army had one of their officers, Witold Pilecki, purposely get captured to be sent to Auschwitz, where he set up an intelligence cell. He broke out in 1943 and debriefed the Polish home army, which passed the information on to the Polish government in exile in London. The British and Americans didn't want to hear it. The US government would actually suppress news about the Holocaust so as not to give Credence to German claims that we were fighting for Jews. It wasn't until a March of Jewish rabbis in New York City and Washington DC that the US government felt obligated to do anything.
I watch this show every couple of years and it never ceases to be impactful. If you ever watch the pacific, it's great, but it's different. I was disappointed because I basically expected Band of Brothers 2 and it's not. But still very much worth watching.
That makes sense though, as different as the Pacific Theater was.
The war in the Pacific was so different from the war in Europe, that creating a sort of second Band of Brothers would be very difficult to do as the survival rate of the average soldier was so low. I think by concentrating the story around the three persons they picked was the best way to portray the horrors of that war.
It’s not very good
I strongly recommend watching the Expanse. I'm 100% sure you will love it! It has some of the best female characters I've even seen in (Sci-Fi) show. It's based on a series of books which it does justice to. It's been described as Game of Thrones in space and after the Game of Thrones disappointing ending the Expanse has now become my favourite show of all time (so far).
I believe most of Easy Company has gone home now, but I am so grateful we have this everlasting tribute to their courage and sacrifice. All gave some, some gave all.
I have seen this series multiple times yet tremendously enjoyed experiencing it again with you as you did for the first time.
Your heartfelt and intelligent appreciation of the story and the men involved was greatly gratifying.
You have a new subscriber and I look forward to future reactions.
I highly recommend watching Ken Burns “The War.” The documentary features interviews from WW2 veterans and family members who experienced The War from an American perspective. Also includes stories about two of the Marines from the next miniseries “The Pacific.”
My Grandpa was a Polish national who served in the Polish army and later the resistance against german occupation. He never talked about it and I’ve always wanted to find out what he went through. He passed away not long after i was born.
Mary, never have I been on a journey with such a tender, vulnerable and valuable guide.
Video recreations of war always omit so much that they aren't "true", not in the way that printed material is true and more or less complete. But videos convey the emotional impact and your heart made that impact all the more visceral.
I've watched this series with many reactors, and trust me, you are the best. Thank you.
This show is worth watching at least once a year. It hits hard every single time.
There's one more "episode" you should watch called "We Stand Along Together". It has a lot of interviews with the actual men depicted in the mini-series.
You should then watch "The Wire". It's one of the greatest TV shows in American history.
It is a form of respect. An officer never relinquishes his sidearm.
Definitely check out “we stand alone together” the documentary made up of all the interviews with the veterans
When the German General gives his speech to his men, IMO he is not only talking to his men. But the American men as well, it proves like you said how similar they really are. Regardless of the atrocities that Germany had done. A grunt will forever be a grunt.
Winters didn't take the surrendering German's sidearm as he didn't want to further humiliate him. Surrendering a personal weapon (ie sword or pistol) was a traditional sign of submission. Also traditionally, the victor would allow the surrendering officer to keep his personal weapon (because in the old days, officers had to buy them out of their own pocket and thus were often represented a good deal of personal investment).
The story of the drunken corporal(?) that shot allies has an incredible amount of detail to it in real life, for all the accounts on what happened that night. The show didn't get it quite right but it was in the ballpark of how monstrous it was.
Thanks again for sharing your honest reactions. I find it reassuring that young people take an interest in the history of WW II, and want to learn the causes and effects.
They Gave Their Today For Our Tomorrow,, Lest We Forget Their Sacrifice. Fantastic reaction it is clear to see how you were affected as much as we all who had viewed the Episodes before. I highly recommend you watch.. We Stand Alone.. Is personal interviews with the actual people from Easy Company and is very moving.
Great Reaction to this series, it touches every human emotion. So now you need a break and watch a movie called CAVEMAN from 1981, has BEATLES RINGO STARR as the lead and only 10 words in the entire movie, A comedy classic!!
I Highly recommend The Pacific as another amazing WW2 series from HBO. The Pacific shows the absolute brutality that was the Pacific theater of war and the island-hopping campaign against the Japanese. Movie-wise, I recommend Hacksaw Ridge, a story about Desmond Doss, an Army medic awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on Okinawa. He was a Seventh-day Adventist who refused to kill enemy soldiers or even carry a weapon in combat due to his religious beliefs. He also stuck to a stringent vegetarian diet which meant that the only thing he could consume from the rations issued to him was the crackers and the candies, he would supplement his food intake with coconuts when he could.
Generation Kill is another HBO mini-series I recommend but it is about the Iraq War in the early 2000s, while very good it is very different from Band of Brothers and The Pacific.
Was a great series and it's insightful to see the reaction of people who live in the affected areas as they have a more direct tie with the past it seems. We stand alone together is a documentary that fleshes out some more info of these men and I would highly recommend it
Thanks for the reaction of this tv show. It has been a pleasure to seen you enjoy what good cinema or good television can do, with examples like this tv show you can understand why cinema is so important and why there is no art like it. Neither music, nor painting, nor photography can transmit by themselves as many emotions and truths as cinema, which is a compound of all of them. I watched this series for the first time twenty one years ago, and I have seen it many times since, but watching it through your eyes is the closest thing to seeing it for the first time again. Thank you.
While no one could understand what the veterans of WW2 had been through, but for that generation the majority had served. Army, Navy, Army Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard the vast majority of able bodied young men served in one. So while the folks back home didn't, couldn't really understand; however much like during their time overseas they could count one one group who could, each other. In VFW Posts and the like across the country they could often find someone to talk to and relate when families and friends could not. Mostly they got each other through it.
You did a great job on this Series. Thanks.
The Pacific is also outstanding.
So cute that Nixon offered Winters a job, just so they could stay together.
Depending on how he does in his interview!
I loved the reaction you had when you saw that after fighting a war they would instantly rotate them/101 to another theater of war. When I came back from a year and half of being deployed to Iraq our unit got orders get ready to go to Australia for a few weeks training and then get ready for Afghanistan.
The war in Europe, for the American forces at least, was a relatively easy one compared to the fighting going on in the Pacific. People overlook just how intense the fighting was against the Japanese, and how fanatical the Japanese were in defending each island to the death. It was pretty reasonable for US war planners to expect to need more troops sent from the European Theater to the Pacific Theater, even in 1945, and a veteran unit like the 101st Airborne could have been a real asset if the atomic bombs weren't dropped to end the war when it did.
From D-DAY all the way to the Eagle's Nest in the heart of the Nazi Empire..."Easy" Company. The most ironic name in Military History. Currahee! ♠
Another great war show (in fact, one of the best if not *the* best) that is a must watch is Das Boot, about a German WWII submarine crew on a combat patrol. It's available both as a movie (in several versions, the 3.5 hour 1997 Directors cut recommended) and a 5 hour miniseries, I recommend the miniseries version as it's got a bit more detail.
It also recently got a sequel of the same name (still ongoing), but I haven't watched it so I can't say anything about it other than it seems to be pretty well received.
Easy was indeed the first to the Eagle's Nest (which is still there, & is open for the public to visit. I think there is also a restaurant). Google maps tells me that from Brussels it is only 900km; perfect for a 3-day weekend. Mary - time for a road trip.