We've heard so many good things about this series!! Happy to finally be giving it a go! 💕 We're up to episode 7 over on Patreon if anyone would like to get ahead! Patreon.com/HayloAndKiss
Great reaction ladies. The looks on your faces when you realised it was Normandy that they were being sent to. If you ever get the chance to visit Normandy, you should. Paris is also just a short train ride away. Now being aware of the significance of the landings, the bunkers and parts of the Mulbery Harbour are still there together with the museums and cemeteries. The French people are forever grateful of the American and Allied forces who liberated them......Looking forward to Ep2. Best wishes from AU...🦘
The pacific series is worth watching as well. The pacific theatre probably had more in common with the fighting in Russia than in France. It was quite a harrowing experience for people there. That first officer was a good training officer but not a good leader. Sobell did good work training soldiers but I doubt he would have lasted long in action.
You are the first reactors, I have seen, that feel sorry for Sobel. While Sobel was right to train his men hard, he has done that by treating them unfairly. He could have achieved the same results in a different way. One should add that the show portayed him very negativly. The real Sobel took part in the D-Day landings and was successful in combat.
You shouldn’t read any comments until you’re done with the entire series. I’m not sure why, but some people can’t resist spoiling your chance to watch each episode without preconceived ideas about them. It won’t be long before some moron says “Be prepared for episode X, it’ll really make you cry,” or some such nonsense
21:30 "Actually, no, they're just being dramatic." Not at all. They are planning a mutiny. That's the military term for "open rebellion against the proper authorities, especially by soldiers or sailors against their officers." The penalty for mutiny during war-time is death by firing squad. It's rarely carried out that way, but it definitely could. So when they said they could be shot, it's very true: they could be.
Mutiny is tantamount to desertion, and in fact there was (at least) one such execution carried during WWII. They made a movie about it a long time ago (1974) called "The Execution of Private Slovik" with Martin Sheen playing the part of Private Eddie Slovik. He was executed by firing squad.
Colonel Sink served in World War 1 were 24 US soldiers were sentenced to death for desertion. None of them were actually executed but for Col. Sink, it's not a foreign idea.
They could theoretically be shot, but in actual fact there is an almost zero chance that would have actually happened. Since the civil war, only one American soldier (Eddie Slovik) has been executed for a military offense like desertion or mutiny. All the other executions have been for rape or murder. Over 20,000 soldiers were punished for desertion during WWII. Only Slovik was killed.
They could have also faced a court martial, and been thrown into a military prison for YEARS. Mutiny, especially during wartime, is no joke. The fact they banded together and faced such a harsh punishment says a lot about how they considered Captain Sobel a poor combat leader.
It makes an old guy like me happy when young people like yourself take an interest in our history. Thank you for taking up Band of Brothers. This episode shows us the contradiction of salutes. After getting chewed out by Col. Sink, the NCO's (non-commissioned officers) give Lt. Winters a respectful military salute as they file by. When Sobel is in the jeep headed to Chilton-Foliat, Winters salutes him. Sobel ignores the salute. It's the difference between a boss and a true leader. Currahee!
@@michaelstach5744 that's a passive aggressive spoiler nobody needs this early. Good thing they've jumped ahead. How would you feel if somebody prepped this and that to you watching it for the first time?
Just found your reaction … new subscriber. As another “old man” who was an Airborne infantry officer before becoming a history professor, it is wonderful to hear your interest. First, ALWAYS watch the opening interviews. It will make sense later. Second, every “character” you meet and soldier’s name you hear was a real man. No fiction. (See point #1) Third, as we used to say, “The easiest day was yesterday.” Have tissues ready for every episode. One box will not get the two of you through this real story. Finally, plan on watching the unofficial 11th episode, “We Stand Alone Together”. It is the only proper way to end this journey. I’m excited to go on this journey with you. Ask questions. I see familiar BoB following names in the comments. People who know military history and facts about this series. We WANT to answer your questions (we’re old men, we smell and talk about WW2. That’s what we do.) ❤😂❤
They're real men, but some of the show is definitely fiction. Stephen Ambrose played fast and loose with the facts, he's pretty notorious, and the recollections of the men aren't always that accurate anyway. And then Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks wanted to dramatize a bunch of stuff for their own reasons. The first couple episodes are quite accurate as far as I can verify, just some stuff was cut out of the story to streamline the narrative. Episodes 3, 6, 7, 8, and 9, all have deliberate falsehoods, fanciful guesses, things that were shot in a misleading way, lies by omission, or just got things wrong by accident because nobody bothered to do even the slightest bit of verification, Ambrose included. Episode 10 has some disputed events in it, although I think it's pretty close to the truth that we can chalk it up to the various witnesses having limited perspectives, and the show creators simply chose which perspectives to treat as fact. There may be other problems I don't know about with the rest of the episodes, or have forgotten about since I looked into it deeper, this is just off the top of my head. Overall, it's a pretty great miniseries, I just wouldn't want anyone to watch it and think this is a particularly authoritative source of history, nor is the book that it is primarily based on. Everyone should do outside reading, and treat this as merely a dramatic presentation for entertainment purposes, which includes a handful of real people who did many of the things depicted, but also are depicted doing things they didn't do,
I am a 10th Mountain Division veteran, and they formed us up three times before we actually left for Somalia. It had us so ready (saying goodbye to loved ones can, in fact, become exhausting) to go, we were relieved to actually go. Not that what we experienced was, in any way, even in the same zip code to what they experienced in WWII, but I can, in the smallest way, understand the relief they felt when it was actually "go" time. God bless those men. That is, in fact, all.
To the top. I was in 10th Mountain and 82nd Airborne. I remember reading the blurb in black hawk down about 10th mountain going to Somalia before gothic serpent so I’ve always been curious about what you all did. If you don’t mind elaborating. My cousin was sent as a Marine there too, but we weren’t close (we have a 20 year gap in age) and I never got a chance to ask.
@@SaraphDarklaw 2/87 here. We were there from December '92 to April '93. We started out in Bale Dogul, then moved to Markha and were headquartered there for the rest of the deployment. We were the quick reaction force for, basically, everything south of Modadishu, which is about two thirds of the country. The worst mission was to Kismayu, but we had some interesting times in Wanlayan, and I, personally, was at the Navy hospital in Mogadishu on New Year's Eve when Aideed's forces attacked. Surprising how powerful those seemingly tiny rockets on Cobras are. (I'd been bitten on the pinky toe by a fruit bat, and there to get rabies shots, but let's not focus on that).
Yup, it's not happening until its happened. We were supposed to be heading home, our families had all been notified and were at the airport waiting for us. An officer didn't confirm our flight home and we were stuck in country another 2 weeks.
A quick and dirty military unit lesson: Fire team ≈ 4 men led by a corporal Squad ≈ 13 men led by a corporal or a Sergeant Platoon ≈ 40 men led by a Lieutenant or a Staff Sergeant in a pinch Company ≈ 100-150 men led by a Captain Battalion ≈ 500-1000 men led by a Major or Lt. Colonel These numbers vary widely and commands can fall on lower or higher ranks if need be, but this is a generally good guide to how the army and marine corps infantry (ground troops) are structured.
to caveat off what the previous commenter said: Two fireteams in a squad Four squads in a platoon (3 rifle, 1 weapons) Four platoons in a company (3 rifle, 1 mortars, plus an HQ element) Five companies in a battalion (3 rifle, 1 support, 1 headquarters, plus an HQ element) Three to six battalions to a brigade (3 rifle, 1 support, 1 engineers, 1 special troops, plus an HQ element) A headquarters company is different from the Battalion HQ element; an HHC contains the battalion mortars, the scout platoon, snipers, supply, HR, and so on, and the HQ element is the Battalion commander and his staff. The rifle squads, platoons, companies and battalions are an example here, you can have mechanized companies, cavalry companies (called troops), and armored companies (tanks) in addition to the basic light infantry units. Also this obviously only applies to maneuver (combat) units. Weapons squads in a platoon are responsible for heavier weapons systems like belt-fed machine guns and anti-tank weapons.
If you read the book the men of Easy did credit Sobel with making them tough and ready for combat. They were very comfortable at night and very physically fit. They did not think he would have been a good combat leader but they do give him the credit for the training toughness.
That is true and even in Winters own book based on his memoirs, Beyond Band of Brothers, Winters gives Sobel credit for training the men of Easy Company. But he also states thay Sobel was a leader who led by fear and not example and was very sadistic and cruel in his punishments even for the most minor infraction. He stated that Sobel seemed to enjoy being cruel and sadistic. Winters also stated that Sobel was the most incompetent field officer he ever knew in the war. Winters said Sobel showed up to only one of Easy Company reunions and no one, including Winters talked to him. Sobel was reassigned to a Service Company after he trained men at Chilton Foley and he did make the jump on D Day where he gathered 4 men and destroyed a German machine gun nest before joining with the 506th at Carentine There he was assigned as a logistics officer and never saw anymore combat during the war. After war, Sobel remained in the Army Reserves and retired as a Lt. Colonel. He later tried to committ suicide by shooting himself but he failed and it left him blind. Divorced and no contact with his children, Sobel ended up in a VA Assisted living facility where he died of malnutrition. He was not even given a memorial service. That is sad and he certainly didn't deserve that.
Your compassion, understanding of the gravity of every situation and wonderful abilities of perception to see each character and moment of the shows you watch are incredible. Never a less than stellar reaction with you two. You restore my faith in humanity every time, and it is much appreciated. Many thanks, enjoy the show!
I love that you see Sobel as he is. A hardass, not a good field commander, maybe on a bit of a power trip, but with good intentions and reasons and a good instructor. Usually reactors see him as an unreasonable ass and he is dead to them.
pretty sure i read the guys of easy said despite hating him at the time they fully acknowledge his being a hard ass made them the best company in the 101st
Sobel is a divisive character. The men of Easy Cpy (and you correctly observe that those old men are the veterans of Easy - you'll find out who is who at the very end of the series) absolutely loathed him, he was (as you see) often vindictive and instigated needless punishments. In addition, he was (likely his cruelty covered for his own anxieties) nervous and uncertain when he was not in total control (and you are never in control of combat, it is a matter of riding the chaos and having the confidence to make the best snap decision you can in the moment) of the situation, in short, he was the worst type of leader - spiteful when he did not need to be and indecisive when he could not afford to be. However, having said all that several of the Easy Cpy members acknowledge that his pettiness and constant torment drove the men together and made them more resilient (physically and mentally) when they actually faced the crucible of combat. I suspect he drove the men of Easy to cover his own perceived flaws and for his own personal aggrandizement - but regardless the result was that his methods made Easy an elite unit among an already elite division. Sadly the first class company that was Easy was one he was simply not fit to lead into combat due to his own flaws. His later years continue as a tale of personal tragedy and poor outcomes, Sobel is truly an unfortunate figure.
His death is an extremely sad story. After divorcing and being estranged from his two sons - Sobel languished in an underfunded veteran's home. He died of starvation. Nobody attended his funeral.
Well this should be a lesson to us all about forming positive relationships with your men whilst commanding them at the same time (like Winters, Lipton and Spiers (to a certain extent) were) and not being needlessly vindictive. It serves you better in life.
@Matthew-bx5yf I finally found this out back in September, it made me realize that as accurate to the stories the guys remember and had written in the books that were written about them, there's still another side to a story though when it comes to people like Blithe and Sobel.
@@GreyMagee74 Sad thing is there aren't many people (except for Sobel's family) to bring a nuanced side to his story. There isn't even Sobel's own version.
Band of Brothers is more than just a WWII drama; it’s a poignant reminder of the realities of war. It underscores the importance of remembering WWII, not just as a historical event, but as a testament to human resilience and solidarity in the face of adversity. The series brings to life the experiences of the soldiers, their camaraderie, and their sacrifices, making this important history tangible for every generation, a chance to contemplate the profound lessons of WWII - the cost of freedom, the perils of intolerance, and the value of unity. It serves as a powerful tool for education and remembrance, ensuring that the stories of WWII soldiers continue to resonate today and for generations to come.
You mentioned that you couldn't take "that man" (Ross) seriously. Actually he does such a good job in the series that someone commented "He walked on as Ross and walked off as Captain Sobel." That is as good a compliment as one could make of an actor. Well done, David Schwimmer.
Sobel actually did jump into Normandy ob DDay with the 506th service company. He was awarded the Bronze Star for leading several men in destroying a machine gun emplacement. He survived the rest the war. He tried to commit suicide in 1970 by shooting himself in the head. He survived but became blinded by the gunshot. 32:04
Mess Officer is one of those admin roles which is just a pain to do as an officer. You are responsible for the men being fed and that standards are met. Obviously the kitchen work is done but the mess staff, so you don't 'get you hands dirty', but it's just an extra thing you have to do in a very long list during your long day. You need to be present at every meal, inspecting the preparation and clean up, so it's really a punishment
My godfather was in the 101st and I had the honor and the pleasure of watching this series with him before he passed. It's a powerful, wonderful series that will make you laugh at times and cry at others. Enjoy and appreciate the journey with the men of Easy Company.
@@terminallumbago6465 He appreciated the series. I won't way it was enjoyable for him because it did bring back memories for him and it was probably good that I was the one he was watching with. I have two of three brothers who were career Marines and my dad was career Navy serving multiple tours in Vietnam. We all grew up as Navy brats and the military holds a special place in my heart.
Hello ladies just found your channel. Because I'm a world war II historian and I love band of Brothers and I like to watch people react to it. Especially younger generations this is not just series it's a history lesson. You got to get to know these guys. You're going to get to love these guys. And oh God are you going to cry. Can't wait to watch the rest of the series.
Welcome to Band of Brothers. So nice to see a young generation get an opportunity to watch such a monumental series and experience the sacrifices these men made. Enjoy this series ladies, it will be a ride, but well worth it!!!
The “grenade fumble” joke was no joke either. It’s called fragging and was typically done to incompetent or really disliked leadership. Most stories I heard were from Vietnam but I know it’s been around longer.
You two are one of the top duo react channels with the balance of talking at the right moments and asking the appropriate amount of questions. You both also have such a good relationship, I wish the gap in age with my younger brother was smaller then maybe we would have grown up just as close.
I’m a high school American history teacher and I use excerpts from this series when I get to WW2… You will get emotional as you follow the hero’s of easy company. Good reaction and review
Sad story about Cpt. Sobel. (Ross Geller) After Sobel was reassigned to command the paratrooper school, He spent the rest of the war as a staff officer. He ended the war as a Lt. Colonel. In 1970 he attempted suicide, which left him blind. He began living at a VA assisted living facility in Illinois, Where he died on Sept.30th 1987 from malnutrition. No memorial service was held.
I agree! I started watching this show a few days ago and I finished it in like 3 days lol, I couldn't stop once I started and it's just so real and raw.
It is part of history that airborne units were actually a fairly new invention, so the young men who volunteered had no idea what the task entailed. Airborne units made their debut during World War II and in fact the Germans were the first to conquer land in this way when they attacked and held Alborg Airport in Denmark. They used the same method for a couple of bridges.
There’s a huge cemetery above Omaha Beach in France with 9,000 crosses and stars marking fallen soldiers. It’s astounding how many have the date June 6, 1944.
The veterans that speak at the beginning of each episode are the actual men from easy company, 2nd battalion, 506th parachute infantry regiment that we follow in the mini series.
To be fair to Sobel, his behavior here is an accepted tactic that leaders use to unite their team and to form the individual members of the team into a cohesive group. You basically unite everyone in their hate of the leader. After you've achieved that goal, you can then ease up. I don't know if that was Sobel's conscious decision, but many of the Easy Company veterans have said they felt that it had been achieved regardless of Sobel's intent.
Actually, there are 11 episodes, the final one is more of a documentary and interviews made with the surviving members of easy company when this series was made, well worth the watch, it is called "We Stand Alone Together" you really should react to that one also.
The difference between Sobel and Winters is the difference between a boss and a leader. Any officer can order men around, but only a leader can inspire people to want to follow him -- vividly illustrated when the sergeants write the letter saying they won't follow Sobel into combat, and then salute Winters on their way out.
A thing I noticed only recently is during the Camp Mackall scene (like an hour or so from my house) when Sobel screws up and gets everyone "killed", Winters immediately takes a knee (what you should do) when the opposition force springs their ambush and Sobel freezes up (what you shouldn't do) and since he decided to be out in front of everyone with his sidearm drawn, everyone else behind him does the same and stops up the whole column in a nice neat group to get shot up. When the training judge tells him to pick three men to leave, Sobel also casually and irresponsibly points said sidearm right at the three men he chooses.
great reaction, enjoy this great miniseries :) fun fact about David Schwimmer: actors were doing so-called boot camp to prepare them for their roles under the command of Dale Dye (who portrays col. Sink in the show). David Schwimmer was isolated from the other actors, so they could feel real resentment towards him like their real-life counterparts. Capt. Sobel was not liked by his men, some even hated him. But lot of veterans from Easy acknowledged his harsh methods in training which prepared them for real combat very well.
Thank you for watching Band of Brothers, one of the best series ever created. It’s great to see another generation learning these incredible stories. Buckle up, this show is a wild ride, but it’s worth it in the end.
I've watched and enjoyed your Chernobyl reaction, taking into account how much you got emotional watching that show I fear you will be a mess at the end of this one 😁 This is the real story of Easy company ( as real as a TV show can be ), you will get to know and probably love each and every man of Easy company.
First time I've seen y'all... Great reaction. Nice to see a reaction to this from young people who aren't ignorant to the history and don't get confused by things in the episode every few minutes. 😂
I am a combat veteran and I have to tell you both that you are doing a great job but I need to warn you that this is going to get very sad and hard for you. Please stick with it and it will be worth it in the end. God bless you both for this and thank you.
29:00 That song is called "The Mission Begins" and you are the first reactors I've watched who mention how it made you feel. I'm glad I'm not the only one who gets teary eyes listening to it.
I dont say this lightly: you two are great at reactions. Ive watched dozens. Its actually so much fun watching you two watch new shows. Looking forward to this one.
Ms. Halo and Ms. Kiss, you guys really captured my attention with your reaction. I immediately subscribed after your heartwarming responses to this episode. I'm looking forward to your impressions. I really hope the rest of your generation will take note of your understanding of history. Best to you both!
I always loved WWII history, but BoB took it to another level. I started collecting autographs of members of Easy Company. As of today, i have 68 of them. CURRAHEE!
Just some notes to keep in mind for what’s coming: - Pay attention to each character that’s been introduced in this episode and the next - they’ll come back from time to time - Allied aircraft from D-Day had white and black stripes painted on their wings to help ground forces know whose side they were on - American vehicles were typically an olive green color with a white star on them - there are two characters that want to find a Luger (German pistol): Malarkey and Hubler - The SS were more or less an elite group of Nazi military - German tanks had better armor and better firepower than Allied tanks I could go on and others could clarify, but that’s just a little bit of a contextual overview for some stuff to know and keep an eye out for
@@va3svd The early SS divisions like Leibstandarte, Lehr and Wiking were pretty elite. Later units had lower standards and by the end of the war were taking draftees. Some of the anti-partisan units were pretty much made of the dregs of German society, cirminals and mental patients.
This TV show came out when I was a young teenager, and I aspired to join the military. Seeing how you reacted to this brings back memories of how my friends and I felt watching it, and appreciating the magnitude of what these men did, and the different types of leadership - autocratic, democratic and laissez-faire, and how important each one is. This episode demonstrates all three, and it's refreshing to see young adults like you identify those different forms of leadership and relate to them - particularly how your empathise with Captain Herbert Sobel and admire Lieutenant Dick Winters.
Happy you ladies are watching this series. Best one I have ever seen. But be prepared. This series is gonna get very real. But so worth it in the end. You are going to get very attached to these men. This is what your Grandfather and Great Grandfather went through between the ages of 16 to 26. They are by far, The Greatest Generation of our age. Well done!
My grandfather was in the Royal Canadian Navy, he was there out in the water on D-Day. He was telling me when he was still alive, that it was extremely loud ( 1.5 hour for the US, 2.5 hours of bombardment) into the French coast.
I was a really latecomer to this series, only watching for the first time last year, but I've watched it three times since. It's a show that really benefits on rewatch as there's so many names and faces, you'll watch an earlier episode after getting to know the characters better and realise "Oh, that's the guy from that later episode who did the thing! I didn't even realise he was here in the beginning" It's a phenomenal show.
Going to enjoy watching your journey through this masterpiece. It's hard to watch at times, but it is vitally important that we do. And at the end, after all the tears, you will be so very glad that you did.
Band of Brothers is such a important mini-series. My grandma was born in West Germany 1929, she lost three brothers in the war. Not many movies or (mini)series make me cry, but Band of Brothers devastated me, knowing the stories of my grandmother and that the reality in parts was even worse. Be prepared for episode 9.
I cant tell you how many times I've rewatched this series and anytime I hear the song from the opening credits I tear up. The thing about Sobel is the men always gave him credit for training them, he prepared them for what they were going into but his inability to lead in real scenarios is what caused them to turn on him. As you go further into the series you will see how badly it could have gone with Sobel in charge
My grandpa was a veteran of WWII, US Navy 2nd Class Boatswain Mate, in the South Pacific fighting against the Japanese. My Grandpa was onboard the Destroyer Escort (DE) USS Farragut and was a landing craft driver on the invasion of Tarawa Atoll. One time I asked my grandpa if he was a hero in the war and he said to me, "No, I am not a hero in the war, the ones who are the true heroes are the ones who didn't come home." Watching Band of Brothers always made me cry and remember my grandpa, he died in 2007 and he died 2 days before my birthday, I was a sophomore in HS. Ladies, I won't spoil anything for but you need to get a lot of tissues for EP. 9, because that episode is the most POWERFUL and VERY EMOTIONAL Episode of all Band of Brothers.
Just found you ladies, and judging by your reactions, I'm excited to join you in this journey. All that i ask is you follow thru regardless of pain, and that you watch We Stand Alone Together as others have mentioned. Let's go!
There is such a thing as good tears. Don't be ashamed of them. This is going to be an experience for you; a journey. Embrace it. You will grow from it. Guaranteed.
Love the training details in this episode. Examples include the canteen scene (soldiers in combat often faced situations where drinking water supply was spotty - soldiers in training were evaluated on how far they could be pushed while facing dehydration), and Captain Sobel's cruel treatment was intentional (Trainees were very diverse - Guys from New York were very different than guys from the South, and of course there were Americans of Jewish, Polish, Irish, Italian, etc. heritages all thrown together. If they all have a common enemy (Sobel) the men bonded over something in common). Really adds to the authenticity.
Thank you for watching this fantastic series. The men who are interviewed at the beginning of each episode are actually men who served in Easy Company. You will begin to recognize the names as the series progresses. There is another series "The Pacific" which is much like this except it is in the Pacific theatre of operations against the Japanese. Also, the movie "Patton" starring George C. Scott adds some context to this series even though Patton was filmed back in the 70s. Patton's 3rd Army was instrumental in some of the campaigns Easy Company were involved in.
You chuckled at the man in the prologue saying he joined the Airborne for the extra $50. That's fair. It's a funny line. It's also a true sentiment. My Father joined the Airborne for that exact reason. His father lost half the family farm just a few years before during the Depression. The additional pay helped my Father and his parents...
On American Veterans Center channel there is a series of interviews if Edward Shames (last surviving officer of Easy Co.) that gives a lot of context to the BOB series. Very much worth the view, for both the information contained and to see how feisty the old paratrooper remained in his later years.❤
Kudos to you ladies for giving this series a try. It’s an amazing representation of what Easy Company did. There are many lessons to be learned from history, sadly too many people have forgotten the sacrifices of the past. While Sobel had a hand in the training, it was his junior officers like winters along with the noncommissioned officers who made them who they were.
You two have been Blessed by becoming another Honorary Member of the Band of Brothers Family. In so many ways and on so many levels this Epic TV series is A Master Piece,,,Historically, Dramatically and Emotionally ❤
You have to remember that the average height/weight in WW2 was only 5'8" and 150 lbs! Seniors in high school.... just crazy. My great uncle was in Easy Company (Elijah Whytsell) but wasn't mentioned in the series.
Wow... That is a surprise to see Band of Brothers here. This is one of the best miniseries ever made! You are in for a rollercoaster, looking forward to your reactions! Greetings from Germany!
You might've missed it, but Christenson, the soldier who drank from his canteen and was forced to march again, was played by none other than Michael Fassbender. LOTS of big names before their big roles here.
When I was in the marines I had lots of officers that talked the talk but couldn’t walk the walk. The difference was the dudes that could outrun everyone in the platoon. 😊
Your reaction to the intro music was spot on and the first time I've seen someone get emotional about it. I thought it was genuine and awesome. I'm a grown a*s man and it affects me every time. Like you said, I think of all the men who died and see it as sort of a musical tribute to them.
I'm so happy you guys are doing these!!! One of my favorite mini-series of all time, my great uncle Murrel Swan was in Bastogne, he was the GI soldier shaking the dogs hand in the snow
The "thingys" are Rank Insignia. In the Army, the lowest officer is a 2nd Lieutenant (gold bar). Next is 1st Lieutenant (silver bar), Captain (2 silver bars). Easy Company is commanded by a Captain. Next is Major (gold oak leaf), Lieutenant Colonel (silver oak leaf), Colonel (silver eagle). The 506 PIR (parachute Infantry Regiment) of the 101st Airborne Division, in which Easy (E) Company is one of 9 companies, is commanded by a Colonel. Next are Staff Officers, Brigadier General (1 silver star), Major General (2 silver stars), Lieutenant General (3 silver stars), General (4 silver stars), General of the Army (5 silver stars-in a circle).
The scene when the paratroopers are leaving the airfield at the end of the episode always reminds me of the take off scene from the movie Memphis Belle. That is a goodie as well, follows a B-17 bomber crew as they are finishing up their last combat mission. Pretty good and a relatively true story. actually met the captain many years ago, talk about a surreal experience.
No spoilers. My great-uncle was in this part of the war in France (but didn't serve with the airborne) and got a Purple Heart. He told me in no way did he want to see the movie Saving Private Ryan. However, I do think all Americans should read about the history of the war in detail. It's influence is felt today in all our lives. And this series is highly realistic imho.
Instant like and sub for the dad joke at the beginning. Very good reaction as well. I have watched this show many times now and i also tear up during this episode knowing what is ahead for these men.
It's weird that I'm 27 years old in the Army and I'm thinking to myself it's nice to see the young people getting invested in shows like Band of Brothers and the Pacific.
If you're going all the way with this...be prepared to grow, laugh, learn and suffer with these characters. The first episode is in some ways my favorite, if only for the innocence and the fact that I know what lies ahead for these men. This was when their biggest threats were "Army noodles with ketchup." I love the power move Winters makes by literally grabbing the pen out of Sobel's hand while he was abusing his power...it's brilliant, and a true story. Hard to call this a TV show honestly, it's a 12 hour Saving Private Ryan in quality...CURRAHEE! ♠
“Haven’t heard their songs before.” It took me awhile to get this joke, but only because the soundtrack for this series is beautiful. Definitely in a couple of my play list.
Yea, that music will never stop causing those emotions. I watched this show yearly almost since it came out. It doesn't get better. And that's wonderful, because the lesson sinks in, apparently.
We've heard so many good things about this series!! Happy to finally be giving it a go! 💕
We're up to episode 7 over on Patreon if anyone would like to get ahead! Patreon.com/HayloAndKiss
Great reaction ladies. The looks on your faces when you realised it was Normandy that they were being sent to.
If you ever get the chance to visit Normandy, you should. Paris is also just a short train ride away. Now being aware of the significance of the landings, the bunkers and parts of the Mulbery Harbour are still there together with the museums and cemeteries. The French people are forever grateful of the American and Allied forces who liberated them......Looking forward to Ep2. Best wishes from AU...🦘
The pacific series is worth watching as well. The pacific theatre probably had more in common with the fighting in Russia than in France. It was quite a harrowing experience for people there.
That first officer was a good training officer but not a good leader. Sobell did good work training soldiers but I doubt he would have lasted long in action.
You are the first reactors, I have seen, that feel sorry for Sobel.
While Sobel was right to train his men hard, he has done that by treating them unfairly. He could have achieved the same results in a different way.
One should add that the show portayed him very negativly. The real Sobel took part in the D-Day landings and was successful in combat.
0:25 😶😐😅😂 🎸 🥁 0:28 😄😄 🎬 🪖
You shouldn’t read any comments until you’re done with the entire series. I’m not sure why, but some people can’t resist spoiling your chance to watch each episode without preconceived ideas about them. It won’t be long before some moron says “Be prepared for episode X, it’ll really make you cry,” or some such nonsense
21:30 "Actually, no, they're just being dramatic."
Not at all.
They are planning a mutiny.
That's the military term for "open rebellion against the proper authorities, especially by soldiers or sailors against their officers."
The penalty for mutiny during war-time is death by firing squad.
It's rarely carried out that way, but it definitely could.
So when they said they could be shot, it's very true: they could be.
Also valid in peace-time. For sailors, penalty would be hanging. In any case, punished with death, so no over-dramatization.
Mutiny is tantamount to desertion, and in fact there was (at least) one such execution carried during WWII. They made a movie about it a long time ago (1974) called "The Execution of Private Slovik" with Martin Sheen playing the part of Private Eddie Slovik. He was executed by firing squad.
Colonel Sink served in World War 1 were 24 US soldiers were sentenced to death for desertion. None of them were actually executed but for Col. Sink, it's not a foreign idea.
They could theoretically be shot, but in actual fact there is an almost zero chance that would have actually happened. Since the civil war, only one American soldier (Eddie Slovik) has been executed for a military offense like desertion or mutiny. All the other executions have been for rape or murder. Over 20,000 soldiers were punished for desertion during WWII. Only Slovik was killed.
They could have also faced a court martial, and been thrown into a military prison for YEARS. Mutiny, especially during wartime, is no joke. The fact they banded together and faced such a harsh punishment says a lot about how they considered Captain Sobel a poor combat leader.
It makes an old guy like me happy when young people like yourself take an interest in our history. Thank you for taking up Band of Brothers. This episode shows us the contradiction of salutes. After getting chewed out by Col. Sink, the NCO's (non-commissioned officers) give Lt. Winters a respectful military salute as they file by. When Sobel is in the jeep headed to Chilton-Foliat, Winters salutes him. Sobel ignores the salute. It's the difference between a boss and a true leader. Currahee!
As I was taught in the Army and what Winters said you salute the rank, not the man
Just as important was the respectful and sharp salute Winters returned those men. Respect and trust is a two way street; Winters understood that.
@@michaelstach5744 that's a passive aggressive spoiler nobody needs this early. Good thing they've jumped ahead. How would you feel if somebody prepped this and that to you watching it for the first time?
@@tomasbiela5860 Winters hasn't said that.
That's a very interesting way to say you are an old, creepy, fat guy who spends his time watching young women on UA-cam.
Just found your reaction … new subscriber.
As another “old man” who was an Airborne infantry officer before becoming a history professor, it is wonderful to hear your interest.
First, ALWAYS watch the opening interviews. It will make sense later.
Second, every “character” you meet and soldier’s name you hear was a real man. No fiction. (See point #1)
Third, as we used to say, “The easiest day was yesterday.” Have tissues ready for every episode. One box will not get the two of you through this real story.
Finally, plan on watching the unofficial 11th episode, “We Stand Alone Together”. It is the only proper way to end this journey.
I’m excited to go on this journey with you. Ask questions. I see familiar BoB following names in the comments. People who know military history and facts about this series. We WANT to answer your questions (we’re old men, we smell and talk about WW2. That’s what we do.) ❤😂❤
" we’re old men, we smell and talk about WW2 " lol cheers sir.
@@dave131 Also also cheers !
A vet history teacher?? I would love to share a few beers with you
Old men are the Best
They're real men, but some of the show is definitely fiction. Stephen Ambrose played fast and loose with the facts, he's pretty notorious, and the recollections of the men aren't always that accurate anyway. And then Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks wanted to dramatize a bunch of stuff for their own reasons. The first couple episodes are quite accurate as far as I can verify, just some stuff was cut out of the story to streamline the narrative. Episodes 3, 6, 7, 8, and 9, all have deliberate falsehoods, fanciful guesses, things that were shot in a misleading way, lies by omission, or just got things wrong by accident because nobody bothered to do even the slightest bit of verification, Ambrose included. Episode 10 has some disputed events in it, although I think it's pretty close to the truth that we can chalk it up to the various witnesses having limited perspectives, and the show creators simply chose which perspectives to treat as fact. There may be other problems I don't know about with the rest of the episodes, or have forgotten about since I looked into it deeper, this is just off the top of my head.
Overall, it's a pretty great miniseries, I just wouldn't want anyone to watch it and think this is a particularly authoritative source of history, nor is the book that it is primarily based on. Everyone should do outside reading, and treat this as merely a dramatic presentation for entertainment purposes, which includes a handful of real people who did many of the things depicted, but also are depicted doing things they didn't do,
I am a 10th Mountain Division veteran, and they formed us up three times before we actually left for Somalia. It had us so ready (saying goodbye to loved ones can, in fact, become exhausting) to go, we were relieved to actually go. Not that what we experienced was, in any way, even in the same zip code to what they experienced in WWII, but I can, in the smallest way, understand the relief they felt when it was actually "go" time. God bless those men. That is, in fact, all.
To the top.
I was in 10th Mountain and 82nd Airborne. I remember reading the blurb in black hawk down about 10th mountain going to Somalia before gothic serpent so I’ve always been curious about what you all did. If you don’t mind elaborating.
My cousin was sent as a Marine there too, but we weren’t close (we have a 20 year gap in age) and I never got a chance to ask.
@@SaraphDarklaw 2/87 here. We were there from December '92 to April '93. We started out in Bale Dogul, then moved to Markha and were headquartered there for the rest of the deployment. We were the quick reaction force for, basically, everything south of Modadishu, which is about two thirds of the country. The worst mission was to Kismayu, but we had some interesting times in Wanlayan, and I, personally, was at the Navy hospital in Mogadishu on New Year's Eve when Aideed's forces attacked. Surprising how powerful those seemingly tiny rockets on Cobras are. (I'd been bitten on the pinky toe by a fruit bat, and there to get rabies shots, but let's not focus on that).
Yup, it's not happening until its happened. We were supposed to be heading home, our families had all been notified and were at the airport waiting for us. An officer didn't confirm our flight home and we were stuck in country another 2 weeks.
For me it was Iraq in 03
A quick and dirty military unit lesson:
Fire team ≈ 4 men led by a corporal
Squad ≈ 13 men led by a corporal or a Sergeant
Platoon ≈ 40 men led by a Lieutenant or a Staff Sergeant in a pinch
Company ≈ 100-150 men led by a Captain
Battalion ≈ 500-1000 men led by a Major or Lt. Colonel
These numbers vary widely and commands can fall on lower or higher ranks if need be, but this is a generally good guide to how the army and marine corps infantry (ground troops) are structured.
to caveat off what the previous commenter said:
Two fireteams in a squad
Four squads in a platoon (3 rifle, 1 weapons)
Four platoons in a company (3 rifle, 1 mortars, plus an HQ element)
Five companies in a battalion (3 rifle, 1 support, 1 headquarters, plus an HQ element)
Three to six battalions to a brigade (3 rifle, 1 support, 1 engineers, 1 special troops, plus an HQ element)
A headquarters company is different from the Battalion HQ element; an HHC contains the battalion mortars, the scout platoon, snipers, supply, HR, and so on, and the HQ element is the Battalion commander and his staff.
The rifle squads, platoons, companies and battalions are an example here, you can have mechanized companies, cavalry companies (called troops), and armored companies (tanks) in addition to the basic light infantry units. Also this obviously only applies to maneuver (combat) units.
Weapons squads in a platoon are responsible for heavier weapons systems like belt-fed machine guns and anti-tank weapons.
You guys are in for one heck of a journey. This is the best mini series ever made.
If you read the book the men of Easy did credit Sobel with making them tough and ready for combat. They were very comfortable at night and very physically fit. They did not think he would have been a good combat leader but they do give him the credit for the training toughness.
That is true and even in Winters own book based on his memoirs, Beyond Band of Brothers, Winters gives Sobel credit for training the men of Easy Company.
But he also states thay Sobel was a leader who led by fear and not example and was very sadistic and cruel in his punishments even for the most minor infraction. He stated that Sobel seemed to enjoy being cruel and sadistic.
Winters also stated that Sobel was the most incompetent field officer he ever knew in the war.
Winters said Sobel showed up to only one of Easy Company reunions and no one, including Winters talked to him.
Sobel was reassigned to a Service Company after he trained men at Chilton Foley and he did make the jump on D Day where he gathered 4 men and destroyed a German machine gun nest before joining with the 506th at Carentine
There he was assigned as a logistics officer and never saw anymore combat during the war.
After war, Sobel remained in the Army Reserves and retired as a Lt. Colonel.
He later tried to committ suicide by shooting himself but he failed and it left him blind.
Divorced and no contact with his children, Sobel ended up in a VA Assisted living facility where he died of malnutrition. He was not even given a memorial service.
That is sad and he certainly didn't deserve that.
Your compassion, understanding of the gravity of every situation and wonderful abilities of perception to see each character and moment of the shows you watch are incredible. Never a less than stellar reaction with you two. You restore my faith in humanity every time, and it is much appreciated. Many thanks, enjoy the show!
I've never seen a reactor more sympathetic to Captain Sobel than Kiss haha
Great choice for a series. This is absolutely an amazing show
I love that you see Sobel as he is. A hardass, not a good field commander, maybe on a bit of a power trip, but with good intentions and reasons and a good instructor. Usually reactors see him as an unreasonable ass and he is dead to them.
pretty sure i read the guys of easy said despite hating him at the time they fully acknowledge his being a hard ass made them the best company in the 101st
@@GeorgeTropicana Yeah, people living through it often have a more nuanced view of things than external observers. Imagine the world complexly.
Sobel is a divisive character. The men of Easy Cpy (and you correctly observe that those old men are the veterans of Easy - you'll find out who is who at the very end of the series) absolutely loathed him, he was (as you see) often vindictive and instigated needless punishments. In addition, he was (likely his cruelty covered for his own anxieties) nervous and uncertain when he was not in total control (and you are never in control of combat, it is a matter of riding the chaos and having the confidence to make the best snap decision you can in the moment) of the situation, in short, he was the worst type of leader - spiteful when he did not need to be and indecisive when he could not afford to be.
However, having said all that several of the Easy Cpy members acknowledge that his pettiness and constant torment drove the men together and made them more resilient (physically and mentally) when they actually faced the crucible of combat. I suspect he drove the men of Easy to cover his own perceived flaws and for his own personal aggrandizement - but regardless the result was that his methods made Easy an elite unit among an already elite division. Sadly the first class company that was Easy was one he was simply not fit to lead into combat due to his own flaws. His later years continue as a tale of personal tragedy and poor outcomes, Sobel is truly an unfortunate figure.
His death is an extremely sad story. After divorcing and being estranged from his two sons - Sobel languished in an underfunded veteran's home. He died of starvation. Nobody attended his funeral.
Well this should be a lesson to us all about forming positive relationships with your men whilst commanding them at the same time (like Winters, Lipton and Spiers (to a certain extent) were) and not being needlessly vindictive. It serves you better in life.
@Matthew-bx5yf I finally found this out back in September, it made me realize that as accurate to the stories the guys remember and had written in the books that were written about them, there's still another side to a story though when it comes to people like Blithe and Sobel.
@@GreyMagee74 Sad thing is there aren't many people (except for Sobel's family) to bring a nuanced side to his story. There isn't even Sobel's own version.
Band of Brothers is more than just a WWII drama; it’s a poignant reminder of the realities of war. It underscores the importance of remembering WWII, not just as a historical event, but as a testament to human resilience and solidarity in the face of adversity. The series brings to life the experiences of the soldiers, their camaraderie, and their sacrifices, making this important history tangible for every generation, a chance to contemplate the profound lessons of WWII - the cost of freedom, the perils of intolerance, and the value of unity. It serves as a powerful tool for education and remembrance, ensuring that the stories of WWII soldiers continue to resonate today and for generations to come.
The depression had just ended. The 50 dollars was about 950, so 100 was about 1900, and they usually sent the money home.
You mentioned that you couldn't take "that man" (Ross) seriously. Actually he does such a good job in the series that someone commented "He walked on as Ross and walked off as Captain Sobel."
That is as good a compliment as one could make of an actor. Well done, David Schwimmer.
Sobel actually did jump into Normandy ob DDay with the 506th service company. He was awarded the Bronze Star for leading several men in destroying a machine gun emplacement. He survived the rest the war. He tried to commit suicide in 1970 by shooting himself in the head. He survived but became blinded by the gunshot.
32:04
Are you familiar with the concept of spoilers?
Its not really a spoiler, since they don't follow up on what he did during the war at any point of the series.@@Educated2Extinction
@@stevem7192 He never shows up again? Regardless, it was more of a broader caution on spoilers.
@@stevem7192 fair, but the girls don't know if at some point Sobel appears and saves the day after Winters dies heroically or something...
Mess Officer is one of those admin roles which is just a pain to do as an officer. You are responsible for the men being fed and that standards are met. Obviously the kitchen work is done but the mess staff, so you don't 'get you hands dirty', but it's just an extra thing you have to do in a very long list during your long day. You need to be present at every meal, inspecting the preparation and clean up, so it's really a punishment
I can't believe Band of Brothers is over 20 years old now. Still holds up all these years.
“I haven’t ever heard their songs before”
SUBSCRIBE
lol the Band of Brothers family who always check for new reactions def subbed after that 1, i did lol
Lol. Ditto! I hit the subscribe button the minute she started laughing. Love their personalities already!
My godfather was in the 101st and I had the honor and the pleasure of watching this series with him before he passed. It's a powerful, wonderful series that will make you laugh at times and cry at others. Enjoy and appreciate the journey with the men of Easy Company.
What did he think of it?
@@terminallumbago6465 He appreciated the series. I won't way it was enjoyable for him because it did bring back memories for him and it was probably good that I was the one he was watching with. I have two of three brothers who were career Marines and my dad was career Navy serving multiple tours in Vietnam. We all grew up as Navy brats and the military holds a special place in my heart.
Hello ladies just found your channel. Because I'm a world war II historian and I love band of Brothers and I like to watch people react to it. Especially younger generations this is not just series it's a history lesson. You got to get to know these guys. You're going to get to love these guys. And oh God are you going to cry. Can't wait to watch the rest of the series.
Welcome to Band of Brothers. So nice to see a young generation get an opportunity to watch such a monumental series and experience the sacrifices these men made. Enjoy this series ladies, it will be a ride, but well worth it!!!
The “grenade fumble” joke was no joke either. It’s called fragging and was typically done to incompetent or really disliked leadership. Most stories I heard were from Vietnam but I know it’s been around longer.
The guy who was sitting there sad was sad because he knew that by not going out with the rest, he was quitting the paratroopers.
You two are one of the top duo react channels with the balance of talking at the right moments and asking the appropriate amount of questions. You both also have such a good relationship, I wish the gap in age with my younger brother was smaller then maybe we would have grown up just as close.
I’m a high school American history teacher and I use excerpts from this series when I get to WW2… You will get emotional as you follow the hero’s of easy company. Good reaction and review
Sad story about Cpt. Sobel. (Ross Geller) After Sobel was reassigned to command the paratrooper school, He spent the rest of the war as a staff officer. He ended the war as a Lt. Colonel. In 1970 he attempted suicide, which left him blind. He began living at a VA assisted living facility in Illinois, Where he died on Sept.30th 1987 from malnutrition. No memorial service was held.
"this is so emotional already" gotta love composer Michael Kamen.
Only ten episodes and it's still one of the greatest tv shows ever made. Everything about BoB is pretty much perfect.
I agree! I started watching this show a few days ago and I finished it in like 3 days lol, I couldn't stop once I started and it's just so real and raw.
It is part of history that airborne units were actually a fairly new invention, so the young men who volunteered had no idea what the task entailed. Airborne units made their debut during World War II and in fact the Germans were the first to conquer land in this way when they attacked and held Alborg Airport in Denmark. They used the same method for a couple of bridges.
There’s a huge cemetery above Omaha Beach in France with 9,000 crosses and stars marking fallen soldiers. It’s astounding how many have the date June 6, 1944.
The veterans that speak at the beginning of each episode are the actual men from easy company, 2nd battalion, 506th parachute infantry regiment that we follow in the mini series.
the dynamic between you two is so great to see~
To be fair to Sobel, his behavior here is an accepted tactic that leaders use to unite their team and to form the individual members of the team into a cohesive group. You basically unite everyone in their hate of the leader. After you've achieved that goal, you can then ease up. I don't know if that was Sobel's conscious decision, but many of the Easy Company veterans have said they felt that it had been achieved regardless of Sobel's intent.
you are in for a ride, well done. I rewatch Band of Brothers every June to honor these men
Got a penny?
Actually, there are 11 episodes, the final one is more of a documentary and interviews made with the surviving members of easy company when this series was made, well worth the watch, it is called "We Stand Alone Together" you really should react to that one also.
The difference between Sobel and Winters is the difference between a boss and a leader. Any officer can order men around, but only a leader can inspire people to want to follow him -- vividly illustrated when the sergeants write the letter saying they won't follow Sobel into combat, and then salute Winters on their way out.
One of the best shows ever made, not only is everything very realistic, but the acting is top tier as well as the directing.
A thing I noticed only recently is during the Camp Mackall scene (like an hour or so from my house) when Sobel screws up and gets everyone "killed", Winters immediately takes a knee (what you should do) when the opposition force springs their ambush and Sobel freezes up (what you shouldn't do) and since he decided to be out in front of everyone with his sidearm drawn, everyone else behind him does the same and stops up the whole column in a nice neat group to get shot up. When the training judge tells him to pick three men to leave, Sobel also casually and irresponsibly points said sidearm right at the three men he chooses.
I’m here for the tears. Don’t feel bad, I’m a 53 year old man and this show makes me cry multiple times every time I watch it.
great reaction, enjoy this great miniseries :) fun fact about David Schwimmer: actors were doing so-called boot camp to prepare them for their roles under the command of Dale Dye (who portrays col. Sink in the show). David Schwimmer was isolated from the other actors, so they could feel real resentment towards him like their real-life counterparts. Capt. Sobel was not liked by his men, some even hated him. But lot of veterans from Easy acknowledged his harsh methods in training which prepared them for real combat very well.
Thank you for watching Band of Brothers, one of the best series ever created. It’s great to see another generation learning these incredible stories. Buckle up, this show is a wild ride, but it’s worth it in the end.
Sobel was known as an excellent training officer but not known as an excellent leader in a combat leadership role. He never deployed overseas.
I've watched and enjoyed your Chernobyl reaction, taking into account how much you got emotional watching that show I fear you will be a mess at the end of this one 😁
This is the real story of Easy company ( as real as a TV show can be ), you will get to know and probably love each and every man of Easy company.
First time I've seen y'all... Great reaction. Nice to see a reaction to this from young people who aren't ignorant to the history and don't get confused by things in the episode every few minutes. 😂
Love a reaction channel with genuine EMPATHY I'm over here crying with you and I've seen this show 1000s of times 😂
I am a combat veteran and I have to tell you both that you are doing a great job but I need to warn you
that this is going to get very sad and hard for you. Please stick with it and it will be worth it in the end.
God bless you both for this and thank you.
29:00
That song is called "The Mission Begins" and you are the first reactors I've watched who mention how it made you feel. I'm glad I'm not the only one who gets teary eyes listening to it.
I dont say this lightly: you two are great at reactions. Ive watched dozens. Its actually so much fun watching you two watch new shows. Looking forward to this one.
i totally agree
There are a few that ruin it because they can't stop talking.
Ms. Halo and Ms. Kiss, you guys really captured my attention with your reaction. I immediately subscribed after your heartwarming responses to this episode. I'm looking forward to your impressions. I really hope the rest of your generation will take note of your understanding of history. Best to you both!
I always loved WWII history, but BoB took it to another level. I started collecting autographs of members of Easy Company. As of today, i have 68 of them. CURRAHEE!
I wasn't expecting this after Edgerunners, but I can't wait for y'all to experience this series!
I love that more people are watching this series and can learn from it. I am proud of my time in service and always have love for my airborn brothers
This is a GREAT SERIES! I’m so glad that you guys chose this to react to.
Just some notes to keep in mind for what’s coming:
- Pay attention to each character that’s been introduced in this episode and the next - they’ll come back from time to time
- Allied aircraft from D-Day had white and black stripes painted on their wings to help ground forces know whose side they were on
- American vehicles were typically an olive green color with a white star on them
- there are two characters that want to find a Luger (German pistol): Malarkey and Hubler
- The SS were more or less an elite group of Nazi military
- German tanks had better armor and better firepower than Allied tanks
I could go on and others could clarify, but that’s just a little bit of a contextual overview for some stuff to know and keep an eye out for
@@va3svd The early SS divisions like Leibstandarte, Lehr and Wiking were pretty elite. Later units had lower standards and by the end of the war were taking draftees. Some of the anti-partisan units were pretty much made of the dregs of German society, cirminals and mental patients.
2:26 The opening theme is such beautiful music.
This show makes everybody cry but I never thought you'd want to with the intro haha. Big fan!
This TV show came out when I was a young teenager, and I aspired to join the military. Seeing how you reacted to this brings back memories of how my friends and I felt watching it, and appreciating the magnitude of what these men did, and the different types of leadership - autocratic, democratic and laissez-faire, and how important each one is. This episode demonstrates all three, and it's refreshing to see young adults like you identify those different forms of leadership and relate to them - particularly how your empathise with Captain Herbert Sobel and admire Lieutenant Dick Winters.
Happy you ladies are watching this series. Best one I have ever seen.
But be prepared. This series is gonna get very real. But so worth it in the end. You are going to get very attached to these men.
This is what your Grandfather and Great Grandfather went through between the ages of 16 to 26. They are by far, The Greatest Generation of our age.
Well done!
You two are quickly becoming my fav reactors! Smart, compassionate, empathetic and with great theories!
My grandfather was in the Royal Canadian Navy, he was there out in the water on D-Day. He was telling me when he was still alive, that it was extremely loud ( 1.5 hour for the US, 2.5 hours of bombardment) into the French coast.
I was a really latecomer to this series, only watching for the first time last year, but I've watched it three times since.
It's a show that really benefits on rewatch as there's so many names and faces, you'll watch an earlier episode after getting to know the characters better and realise "Oh, that's the guy from that later episode who did the thing! I didn't even realise he was here in the beginning"
It's a phenomenal show.
Going to enjoy watching your journey through this masterpiece. It's hard to watch at times, but it is vitally important that we do. And at the end, after all the tears, you will be so very glad that you did.
Everyone in Easy despised Sobel, but they all agree that he made them into the elite fighting force they were.
Band of Brothers is such a important mini-series. My grandma was born in West Germany 1929, she lost three brothers in the war. Not many movies or (mini)series make me cry, but Band of Brothers devastated me, knowing the stories of my grandmother and that the reality in parts was even worse. Be prepared for episode 9.
Band of Brothers is amazing, worth it.
Stumbled across you two randomly. Great first reaction to see, looking forward to the rest!
I cant tell you how many times I've rewatched this series and anytime I hear the song from the opening credits I tear up. The thing about Sobel is the men always gave him credit for training them, he prepared them for what they were going into but his inability to lead in real scenarios is what caused them to turn on him. As you go further into the series you will see how badly it could have gone with Sobel in charge
My grandpa was a veteran of WWII, US Navy 2nd Class Boatswain Mate, in the South Pacific fighting against the Japanese. My Grandpa was onboard the Destroyer Escort (DE) USS Farragut and was a landing craft driver on the invasion of Tarawa Atoll. One time I asked my grandpa if he was a hero in the war and he said to me, "No, I am not a hero in the war, the ones who are the true heroes are the ones who didn't come home." Watching Band of Brothers always made me cry and remember my grandpa, he died in 2007 and he died 2 days before my birthday, I was a sophomore in HS. Ladies, I won't spoil anything for but you need to get a lot of tissues for EP. 9, because that episode is the most POWERFUL and VERY EMOTIONAL Episode of all Band of Brothers.
Just found you ladies, and judging by your reactions, I'm excited to join you in this journey. All that i ask is you follow thru regardless of pain, and that you watch We Stand Alone Together as others have mentioned. Let's go!
There is such a thing as good tears. Don't be ashamed of them. This is going to be an experience for you; a journey. Embrace it. You will grow from it. Guaranteed.
All these years later the music still makes me tear up. You’re in for a hell of a journey.
I’ll be watching.
Love the training details in this episode. Examples include the canteen scene (soldiers in combat often faced situations where drinking water supply was spotty - soldiers in training were evaluated on how far they could be pushed while facing dehydration), and Captain Sobel's cruel treatment was intentional (Trainees were very diverse - Guys from New York were very different than guys from the South, and of course there were Americans of Jewish, Polish, Irish, Italian, etc. heritages all thrown together. If they all have a common enemy (Sobel) the men bonded over something in common). Really adds to the authenticity.
This is the best series that has ever aired on television. Buckle up!
Thank you for watching this fantastic series.
The men who are interviewed at the beginning of each episode are actually men who served in Easy Company.
You will begin to recognize the names as the series progresses.
There is another series "The Pacific" which is much like this except it is in the Pacific theatre of operations against the Japanese.
Also, the movie "Patton" starring George C. Scott adds some context to this series even though Patton was filmed back in the 70s.
Patton's 3rd Army was instrumental in some of the campaigns Easy Company were involved in.
The Band of Brothers came out in 2001, and this fabulous cast were mostly "unknown" actors, but now they are BIG actors.
You chuckled at the man in the prologue saying he joined the Airborne for the extra $50. That's fair. It's a funny line. It's also a true sentiment. My Father joined the Airborne for that exact reason. His father lost half the family farm just a few years before during the Depression. The additional pay helped my Father and his parents...
That's exactly how Bill found out about his brother. He had picked up the wrong jacket and found the letter.
On American Veterans Center channel there is a series of interviews if Edward Shames (last surviving officer of Easy Co.) that gives a lot of context to the BOB series. Very much worth the view, for both the information contained and to see how feisty the old paratrooper remained in his later years.❤
Kudos to you ladies for giving this series a try. It’s an amazing representation of what Easy Company did.
There are many lessons to be learned from history, sadly too many people have forgotten the sacrifices of the past.
While Sobel had a hand in the training, it was his junior officers like winters along with the noncommissioned officers who made them who they were.
You two have been Blessed by becoming another Honorary Member of the Band of Brothers Family. In so many ways and on so many levels this Epic TV series is A Master Piece,,,Historically, Dramatically and Emotionally ❤
You have to remember that the average height/weight in WW2 was only 5'8" and 150 lbs! Seniors in high school.... just crazy.
My great uncle was in Easy Company (Elijah Whytsell) but wasn't mentioned in the series.
Wow... That is a surprise to see Band of Brothers here. This is one of the best miniseries ever made! You are in for a rollercoaster, looking forward to your reactions!
Greetings from Germany!
You might've missed it, but Christenson, the soldier who drank from his canteen and was forced to march again, was played by none other than Michael Fassbender. LOTS of big names before their big roles here.
When I was in the marines I had lots of officers that talked the talk but couldn’t walk the walk. The difference was the dudes that could outrun everyone in the platoon. 😊
One of the best World War II dramas ever made.
Your reaction to the intro music was spot on and the first time I've seen someone get emotional about it. I thought it was genuine and awesome. I'm a grown a*s man and it affects me every time. Like you said, I think of all the men who died and see it as sort of a musical tribute to them.
I'm so happy you guys are doing these!!! One of my favorite mini-series of all time, my great uncle Murrel Swan was in Bastogne, he was the GI soldier shaking the dogs hand in the snow
The "thingys" are Rank Insignia. In the Army, the lowest officer is a 2nd Lieutenant (gold bar). Next is 1st Lieutenant (silver bar), Captain (2 silver bars). Easy Company is commanded by a Captain. Next is Major (gold oak leaf), Lieutenant Colonel (silver oak leaf), Colonel (silver eagle). The 506 PIR (parachute Infantry Regiment) of the 101st Airborne Division, in which Easy (E) Company is one of 9 companies, is commanded by a Colonel. Next are Staff Officers, Brigadier General (1 silver star), Major General (2 silver stars), Lieutenant General (3 silver stars), General (4 silver stars), General of the Army (5 silver stars-in a circle).
The scene when the paratroopers are leaving the airfield at the end of the episode always reminds me of the take off scene from the movie Memphis Belle. That is a goodie as well, follows a B-17 bomber crew as they are finishing up their last combat mission. Pretty good and a relatively true story. actually met the captain many years ago, talk about a surreal experience.
No spoilers. My great-uncle was in this part of the war in France (but didn't serve with the airborne) and got a Purple Heart. He told me in no way did he want to see the movie Saving Private Ryan. However, I do think all Americans should read about the history of the war in detail. It's influence is felt today in all our lives. And this series is highly realistic imho.
You ladies are in for an emotional ride. But, so worth it. One of the best miniseries ever produced.
Instant like and sub for the dad joke at the beginning.
Very good reaction as well. I have watched this show many times now and i also tear up during this episode knowing what is ahead for these men.
I love how Winters look every soldier in the eye as he helps them to their feet just before boarding the plane.
It's weird that I'm 27 years old in the Army and I'm thinking to myself it's nice to see the young people getting invested in shows like Band of Brothers and the Pacific.
If you're going all the way with this...be prepared to grow, laugh, learn and suffer with these characters. The first episode is in some ways my favorite, if only for the innocence and the fact that I know what lies ahead for these men. This was when their biggest threats were "Army noodles with ketchup." I love the power move Winters makes by literally grabbing the pen out of Sobel's hand while he was abusing his power...it's brilliant, and a true story. Hard to call this a TV show honestly, it's a 12 hour Saving Private Ryan in quality...CURRAHEE! ♠
you two really like to torture yourself with these painful but incredible shows 😅😂 this is gonna be a wild ride!
“Haven’t heard their songs before.” It took me awhile to get this joke, but only because the soundtrack for this series is beautiful. Definitely in a couple of my play list.
Yea, that music will never stop causing those emotions. I watched this show yearly almost since it came out. It doesn't get better. And that's wonderful, because the lesson sinks in, apparently.