This information has totally changed my view on Herbert Sobel. He saved lives with his unorthodox training. Ambrose should have portrayed him as a hero. RIP .
It’s pretty obvious from the movie that despite hating him, many of the men knew that the training was essential to their survival. Certainly, the viewer is meant to understand his contribution.
At least this confirms what I was trying to tell people for a while now. He was responsible for their training and why the unit did so well in combat. They can hate him all they want (viewers), but a real soldier can still respect him for how they built them into fighting machines. They can keep the 2 things separate.
Military training is always tough, and a drill sergeant can do it well. So Sobel did not stand out here, but his ineptness in combat drills warranted the sergeants refusal to serve with him. Sobel's legacy does not elevate service to blanket respect.
@@ammadusman479So many of the paratroopers got killed in combat... one of the NCO's in the series advised one of the rookies to assume they would die as a way of removing inhibitions in combat.
I'm glad I watched this video. I didn't have a full picture of who he was. He might very well have been more important to what Easy Company achieved than Winters. He certainly deserves to be remembered with respect, as a decorated veteran of a horrific war. RIP Captain Sobel!
Being a United States Marine, I can understand the complex makeup of Capt. Sobel. I'm a Vietnam vet and the training we received at Paris Island was brutal to say the least, but was a necessary preparation for what was to come. As I look back at my time at Paris Island I more understand why the drill instructors made us do the things they did. After boot camp in 1969 I knew I was headed for Vietnam. Thank God I survived. I just hate the tragic end of Capt. Sobel. His toughness saved lives in WWII. Cheers from eastern TN
Thank you for your service. I often think that I would not exist if my grandpa had died at Bastogne. Papa said it was the scariest time he spent there.
12/5 brother, I'm also a jarhead but the Hollywood kind. I felt it was basically imperative for the recruits to hate the DIs, but I was 20 in 2001 when I went through boot and understood why they played the games with us they did. There was always a reason they messed with us. Going from a 6'2" 127lbs dumbass to a 175lbs combat effective US Marine in 3 months was the proof. I would have loved and hated to have Cpt Sobel as my OIC, but we all know EllTee is shit at land nav, hahaha
not necessarily....Malnutrition sounds like abuse, and a terrible death. . But in some cases, it is actually natural. I have seen two elderly relatives die of "natural causes" ...and it included malnutrition. As the body shuts itself down, the brain loses many functions.For example, the person stops speaking, but can still sometimes communicate with head nods. The part of the brain the causes speaking has stopped functioning. And the same thing happens with eating. The person simply stops eating. We (the family at their bedside) tried to squirt baby food into their mouths, but they refused to open their lips, and refused to swallow. It is a horrible, sad feeling....The part of the brain that feels hunger has stopped functioning. The patient apparently feels no hunger, no pain...but they starve themselves to death.
@@BarryIritusually it happens a lot during hospice, people just stop eating and drinking. I’m still watching the video so I don’t fully know everything yet
They did a tremendously good job finding actors who looked a lot like the people they were supposed to play. What a very sad end of his life. How can you die of 'malnutrition' when you're in a care home ? That sounds wrong on every level.
We have to remember the time frame he was in a home. Nursing homes werent much better than mental institutions. The people working there were not properly trained. Bitter and even cruel. Mental health in the elderly was not well known so, often times, nurses/attendants/etc would abuse their patients instead of actually caring for them. Withholding food was a common disciplinary practice for patience that "acted up" or refused to do what they were told. That was nursing homes all over up until the 90s and early 00s. Even still happens to this day. Even worse, the family probably never questioned it with Sobel. It seemed they were relieved his pain and suffering had ended. I think we can all agree his death was questionable.
Glad I watched this. I think most of us know about him from what we saw in the show. We all think of him as an incompetent bully but it appeared that he wasn’t that at all and because of him the 101st Airborne Easy Company was more prepared for the war because of his strict rules. My dad served for 26 years in the military and served in the Vietnam War overseas and he watched his best friend get k*lled during the war. I think because of that he never wanted to talk about what I did for work as a paramedic. He had a weak stomach for that. I think he was very traumatized seeing his best friend end up with his head decapitated after their plane was shot down. Thank you for telling us who he truly was and that many members of Easy Company did have nice things to say about him. It’s a shame what happened in the last 20 years of his life. No one should have to endure that. RIP Col Sobel!
If anyone thinks of him as a bully then they do not understand military training all that well. Sure he was probably a bit harsher but you need to remember para troopers were dropped behind enemy lines usually surrounded by the enemies. Keeping them in a state where a lack of mental preparedness and complacency can kill you, he wanted to Eliminate Complacency. An incompetent leader sure... not a an incompetent trainer. I am not going to say he was a bully but there is a good quote from a book that sums him up "He's a right prick of a trainer, and that is a compliment" and as Sun Tsu and Patton said "The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war" And I know you understand him better but the honest truth more people should understand this better before they criticize someone's character.
@@ZazairS7N He was a jew. Their religion teaches them that they are special and that non-jews are like animals. We're not talking about discipline. He was an asshole. Read what soldiers said about him.
@ it makes sense. I went to basic training at Lackland AFB over 20 years ago and it was during the summer months and none of us knew what was about to happen, 9/11. I actually had to get out due to a medical reason that I never knew that I had but after 9/11 I decided to go back to school to become a paramedic and then later as a respiratory therapist. During my time as a medic I was also diagnosed with celiac disease which is probably why I struggled so much in basic training especially with me being anemic a lot. The food I was eating in basic training was actually poison because most of it had gluten in it and most people thought that celiac disease was rare but it’s actually not. A few years ago I was diagnosed with a lot more conditions that landed me hospitalized a lot especially some years I was admitted 7-9 times and I didn’t know that I had POTS and CVID among a lot of other conditions. POTS isn’t rare but CVID is only about 3 in 100,000 people have it and there are no cures and the only treatment is IVIG that I get every 4 weeks to increase my immune system to help me fight infections. If I could have stayed in I wanted to do the full 20 years like my dad!
So much of military service is difficult to explain, and even more difficult is how a man's character is permanently remembered through mere months of his interactions with others. Humans change, it's a part of growing up and learning. Thank you for acknowledging that CPT Sobel was a human being with this video.
There was a kid TDY at my unit once who was so scially inept, arrogant, incompetent, and unaware of the effect of his attitude on the others, that it physically hurt to watch. He was temporary duty at my land unit while he waited for his ship to pull in to port -- a ship I had just left a few months before, and was literally in the same division as this guy was heading to. I had been on that boat a few years, and knew how rough it was gonna be for this kid with that attitude, and tried to take him under my wing. After a week, he had alienated every junior enlisted member of our land unit. After two weeks, he had pissed off every NCO at that unit, and those NCOs told every NCO at every unit in the area, about how much they disliked this kid, and they warned them not to trust him with any kind of meaningful task. Within a three or four weeks, his boat was back in town, and his life became living hell -- All because of the reputation this arrogant and incompetent kid had gained at a small land unit he wasn't even stationed at. He was not a bad guy -- he just rubbed people the wrong way, and even tje nicest NCOs just hated his guts because of it. I have no clue what happened to him later -- but he really crapped the bed with that initial character display. The military is unforgiving and resentful like nothing else I've seen. "Respect is lost in buckets, and earned in droplets."
As a fan of Band of Brothers, a novice historian of World War II and a former U.S. Air Force veteran, I highly commend the excellent job you have done filling in the blanks about what happened to Captain Herbert Sobel after the war. It is sad that Hollywood would present such a fine and honorable man in such a dim light. But now we have a truth-telling in this video production about this man to warm our hearts and give credit where credit is due. Now we know the kind of man and leader Captain Sobel really was. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and the legacy created by the men of Easy Company which was addressed to his son long after the war. Rest in peace, Sir.
I'm proud to be a VA employee and for the care that our nation's heroes receive from the VA. I am a fan of Band of Brothers, but I also know the real story of Sobel. He'll always be honored for his Service to our country.
It is easy to do your own research on Sobel. I did and I find very little to really like about him. But his time in the Army turned out to give him serious PTSD. It is sad, for sure.
@@Richard-f7q He was the epitome of a power hungry little tyrant . He was probably making people in the battalion, company rather, a place to torment and abuse others because he was a kid nobody liked. NCO`s don`t risk Courts Martial and execution for no good reason. He could NEVER have led under the fog of war. I know what it feels like, sounds and smells like, and it is hard for the toughest ,smartest C.O.`s to get through one firefight.
🇬🇧 A sympathetic portrayal of a man who felt betrayed and let down by those who could have appreciated him during his tenure with easy company. I found it touching that his men in later life appreciated his efforts in maturing his recruits and preparing them for their later travails. This was very welcome in a sort of strange way. WW2 contributed to the many stories of men who fought and fought hard.
if sobel had stayed co of easy co. and then survived the jump his men would have killed him one night after the jump. this is based off this video not the hbo series. if you are gonna be a dick to your men you need to have it together and he didn't. in hind sight sobels commanders failed him early on and should have put him as a training officer earl on.
@@jamessampson964. Ad hominem arguments are ineffective, and reveal an inability to argue one’s position using logic, facts, and the truth, for instance.
I was blown away by this video! So will definitely was demonized in Band of Brothers. Makes you realize that everything you watch is it necessarily accurate. I'm glad he got to share his family for a while but what a tragedy is ending is. Rest in peace Captain Sobel.🙏⚘️
How about the treatment of the LT that got Winters job? That guy won a couple medals but BOB (which I love) treated him very badly in it's depiction of his actions.
@anthonyburnam3415 yeah if you talking about Dyke it seems that he went on to win what like a silver star or at least a bronze star in some other actions? I think he's simply froze in what may have been his first leadership role taking that attack into Foy. I have no earthly clue what I would have done, so I cannot judge the man. But you're right, Band of Brothers treated him like a doormat. Like the devil. Shame on them, and really I like Ambrose but I'm really torn on his depiction in his book.
@@Jakal-pw8yq Wow! I didn't know that either. And Honestly I just made the assumption that both of those characters were either fictionalized or at the very least their names were to protect the real person's identity. But apparently I was wrong on both accounts and that is definitely surprising to hear that Ambrose would do that. I've always liked him also and it seems out of character. He should fix this. He dishonored two men two men that I IMO didn't deserve it either way. Even if neither character had a redeemable quality what is portrayed in the movie they didn't deserve to be demonized. None of us know how we would conduct ourselves in similar situations.
Thanks for this video, I'm happy to know that Lt. Sobel was not the jackass portraited in the book and series. At the same time I feel sad of the treatment veterans get when they need it most. Rest in peace, Lt. Colonel Herbert Sobel.
Excellent video! Very appropriate for Cpt. Sobel, and his descendants. Even though his spirit has passed on, to be remembered well, is sometimes the best we as individuals can hope for after we are gone from this life.
I've been trained by tough men and I've been the tough trainer of men and women. Having trainees eat and run immediately thereafter would not have been permitted in my time; however, there are numerous ways to train military personnel without using despicable tactics. Having said that, the Germans and Japanese were not messing around and so I believe what the survivors said about Sobel and being somewhat appreciative of his tactics. I am sad to learn of his suicide attempt and his awful death. May his soul rest in peace and his memory be a blessing. My dad was a POW in WWII and came home to raise a family. I'm sure his time in the Army was difficult and yet he survived. I miss you dad.
I was working as an event bartender during the premier of band of brothers in a hanger at Boeing fiele , Seattle , and one of the members of easy came out of the theater and came straight to the bar I had set up and asked if I had any whiskey. O said yes and began pouring out a shot in a tumbler glass . He put his finger on the neck of the bottle and did not remove it until the glass was completely full and said,"I'll be right back" . All I could say was "yes sir" because I was watching the film too .
When I originally watched that series, I absolutely despised him. Thank you for sharing this, as a marine veteran of the 90s, my heart is absolutely broken for him.
Noble of you to say this and I get it. I am retired Infantry and man, I had to be mean as hell sometimes, but my men respected me and when the bullet hit the road, they humbling understood and had my back big time. No idea what you are doing and where you are, but accept my respect Marine. From a former us Army Paratrooper with 10 tours.
@@jackwalker9492 thank you for saying that, sir. I know exactly what you’re talking about. I was a corporal, and I had to be rough sometimes, but it was for the benefit of my men. you couldn’t pay me enough money to jump out of an airplane, I will storm a beach any day😂😂😂.
@@matteng2332 Salute. I believe it is 50/50. A Corporal in the US marines is like a mid-level NCO in (my beloved) US Army. From Bogota, Colombia. Still too stupid to stop LOL. Thank you and may God Bless You.
Thank you very much for this. I like many had the wrong impression of Capt. Sobel. This was very informative and eye opening. And very sad later in his life. Rest easy (Lt. Col. Sobel! 👍🫡 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Awesome video. Thank you for the time spent on your research and telling of his story. I’ve been in the Active Duty Air Force for over 19 years now, and I can tell you that a natural-born leader is a rarity. Sobel’s dedication to his command cannot be denied, and it’s good to see things get settled that there was much more to this man than was portrayed in the series. It is very common for troops to dislike their commanders, and that is due largely in part to the troops not understanding the purpose behind the commander’s leadership style, with particular regard to training. Being a leader is not easy to say the least, and it is a lonely position to be in.
I spent a short time training to be a nursing fixer in the Royal Navy at Dartmouth England. I was somewhat of an oddity from the start going in as a lieutenant with 7 years awarded seniority on account of my needed specialist skills, I was 36 years old. I found it very difficult to undertake orders that were given purely for their sake, I did not defy them but it became increasingly clear that there are officers who are pretty clueless and would probably get you killed if in the thick of it. I decided this was not for me, but what you said about good leadership and earning respect are 2 highly required requisites in my opinion, I came away feeling that the officer classes were full of people who have never experienced anything outside of total institutions as often they came from families of service personnel and this provided most of the fodder for officer training, this bothers me as they cannot think outside the box as they have very rarely been required to do so.
I'm in Taccoa, I spent a great deal of my youth here, deer hunting in the Camp Taccoa wildlife management area. I had no idea of the history, I'm a history grad from a southern military college, until I saw the series. I'd seen some of the barracks around town but didn't recognize them for what they were . I was familiar with WW2 construction from my very younger years in Tampa, where I lived with my step-dad who was a P-51 pilot during the war, and we often went to MacDill Airforce Base (SOCOM) Where I live on my sailboat which was heavily damaged by hurricane Milton a couple weeks ago. I visited Camp Taccoa last week and drove up Currahee thinking about those men. CURRAHEE !!!! Capt.Bob, SV (Sailing Vessel) 27th Chance, Tampa Fl, USA 🇺🇸
I think he was an imperfect man who did the best he knew how. And sometimes that did not go over well with others. But I think he’s paid for whatever shortcomings he had in his life. Thanks for helping everyone see the whole person.
Whatever unpleasant personal characteristics Sobel displayed in training, in no way justifies the personal hell Sobel endured for the last 17 years of his life.
After watching the video and reading most of the comments, I realized that there will always be different perceptions of the same situation. Based on my 4 years of service in an infantry battalion here in Brazil, 30 years ago, I have formed an opinion on the subject. As a BoB fan, I compare the series to my experience at the time. There were tough officers who were "hated" and other tough ones who were "loved". But what made them so different from each other? The answer is that the "hated" tough ones demanded a lot from the troops to earn merits only in front of their superiors (i.e., self-esteem boosting) and not to earn the respect of the team by example. This situation could easily be felt! I think, (better to say perhaps, because I was not there at the time), that this was the reason why Easy Company did not respect Captain Sobel, perhaps for the same reason I experienced during my time in the barracks!
Sound of Brothers is in my top three favorite world war II movies/miniseries. Thank you so much for this in-depth look truly a war hero if anything else through his training of some of the best veterans of world war II and that can never be taken away
Thank you for this historical rectification. Spot on, mate 👍🏻 I had great respect for my demanding sargent instructor in the RM cadets as a young man. PS : Great topic for a channel. You have a new subscriber (plus you narrate well).
I (like most others) really enjoyed Band Of Brothers. Some of the obvious historical mistakes made in the series were seriously confusing. Why did they knowingly do or say that when it wasn't accurate? Example was the solder who was shot in the neck and they said died when he didn't. In regards to Sobel, the writers certainly sided with Dick Winters view and hatred of him and villainized him too far. To me, it's sad that "historians" take liberty with the facts or truth when writing their books. I think as readers we have to understand what's stated isn't always 100% accurate. I think with Sobel somewhere between what Winters said about him and the others solders said about him lies the truth. All those solders in E company are now deceased. What's great for them and their families is that their bravery and history isn't forgotten.
Great mini documentary! I love Band of Brothers but always thought the portrayal of Sibelius seemed a bit cartoonish, and it seems it was. But it’s also true, if he couldn’t read a map well or make good battlefield decisions, he would have gotten many men, needlessly, killed.
Years ago, I read a short account about Sobel after the war. Can't remember the name of the book now. It stated that Sobel committed suicide. I never knew that he survived the suicide attempt. Thanks for keeping the record straight.
IMHO, the antagonism between Sobel and his men helped in cementing the bond among the men of the Easy Company. Winters was the soothing balm against the pain that was Sobel. Unwittingly, Sobel was the reason why the men of Easy Company would do whatever Winters asked of them. Suffice it to say that, had it not been for the collective animosity they have for Sobel, the men of Easy wouldn't have bonded in the way they did which greatly helped them in the War.
I knew it! I just knew it!! He IS a proto typical, to the way men are trained and hardened in this age. Much love should be afforded to this man who trained, and even loved his men enough to understand the terrible trials that combat brings; and that he absolutely needed to push them all to the edges of their endurance and ability to tollerate himself. The enemy has even less tolerance for their enemy, and by hardening them, he was saving their lives by training resolve into them. I Salute This Forger of Warriors.
Thank you for this short film. I have watched the BOB mini series many times and thought poorly of Captain Sobel. I no longer think of him that way. He was an honorable soldier who deserved respect.
No, other interviews of those who served with him all testified Sobel was a terrible officer. It was a blessing he wasn't allowed to serve in combat as he would have gotten many good men killed and he would have been fragged.
@@bubbajones4522 just like in the video, they may have asked those who hated him, they will obviously portray him as a universally hated man. You can see that other officers liked and respected him.
@@inasatok His own family abandoned him and left him to die of starvation. He also didn't have a memorial service and was cremated. No one liked this guy because he wasn't a good person.
An excellent video which gives a full depiction of Captain Sobel rather than the one sided view shown in Band Of Brothers , He was a complicated person but there was more than one side to his character & as a Training Officer he did all he could possibly do to forge a fighting unit from a group of civilians & he did this with great success. I believe Sobel like other Training Officers would have been far from alone in being hated by the men he was responsible for in this role. I feel sorry for him & think the Series did him an injustice .
I feel so sad that a man who contributed to winning the war had so much tragedy at the end; flawed as he was, he devoted himself to doing the best he could when the world needed people to stand up.. Respect to Capt Sobel.
I served from 1986 till 2006. I was an enlisted soldier. I worked in aviation in the beginning and branched out as rank increased. I served in Iraq, Bosnia, Honduras, and South Korea. Because of my military life, all things concerning America and its wars are of interest to me. It was not unheard of for myself to have to deal with those of higher rank that for their own reasons, just did not like me. It happens. But that experience should not be used as an example of the entirety of a man. We have our "military life" and then the parts that are not of our military life. Sobel was a good if not great "training" officer. That is something he had every right to be proud of, and it should have been enough. I am sorry to hear that the latter half of his life was less than it could have been. Letting go, is a skill that is not taught. I have feelings and memories that I wish I do not have. I think we all do. It is important that military men find something outside the military to care about. Something besides family. I have no family. Family wasn't enough for Sobel. To my military brothers I can only say, find a way to enjoy surviving. Find something that will make you smile.
@@HughButler-lb6zs Greetings! I served in Honduras in 1990 as MEDEL XO. Were you in the aviation battalion? We are few and far between, especially with the passage of 34 years!
Sad. I was sympathetic to Sobel while watching the HBO series. As a veteran of several conflicts, I knew leaders like Capt Sobal, and while not liked, we could always see the benefit of leadership like Capt Sobal.
When I watched the show, I found the tragic character Sobel depressing. Not everyone is cut out for the role that life puts you in. It's just a story, I thought. I had no idea it was real and even more tragic in real life. At least he had a wonderful time with his wife instead of dying on D-Day.
Never trust a modern film/drama for historical accuracy. Film makers never let facts spoil a good story (or good box office). I just wish they kept fiction and fact firmly apart in separate films/dramas.
This is Sooo Sad, but thank you For this. I wish Sobel was more involved in his church, which I believe could've helped. But he chose Not to. Reminds me of the Captain of the Indianapolis, who sadly committed suicide.
In the series, 'Nixon' noted Sobel's motivational impact, it hinted at the things stated in this video. Loved the series, thanks for setting the record straight.
My Dad, a WW2 veteran from Chicago at 19, once said to me that he felt like the drill sergeants in North Carolina hated the recruits from the Midwest more than the Axis powers. 😂 Ironically, they taught him the skills needed to stay alive in the Pacific theater for 4 years and survive the war.
From my experiences as a veteran, it is training officers like him that moulds the best out of everyone of us. Its a love hate relationship if i may say. At the end of the day, its these bollocks from such officers that kept a lot of us alive.
I didn't think Sobel was a tyrant. He was training soldiers for war, and he made Easy Company what they were. It's so sad that Sobel never got over losing Easy Company, and had a lonely death. Thank you for this video. I am a HUGE "Band of Brothers" fan.
I feel sorry for him for his end but in the book he's not just hard, he's unfair and mistreats the men, but at least he gets credit from everyone for preparing them
Thank You for bring out the Total Truth about Capt. Sobel! I am a U.S. Army and Marine Corps veteran. From what I saw in the movie I could understand why Captain Sobel was as strick as he was! As veterans WE ALL KNOW THAT an INSPECTION WAS JUST THAT and just the SLIGHTEST THING like RUST met TROUBLE and on the battlefield Rust in the wrong place could cause a jam / malfunction which in return could cause the death of a buddy and / or even yourself! I am not so sure he would have been a great Leader under fire but as a training officer he was tops!! Easy company was ready for battle, VERY WELL TRAINED! Capt Sobel DESERVED BETTER!! REST IN PEACE, Sir!! 25:24
Band of Brothers according to Hollywood. I had read a long time ago about Easy Co. and it's men. It didn't make sense that such a discipline bunch could come from a shit bird of a CO, and it has been my experience during my USMC days that a great CO makes great Marines. Glad you posted this, the world is seeing that Winters had great men to work with because of their first CO.
Any good leader of men knows, it’s not a popularity contest. Sounds like Sobels understood that part. But a good leader must also earn the respect of his men. You can’t do that by picking on people in public. Management 101 teaches that.
I was always taught "praise in public, punish in private". Don't belittle your men in front of the others. It doesn't earn respect, it breeds resentment.
Despite your defense it’s clear to me that although a great training officer, Sobel would have gotten his men unnecessarily killed in action. That’s the main point.
my friend, the late Col Shames said Band of Brothers wasn't fair to Sobel, Sobel was a hard ass but to a man, they credit him to their survival. his son came to a reunion and said he had been scared to attend reunion because he thought themen hated his father. Guarnere and others said no, while he wasn't our favorite person, but if he wasn't as hard on us as he was, we wouldn't have survived.
There are a lot of good men out there that have gone to their graves without the truth being told. It has take me most of my life to figure out that my dad was not the "Ogre" that was portrayed. I now understand why he was portrayed as a nasty "little man" Real happy the truth was told about Sobel. May the poor soul rest in peace
I served 24 years, and the most challenging people I worked for were the ones who made me good at my job, and I accomplished more. And it is those times of which I'm most proud.
The very least of those men are far better men than 95% of men today. Even if Sobel was everything they say he was, he, and all the other men who served in that war will always have my undying respect and admiration. Now that WW2 has passed from living memory, it is of utmost importance that we carry on their memory and never forget their courage and sacrifice. Every man a real hero.
A story worth telling, I have to say I felt sorry for Herbert Sobel when I heard of his problems, he played his part in shaping Easy Company and it is such a tragedy that he couldn't handle life after his time with them. I know a little about mental health and it seems Captain Sobel could have done with a few friends and some kind of support and understanding. I am glad there was some reconciliation with the family much later on. It goes to show there are always at least two sides to every story, thanks.
One of the reasons why I would love to see a remake of Zulu with more historical accuracy towards the characters involved. But don't get me wrong, I still love watching Zulu.
At bootcamp here in Norway we had a Fenrik ... (I suppose that is one star officer not sure what that is in usa or so), anyway he was the leader of our platoon and we was to have him for 1 month of the 3 we where doing. EVERY F... day he made us stand out in the cold waiting while they did the inspection and every day we had to clean the room over again... so we got shorter lunch because we had to clean the room again, it happend every day for the whole month. After a month it was the next platoon and yep it happend then too, every day for the whole month they had to clean their room over again. While we who had a seargent to lead us now did not need to clean our room twice a day. This guy definitly was hated among us troops.... even one day on a manouver he was to inspect our foxholes and it was hard to dig (january or february in Norway) and I remember when he left my hole to inspect those next to me... I heard "Who's there!!" from the soldiers there, then it was answered "Fenrik Trettenes" and it was abit silence and you could hear ... "Ikke helvete heller!! - best translated to No fucking way" and they shot him with the guns (they where using blanks) ... yep he was that hated.
In the US a gold bar is a 2nd lieutenant and the silver one bar is a first lieutenant. In the US we have ranks where it can be 1, 2, 3, or 4 stars and during active major conflicts there may be a 5 star rank which is the general of the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Army but again that’s only during certain times of a major war. 1 star is a brigadier general, 2 star is a major general, 3 star is a lieutenant general, and 4 star is a full general. Fenrik I had to look up because I’m not familiar with the ranks with Norway and it’s a 2nd lieutenant
@@debrakleid5752 Thanks .. yes that seems to be right 🙂 Fenrik is between sergeant and lieutenant in the ranks, to be honest not even sure its being used anymore.
@@arcticblue248 Sounds more along the lines of a Warrant Officer in the British military. Not an officer but not a normal NCO either. Kind of somewhere in the middle.
i was in the military and if you were despised then the training was worthless... if you felt you gained something from the strict training then the trainer is always respected. I had a strict 1st Seargeant but with his strictness he showed the wisdom of it and we appreciated him. If Sobel was not respected then there was a reason for it. Thanks for your opinion, but here's mine.
They commercialized the story for better profit. Fortunately, the family did not sue them. Credit for stating the other side of the real story. Rest in peace, Capt Sobel (LtCol-retired)
The thing about real life is that the closer you look, the more complex it gets. Americans, in particular, want simple answers to complex questions. Storytelling of any sort, even excellent storytelling, requires compromises. If Sobel was somewhat unfairly portrayed, Ambrose was working with what he was told by the BOB veterans, a need to hook viewers in during the first episode and more pressing business to tend to. Somebody or something will always get slighted in any story told. I think the real damage to Sobel was self-inflicted when he decided to screw with Winters. The ultimate tragedy is both Sobel's death spiral and the feeling all of us have that we missed something here.
He may not have been the best tactician and or had the leadership qualities of Winters, but I have to give him credit for getting thse 4 lost paratroopers together, destroying a machine gun nest (I'm sure there were other battles along the way to Carentan as well) and leading the 4 paratroopers to safety. He made mistakes for sure, but also hardened the men of easy company to get through the war. The transition from Sobel to Winters was inadvertently perfect. Sobel was the hard ass that built the necessary toughness. Winters refined them and harnessed their potential.
Even with how Captain Sobel was portrayed in BOB, I still found great admiration for the man and can appreciate how hard training pays its dividends later.
It breaks my heart that Soebel's life ended so tragically. Although he didn't lead Easy company in combat.l, every man has his strength and his was training. It was his training that no doubt saved lives of members of easy company during their campaign. World War II veterans have a special place in my heart for their sacrifices to protect my freedom.
I've watched BoB at least 3 times now. My views on Sobel and his betrayal are now forever changed. Sure, he could be a bastard but look at how the men are treated in boot camp in Full Metal Jacket. The military, especially one's introduction to and first moments of military life are no place for the "kid gloves" treatment. In order to survive hell I firmly believe one must first go through hell or worse. Sure, Sobel had his deficiencies. At times he was downright inept. But in the long run I believe he saved more lives than he destroyed. And that's where the focus should be. His end was a tragic one. Sad and very telling of how we mistreat those we owe the most to. Easy Company was full of heroes. I salute them all.
I love the band of brothers series. Zobel was an important character in the series and he is depicted as a brutal trainer of the to-be soldiers, wich he surely was. When he took upon himself that role, he must have known, that he would be hated by the men. One of his priorities was, not to befriend the men. It is however sad, that while he was instrumental in hardening the men, he got no respect from them, while Winters, who himself did not hsve to be hard on the men, got all the respect. At the same tome Zobel had to witness that the respect went to the very man in the company he disliked or rather envied. I believe that would have been very hard for Zobel to acknowledge. Apparently he wasnet able to appriciate that some of the men like Winters, that he trained, became a better soldier than himself. I think thats a failure of Zobel as a trainer. And to add to the pain, He had to realize that Winters actually turned into, a genuine warrier and the best leader of the men, that he himself would never have been able to become since he just did not have those qualities himself
Thank you for this true reflection of the life and character of Captain Sobel, I must admit that after reading the book/watching the series I was convinced that he was anything other than an imaginary character based upon an imaginary officer. Though by being a veteran myself I am well aware that there are such ''nasty'' persons in places of authority in all organisations such as the military/boarding schools, though not many...thank God. Reading the article has left me with a deep feeling of injustice that he was unjustly portrayed in the series. To my mind this detracts from my previous admiration for such a splendid series but of course it will not stop me from reviewing the series, though this time around I shall feel respect rather than contempt for the man.
my problem with BoB is that they pissed on some guys who volunteered to give their lives. yes, they were imperfect. but they put their lives on the line. Did Hanks? No. Did Spielberg? No. Did Ambrose? No.
This information has totally changed my view on Herbert Sobel. He saved lives with his unorthodox training. Ambrose should have portrayed him as a hero. RIP .
It’s pretty obvious from the movie that despite hating him, many of the men knew that the training was essential to their survival. Certainly, the viewer is meant to understand his contribution.
Yeah that much is available in the show
Pretty sure that Band of Brothers mentioned that Sobel's relentless drilling saved countless lives.
At least this confirms what I was trying to tell people for a while now. He was responsible for their training and why the unit did so well in combat. They can hate him all they want (viewers), but a real soldier can still respect him for how they built them into fighting machines. They can keep the 2 things separate.
Military training is always tough, and a drill sergeant can do it well. So Sobel did not stand out here, but his ineptness in combat drills warranted the sergeants refusal to serve with him. Sobel's legacy does not elevate service to blanket respect.
He was basically a jewish ss officer who would have put winters in a concentration camp if he had his way
I agree!!! The more difficult their training the tougher they would be in field.
@@VictorDawnAmazingGrace he was trying to kill them before they made it to the actual war. Not very sensible eh
@@ammadusman479So many of the paratroopers got killed in combat... one of the NCO's in the series advised one of the rookies to assume they would die as a way of removing inhibitions in combat.
I'm glad I watched this video. I didn't have a full picture of who he was. He might very well have been more important to what Easy Company achieved than Winters. He certainly deserves to be remembered with respect, as a decorated veteran of a horrific war. RIP Captain Sobel!
Being a United States Marine, I can understand the complex makeup of Capt. Sobel. I'm a Vietnam vet and the training we received at Paris Island was brutal to say the least, but was a necessary preparation for what was to come. As I look back at my time at Paris Island I more understand why the drill instructors made us do the things they did. After boot camp in 1969 I knew I was headed for Vietnam. Thank God I survived. I just hate the tragic end of Capt. Sobel. His toughness saved lives in WWII. Cheers from eastern TN
Thank you for your service. I often think that I would not exist if my grandpa had died at Bastogne. Papa said it was the scariest time he spent there.
I believe one of my favorite fictional characters put it best "I know they only yell at us so we come back in one piece"
Semper Fi
12/5 brother, I'm also a jarhead but the Hollywood kind. I felt it was basically imperative for the recruits to hate the DIs, but I was 20 in 2001 when I went through boot and understood why they played the games with us they did. There was always a reason they messed with us. Going from a 6'2" 127lbs dumbass to a 175lbs combat effective US Marine in 3 months was the proof. I would have loved and hated to have Cpt Sobel as my OIC, but we all know EllTee is shit at land nav, hahaha
@robomech05 he would have made a right prick of a trainer.
The fact that Captain Sobel died of malnutrition says everything about the real treatment of veterans.
Not just veterans, Cletus. Many patients, veterans or not suffer the same indignities in such facilities.
not necessarily....Malnutrition sounds like abuse, and a terrible death. . But in some cases, it is actually natural. I have seen two elderly relatives die of "natural causes" ...and it included malnutrition.
As the body shuts itself down, the brain loses many functions.For example, the person stops speaking, but can still sometimes communicate with head nods. The part of the brain the causes speaking has stopped functioning. And the same thing happens with eating. The person simply stops eating. We (the family at their bedside) tried to squirt baby food into their mouths, but they refused to open their lips, and refused to swallow. It is a horrible, sad feeling....The part of the brain that feels hunger has stopped functioning. The patient apparently feels no hunger, no pain...but they starve themselves to death.
@@BarryIritusually it happens a lot during hospice, people just stop eating and drinking. I’m still watching the video so I don’t fully know everything yet
@@BarryIrithave seen same with one of my grandmothers, was tough to see her slip away
In the Army we are just a piece of equipment, once we are broken we are then DXd , Surplused
They did a tremendously good job finding actors who looked a lot like the people they were supposed to play.
What a very sad end of his life.
How can you die of 'malnutrition' when you're in a care home ?
That sounds wrong on every level.
We have to remember the time frame he was in a home. Nursing homes werent much better than mental institutions. The people working there were not properly trained. Bitter and even cruel. Mental health in the elderly was not well known so, often times, nurses/attendants/etc would abuse their patients instead of actually caring for them. Withholding food was a common disciplinary practice for patience that "acted up" or refused to do what they were told. That was nursing homes all over up until the 90s and early 00s. Even still happens to this day.
Even worse, the family probably never questioned it with Sobel. It seemed they were relieved his pain and suffering had ended. I think we can all agree his death was questionable.
Glad I watched this. I think most of us know about him from what we saw in the show. We all think of him as an incompetent bully but it appeared that he wasn’t that at all and because of him the 101st Airborne Easy Company was more prepared for the war because of his strict rules. My dad served for 26 years in the military and served in the Vietnam War overseas and he watched his best friend get k*lled during the war. I think because of that he never wanted to talk about what I did for work as a paramedic. He had a weak stomach for that. I think he was very traumatized seeing his best friend end up with his head decapitated after their plane was shot down.
Thank you for telling us who he truly was and that many members of Easy Company did have nice things to say about him. It’s a shame what happened in the last 20 years of his life. No one should have to endure that. RIP Col Sobel!
He was a j** - so of course he was an incompetent bully.
If anyone thinks of him as a bully then they do not understand military training all that well. Sure he was probably a bit harsher but you need to remember para troopers were dropped behind enemy lines usually surrounded by the enemies. Keeping them in a state where a lack of mental preparedness and complacency can kill you, he wanted to Eliminate Complacency. An incompetent leader sure... not a an incompetent trainer. I am not going to say he was a bully but there is a good quote from a book that sums him up "He's a right prick of a trainer, and that is a compliment" and as Sun Tsu and Patton said "The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war" And I know you understand him better but the honest truth more people should understand this better before they criticize someone's character.
@@ZazairS7N He was a jew. Their religion teaches them that they are special and that non-jews are like animals. We're not talking about discipline. He was an asshole. Read what soldiers said about him.
@ it makes sense. I went to basic training at Lackland AFB over 20 years ago and it was during the summer months and none of us knew what was about to happen, 9/11. I actually had to get out due to a medical reason that I never knew that I had but after 9/11 I decided to go back to school to become a paramedic and then later as a respiratory therapist. During my time as a medic I was also diagnosed with celiac disease which is probably why I struggled so much in basic training especially with me being anemic a lot. The food I was eating in basic training was actually poison because most of it had gluten in it and most people thought that celiac disease was rare but it’s actually not. A few years ago I was diagnosed with a lot more conditions that landed me hospitalized a lot especially some years I was admitted 7-9 times and I didn’t know that I had POTS and CVID among a lot of other conditions. POTS isn’t rare but CVID is only about 3 in 100,000 people have it and there are no cures and the only treatment is IVIG that I get every 4 weeks to increase my immune system to help me fight infections. If I could have stayed in I wanted to do the full 20 years like my dad!
So much of military service is difficult to explain, and even more difficult is how a man's character is permanently remembered through mere months of his interactions with others. Humans change, it's a part of growing up and learning.
Thank you for acknowledging that CPT Sobel was a human being with this video.
Yes he was a human being for his family but not for the cadets.
He should be remembered as the scumbag he was.
There was a kid TDY at my unit once who was so scially inept, arrogant, incompetent, and unaware of the effect of his attitude on the others, that it physically hurt to watch. He was temporary duty at my land unit while he waited for his ship to pull in to port -- a ship I had just left a few months before, and was literally in the same division as this guy was heading to. I had been on that boat a few years, and knew how rough it was gonna be for this kid with that attitude, and tried to take him under my wing.
After a week, he had alienated every junior enlisted member of our land unit.
After two weeks, he had pissed off every NCO at that unit, and those NCOs told every NCO at every unit in the area, about how much they disliked this kid, and they warned them not to trust him with any kind of meaningful task.
Within a three or four weeks, his boat was back in town, and his life became living hell --
All because of the reputation this arrogant and incompetent kid had gained at a small land unit he wasn't even stationed at.
He was not a bad guy -- he just rubbed people the wrong way, and even tje nicest NCOs just hated his guts because of it.
I have no clue what happened to him later -- but he really crapped the bed with that initial character display.
The military is unforgiving and resentful like nothing else I've seen.
"Respect is lost in buckets, and earned in droplets."
As a fan of Band of Brothers, a novice historian of World War II and a former U.S. Air Force veteran, I highly commend the excellent job you have done filling in the blanks about what happened to Captain Herbert Sobel after the war. It is sad that Hollywood would present such a fine and honorable man in such a dim light. But now we have a truth-telling in this video production about this man to warm our hearts and give credit where credit is due. Now we know the kind of man and leader Captain Sobel really was. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and the legacy created by the men of Easy Company which was addressed to his son long after the war. Rest in peace, Sir.
I'm proud to be a VA employee and for the care that our nation's heroes receive from the VA. I am a fan of Band of Brothers, but I also know the real story of Sobel. He'll always be honored for his Service to our country.
Thank you for your service Captain. Your contributions were meaningful and impactful. May you rest in peace.
So sad. Thanks for doing the research on this. Sobel deserved better.
It is easy to do your own research on Sobel. I did and I find very little to really like about him. But his time in the Army turned out to give him serious PTSD. It is sad, for sure.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! fu
Sobel didn't deserve jack-sh/t.
@@Richard-f7q He was the epitome of a power hungry little tyrant . He was probably making people in the battalion, company rather, a place to torment and abuse others because he was a kid nobody liked. NCO`s don`t risk Courts Martial and execution for no good reason. He could NEVER have led under the fog of war. I know what it feels like, sounds and smells like, and it is hard for the toughest ,smartest C.O.`s to get through one firefight.
🇬🇧 A sympathetic portrayal of a man who felt betrayed and let down by those who could have appreciated him during his tenure with easy company. I found it touching that his men in later life appreciated his efforts in maturing his recruits and preparing them for their later travails. This was very welcome in a sort of strange way. WW2 contributed to the many stories of men who fought and fought hard.
Thank you for setting the record straight. Captain Sobel deserves that.
Agreed !
if sobel had stayed co of easy co. and then survived the jump his men would have killed him one night after the jump. this is based off this video not the hbo series. if you are gonna be a dick to your men you need to have it together and he didn't. in hind sight sobels commanders failed him early on and should have put him as a training officer earl on.
@@nonna8025
I do agree about it being a regrettable mistake not having made him a « short, sharp, shock » chief instructor for trainees.
@@nonna8025I wonder what people say about you
@@jamessampson964. Ad hominem arguments are ineffective, and reveal an inability to argue one’s position using logic, facts, and the truth, for instance.
I was blown away by this video! So will definitely was demonized in Band of Brothers. Makes you realize that everything you watch is it necessarily accurate. I'm glad he got to share his family for a while but what a tragedy is ending is. Rest in peace Captain Sobel.🙏⚘️
How about the treatment of the LT that got Winters job? That guy won a couple medals but BOB (which I love) treated him very badly in it's depiction of his actions.
@@anthonyburnam3415 LT. Dikeman?
@anthonyburnam3415 yeah if you talking about Dyke it seems that he went on to win what like a silver star or at least a bronze star in some other actions? I think he's simply froze in what may have been his first leadership role taking that attack into Foy. I have no earthly clue what I would have done, so I cannot judge the man. But you're right, Band of Brothers treated him like a doormat. Like the devil. Shame on them, and really I like Ambrose but I'm really torn on his depiction in his book.
@@Jakal-pw8yq Wow! I didn't know that either.
And Honestly I just made the assumption that both of those characters were either fictionalized or at the very least their names were to protect the real person's identity. But apparently I was wrong on both accounts and that is definitely surprising to hear that Ambrose would do that. I've always liked him also and it seems out of character. He should fix this.
He dishonored two men two men that I IMO didn't deserve it either way. Even if neither character had a redeemable quality what is portrayed in the movie they didn't deserve to be demonized. None of us know how we would conduct ourselves in similar situations.
Thanks for this video, I'm happy to know that Lt. Sobel was not the jackass portraited in the book and series. At the same time I feel sad of the treatment veterans get when they need it most. Rest in peace, Lt. Colonel Herbert Sobel.
All of these men are hero's! The ones who trained and excellent fighting force an those who fought with everything they had! God bless them all
Excellent video! Very appropriate for Cpt. Sobel, and his descendants. Even though his spirit has passed on, to be remembered well, is sometimes the best we as individuals can hope for after we are gone from this life.
I've been trained by tough men and I've been the tough trainer of men and women. Having trainees eat and run immediately thereafter would not have been permitted in my time; however, there are numerous ways to train military personnel without using despicable tactics. Having said that, the Germans and Japanese were not messing around and so I believe what the survivors said about Sobel and being somewhat appreciative of his tactics. I am sad to learn of his suicide attempt and his awful death. May his soul rest in peace and his memory be a blessing. My dad was a POW in WWII and came home to raise a family. I'm sure his time in the Army was difficult and yet he survived. I miss you dad.
I was working as an event bartender during the premier of band of brothers in a hanger at Boeing fiele , Seattle , and one of the members of easy came out of the theater and came straight to the bar I had set up and asked if I had any whiskey. O said yes and began pouring out a shot in a tumbler glass . He put his finger on the neck of the bottle and did not remove it until the glass was completely full and said,"I'll be right back" . All I could say was "yes sir" because I was watching the film too .
When I originally watched that series, I absolutely despised him. Thank you for sharing this, as a marine veteran of the 90s, my heart is absolutely broken for him.
You can’t base feelings or ideas about historical figures, obscure historical figures, on fucking hollywood
Noble of you to say this and I get it. I am retired Infantry and man, I had to be mean as hell sometimes, but my men respected me and when the bullet hit the road, they humbling understood and had my back big time. No idea what you are doing and where you are, but accept my respect Marine. From a former us Army Paratrooper with 10 tours.
@@jackwalker9492 thank you for saying that, sir. I know exactly what you’re talking about. I was a corporal, and I had to be rough sometimes, but it was for the benefit of my men. you couldn’t pay me enough money to jump out of an airplane, I will storm a beach any day😂😂😂.
@@matteng2332 Salute. I believe it is 50/50. A Corporal in the US marines is like a mid-level NCO in (my beloved) US Army. From Bogota, Colombia. Still too stupid to stop LOL. Thank you and may God Bless You.
Thank you very much for this. I like many had the wrong impression of Capt. Sobel. This was very informative and eye opening. And very sad later in his life. Rest easy (Lt. Col. Sobel! 👍🫡 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Awesome video. Thank you for the time spent on your research and telling of his story.
I’ve been in the Active Duty Air Force for over 19 years now, and I can tell you that a natural-born leader is a rarity. Sobel’s dedication to his command cannot be denied, and it’s good to see things get settled that there was much more to this man than was portrayed in the series.
It is very common for troops to dislike their commanders, and that is due largely in part to the troops not understanding the purpose behind the commander’s leadership style, with particular regard to training. Being a leader is not easy to say the least, and it is a lonely position to be in.
I spent a short time training to be a nursing fixer in the Royal Navy at Dartmouth England. I was somewhat of an oddity from the start going in as a lieutenant with 7 years awarded seniority on account of my needed specialist skills, I was 36 years old. I found it very difficult to undertake orders that were given purely for their sake, I did not defy them but it became increasingly clear that there are officers who are pretty clueless and would probably get you killed if in the thick of it. I decided this was not for me, but what you said about good leadership and earning respect are 2 highly required requisites in my opinion, I came away feeling that the officer classes were full of people who have never experienced anything outside of total institutions as often they came from families of service personnel and this provided most of the fodder for officer training, this bothers me as they cannot think outside the box as they have very rarely been required to do so.
I was just Infantry and a pararooper Qball. You USAF guys saved alot of lives and you forever have my respect and gratitude.
His research is made up. there are plenty of interviews with his men that say Sobel really was an asshole. i want this guy to show his sources
I'm in Taccoa, I spent a great deal of my youth here, deer hunting in the Camp Taccoa wildlife management area. I had no idea of the history, I'm a history grad from a southern military college, until I saw the series. I'd seen some of the barracks around town but didn't recognize them for what they were . I was familiar with WW2 construction from my very younger years in Tampa, where I lived with my step-dad who was a P-51 pilot during the war, and we often went to MacDill Airforce Base (SOCOM) Where I live on my sailboat which was heavily damaged by hurricane Milton a couple weeks ago. I visited Camp Taccoa last week and drove up Currahee thinking about those men. CURRAHEE !!!! Capt.Bob, SV (Sailing Vessel) 27th Chance, Tampa Fl, USA 🇺🇸
I think he was an imperfect man who did the best he knew how. And sometimes that did not go over well with others. But I think he’s paid for whatever shortcomings he had in his life.
Thanks for helping everyone see the whole person.
Agree no one is perfect.
Sobel was the Hartman on Full Metal Jacket. He was tough but he taught them well. I think Sobel was a badass.
Whatever unpleasant personal characteristics Sobel displayed in training, in no way justifies the personal hell Sobel endured for the last 17 years of his life.
I will remember that series differently now. Thanks for your short documentary.
After watching the video and reading most of the comments, I realized that there will always be different perceptions of the same situation. Based on my 4 years of service in an infantry battalion here in Brazil, 30 years ago, I have formed an opinion on the subject. As a BoB fan, I compare the series to my experience at the time. There were tough officers who were "hated" and other tough ones who were "loved".
But what made them so different from each other?
The answer is that the "hated" tough ones demanded a lot from the troops to earn merits only in front of their superiors (i.e., self-esteem boosting) and not to earn the respect of the team by example. This situation could easily be felt!
I think, (better to say perhaps, because I was not there at the time), that this was the reason why Easy Company did not respect Captain Sobel, perhaps for the same reason I experienced during my time in the barracks!
Sound of Brothers is in my top three favorite world war II movies/miniseries. Thank you so much for this in-depth look truly a war hero if anything else through his training of some of the best veterans of world war II and that can never be taken away
RIP
Herbert Sobel
(1912-1987)
Thank you for this historical rectification.
Spot on, mate 👍🏻
I had great respect for my demanding sargent instructor in the RM cadets as a young man.
PS : Great topic for a channel. You have a new subscriber (plus you narrate well).
Thank you telling this brave man’s story.
Dood, it's an AI bot reading to you.
@@dilligaf0220The AI bot didn’t write this story. 😂
I (like most others) really enjoyed Band Of Brothers. Some of the obvious historical mistakes made in the series were seriously confusing. Why did they knowingly do or say that when it wasn't accurate? Example was the solder who was shot in the neck and they said died when he didn't. In regards to Sobel, the writers certainly sided with Dick Winters view and hatred of him and villainized him too far. To me, it's sad that "historians" take liberty with the facts or truth when writing their books. I think as readers we have to understand what's stated isn't always 100% accurate. I think with Sobel somewhere between what Winters said about him and the others solders said about him lies the truth. All those solders in E company are now deceased. What's great for them and their families is that their bravery and history isn't forgotten.
Great mini documentary! I love Band of Brothers but always thought the portrayal of Sibelius seemed a bit cartoonish, and it seems it was. But it’s also true, if he couldn’t read a map well or make good battlefield decisions, he would have gotten many men, needlessly, killed.
Years ago, I read a short account about Sobel after the war. Can't remember the name of the book now. It stated that Sobel committed suicide. I never knew that he survived the suicide attempt. Thanks for keeping the record straight.
The casting director needs an award.
Seriously, are we sure David shwimmer isn’t his son lol
@@michaelmichaels795 All the actors bear a good resemblance to the soldiers they portray, its uncanny.
I was thinking the same thing.
IMHO, the antagonism between Sobel and his men helped in cementing the bond among the men of the Easy Company. Winters was the soothing balm against the pain that was Sobel. Unwittingly, Sobel was the reason why the men of Easy Company would do whatever Winters asked of them. Suffice it to say that, had it not been for the collective animosity they have for Sobel, the men of Easy wouldn't have bonded in the way they did which greatly helped them in the War.
“Everybody got the right to be wrong, just not to each other,”
-Sgt William ‘Rock’ Gilpin 82nd Abn Div. 1/504.
Half a century ago back in ‘74.
Thank you for shedding light on this part of history
Wonderful recounting. I think you did Mr. Sobbel justice.
Real life is so much more nuanced.
I knew it!
I just knew it!!
He IS a proto typical, to the way men are trained and hardened in this age.
Much love should be afforded to this man who trained, and even loved his men enough to understand the terrible trials that combat brings; and that he absolutely needed to push them all to the edges of their endurance and ability to tollerate himself. The enemy has even less tolerance for their enemy, and by hardening them, he was saving their lives by training resolve into them.
I Salute This Forger of Warriors.
Thank you for this short film. I have watched the BOB mini series many times and thought poorly of Captain Sobel. I no longer think of him that way. He was an honorable soldier who deserved respect.
No, other interviews of those who served with him all testified Sobel was a terrible officer. It was a blessing he wasn't allowed to serve in combat as he would have gotten many good men killed and he would have been fragged.
@@bubbajones4522 just like in the video, they may have asked those who hated him, they will obviously portray him as a universally hated man. You can see that other officers liked and respected him.
@@inasatok His own family abandoned him and left him to die of starvation. He also didn't have a memorial service and was cremated. No one liked this guy because he wasn't a good person.
An excellent video which gives a full depiction of Captain Sobel rather than the one sided view shown in Band Of Brothers , He was a complicated person but there was more than one side to his character & as a Training Officer he did all he could possibly do to forge a fighting unit from a group of civilians & he did this with great success. I believe Sobel like other Training Officers would have been far from alone in being hated by the men he was responsible for in this role. I feel sorry for him & think the Series did him an injustice .
Thank you very much for all of your thorough research. This was an excellent video. Truly informative.
Well done making this vid. It sounds like there was more to the man than was portrayed in the series.
I feel so sad that a man who contributed to winning the war had so much tragedy at the end; flawed as he was, he devoted himself to doing the best he could when the world needed people to stand up.. Respect to Capt Sobel.
Sometimes the real story is way more interesting and dramatic than the “Hollywood drama “that is designed for entertainment.
I served from 1986 till 2006. I was an enlisted soldier. I worked in aviation in the beginning and branched out as rank increased. I served in Iraq, Bosnia, Honduras, and South Korea. Because of my military life, all things concerning America and its wars are of interest to me. It was not unheard of for myself to have to deal with those of higher rank that for their own reasons, just did not like me. It happens. But that experience should not be used as an example of the entirety of a man. We have our "military life" and then the parts that are not of our military life. Sobel was a good if not great "training" officer. That is something he had every right to be proud of, and it should have been enough. I am sorry to hear that the latter half of his life was less than it could have been. Letting go, is a skill that is not taught. I have feelings and memories that I wish I do not have. I think we all do. It is important that military men find something outside the military to care about. Something besides family. I have no family. Family wasn't enough for Sobel. To my military brothers I can only say, find a way to enjoy surviving. Find something that will make you smile.
👍👍👍👍
@@HughButler-lb6zs Greetings! I served in Honduras in 1990 as MEDEL XO. Were you in the aviation battalion? We are few and far between, especially with the passage of 34 years!
What a great break-down and correction of the story. Thank you for your research and for sharing the factual truth. 🙏R.I.P. Captain Sobel ❤
Sad. I was sympathetic to Sobel while watching the HBO series. As a veteran of several conflicts, I knew leaders like Capt Sobal, and while not liked, we could always see the benefit of leadership like Capt Sobal.
I mean did he really need to fill them up with spaghetti and then make them run up Currahee? That seemed needlessly cruel.
That was a sad end . May he rest in peace .
The general consensus in Band of Brothers and Beyond Band of Brothers (the books) is that he was both the best and worst thing to happen to the unit.
When I watched the show, I found the tragic character Sobel depressing. Not everyone is cut out for the role that life puts you in. It's just a story, I thought. I had no idea it was real and even more tragic in real life. At least he had a wonderful time with his wife instead of dying on D-Day.
Never trust a modern film/drama for historical accuracy. Film makers never let facts spoil a good story (or good box office).
I just wish they kept fiction and fact firmly apart in separate films/dramas.
This is Sooo Sad, but thank you For this. I wish Sobel was more involved in his church, which I believe could've helped. But he chose Not to. Reminds me of the Captain of the Indianapolis, who sadly committed suicide.
I think Easy company was lucky to have the finest training commander, and then the finest leader at the actual battles. Thanks for the info.
A very complex character. Certainly no coward. A terrible slow end.
Good to know!😊 Sorry for his long loss to his family. 😢
The rifle is sacred for a soldier, no excuses for bad maintenance.
Excellent research and commentary.
In the series, 'Nixon' noted Sobel's motivational impact, it hinted at the things stated in this video. Loved the series, thanks for setting the record straight.
My Dad, a WW2 veteran from Chicago at 19, once said to me that he felt like the drill sergeants in North Carolina hated the recruits from the Midwest more than the Axis powers. 😂 Ironically, they taught him the skills needed to stay alive in the Pacific theater for 4 years and survive the war.
Thank you for this. You've done an admirable job giving this officer's memory some small measure of justice..
Glad I watched this, sad to see sobels life spiral down. Mad respect for the man and our veterans.
From my experiences as a veteran, it is training officers like him that moulds the best out of everyone of us. Its a love hate relationship if i may say. At the end of the day, its these bollocks from such officers that kept a lot of us alive.
A balance and true justice with honest clarity for Col. Sobel. God bless & enrich his kind!🙏
I feel Rommel's quote fits here. "Sweat saves blood, blood saves lives, but brains saves both."
That is just crazy how much the actor resembles him. He’s the perfect person to play sobel
I didn't think Sobel was a tyrant. He was training soldiers for war, and he made Easy Company what they were. It's so sad that Sobel never got over losing Easy Company, and had a lonely death. Thank you for this video. I am a HUGE "Band of Brothers" fan.
I feel sorry for him for his end but in the book he's not just hard, he's unfair and mistreats the men, but at least he gets credit from everyone for preparing them
He would have them, landing, in the tundra, north of Alaska,,fighting, musk, ox, & marmots
Sad end for this man. This story should have been including at the end. Rest in Peace.
Thank You for bring out the Total Truth about Capt. Sobel! I am a U.S. Army and Marine Corps veteran. From what I saw in the movie I could understand why Captain Sobel was as strick as he was! As veterans WE ALL KNOW THAT an INSPECTION WAS JUST THAT and just the SLIGHTEST THING like RUST met TROUBLE and on the battlefield Rust in the wrong place could cause a jam / malfunction which in return could cause the death of a buddy and / or even yourself! I am not so sure he would have been a great Leader under fire but as a training officer he was tops!! Easy company was ready for battle, VERY WELL TRAINED! Capt Sobel DESERVED BETTER!!
REST IN PEACE, Sir!! 25:24
Very interesting and informative. It does shed a different light on him than the book/series.
Wow. What a great video. There’s always a deeper story when it comes to the “bad guy”.
Band of Brothers according to Hollywood. I had read a long time ago about Easy Co. and it's men. It didn't make sense that such a discipline bunch could come from a shit bird of a CO, and it has been my experience during my USMC days that a great CO makes great Marines. Glad you posted this, the world is seeing that Winters had great men to work with because of their first CO.
Any good leader of men knows, it’s not a popularity contest. Sounds like Sobels understood that part. But a good leader must also earn the respect of his men. You can’t do that by picking on people in public. Management 101 teaches that.
I was always taught "praise in public, punish in private". Don't belittle your men in front of the others. It doesn't earn respect, it breeds resentment.
Despite your defense it’s clear to me that although a great training officer, Sobel would have gotten his men unnecessarily killed in action. That’s the main point.
Pure speculation, which military men don't operate from.
Every company has its own Sobel.
my friend, the late Col Shames said Band of Brothers wasn't fair to Sobel, Sobel was a hard ass but to a man, they credit him to their survival. his son came to a reunion and said he had been scared to attend reunion because he thought themen hated his father. Guarnere and others said no, while he wasn't our favorite person, but if he wasn't as hard on us as he was, we wouldn't have survived.
Some people remain unlucky no matter what he does!! 😢
There are a lot of good men out there that have gone to their graves without the truth being told.
It has take me most of my life to figure out that my dad was not the "Ogre" that was portrayed. I now understand why he was portrayed as a nasty "little man"
Real happy the truth was told about Sobel. May the poor soul rest in peace
I served 24 years, and the most challenging people I worked for were the ones who made me good at my job, and I accomplished more. And it is those times of which I'm most proud.
"Sobel! Captain Sobel! We salute the rank, not the man." *
Sobel then salutes his OIC ,Winters, sitting in a jeep.
The very least of those men are far better men than 95% of men today. Even if Sobel was everything they say he was, he, and all the other men who served in that war will always have my undying respect and admiration. Now that WW2 has passed from living memory, it is of utmost importance that we carry on their memory and never forget their courage and sacrifice. Every man a real hero.
A story worth telling, I have to say I felt sorry for Herbert Sobel when I heard of his problems, he played his part in shaping Easy Company and it is such a tragedy that he couldn't handle life after his time with them. I know a little about mental health and it seems Captain Sobel could have done with a few friends and some kind of support and understanding. I am glad there was some reconciliation with the family much later on. It goes to show there are always at least two sides to every story, thanks.
Did the same to Hook out of Zulu. Dude was a hero and the movie made him out to be a someone he wasn't.
One of the reasons why I would love to see a remake of Zulu with more historical accuracy towards the characters involved. But don't get me wrong, I still love watching Zulu.
Thanks so much, for giving other side of the story
At bootcamp here in Norway we had a Fenrik ... (I suppose that is one star officer not sure what that is in usa or so), anyway he was the leader of our platoon and we was to have him for 1 month of the 3 we where doing. EVERY F... day he made us stand out in the cold waiting while they did the inspection and every day we had to clean the room over again... so we got shorter lunch because we had to clean the room again, it happend every day for the whole month. After a month it was the next platoon and yep it happend then too, every day for the whole month they had to clean their room over again. While we who had a seargent to lead us now did not need to clean our room twice a day.
This guy definitly was hated among us troops.... even one day on a manouver he was to inspect our foxholes and it was hard to dig (january or february in Norway) and I remember when he left my hole to inspect those next to me... I heard "Who's there!!" from the soldiers there, then it was answered "Fenrik Trettenes" and it was abit silence and you could hear ... "Ikke helvete heller!! - best translated to No fucking way" and they shot him with the guns (they where using blanks) ... yep he was that hated.
In the US a gold bar is a 2nd lieutenant and the silver one bar is a first lieutenant. In the US we have ranks where it can be 1, 2, 3, or 4 stars and during active major conflicts there may be a 5 star rank which is the general of the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Army but again that’s only during certain times of a major war. 1 star is a brigadier general, 2 star is a major general, 3 star is a lieutenant general, and 4 star is a full general. Fenrik I had to look up because I’m not familiar with the ranks with Norway and it’s a 2nd lieutenant
@@debrakleid5752 Thanks .. yes that seems to be right 🙂 Fenrik is between sergeant and lieutenant in the ranks, to be honest not even sure its being used anymore.
@@arcticblue248 Sounds more along the lines of a Warrant Officer in the British military. Not an officer but not a normal NCO either. Kind of somewhere in the middle.
@@debrakleid5752 but it isn't gold colored but more like brass. I'm pretty sure but I was never in any military.
@@alganhar1....yes, a type of god.
i was in the military and if you were despised then the training was worthless... if you felt you gained something from the strict training then the trainer is always respected. I had a strict 1st Seargeant but with his strictness he showed the wisdom of it and we appreciated him. If Sobel was not respected then there was a reason for it. Thanks for your opinion, but here's mine.
They commercialized the story for better profit. Fortunately, the family did not sue them. Credit for stating the other side of the real story. Rest in peace, Capt Sobel (LtCol-retired)
The thing about real life is that the closer you look, the more complex it gets. Americans, in particular, want simple answers to complex questions.
Storytelling of any sort, even excellent storytelling, requires compromises. If Sobel was somewhat unfairly portrayed, Ambrose was working with what he was told by the BOB veterans, a need to hook viewers in during the first episode and more pressing business to tend to.
Somebody or something will always get slighted in any story told. I think the real damage to Sobel was self-inflicted when he decided to screw with Winters. The ultimate tragedy is both Sobel's death spiral and the feeling all of us have that we missed something here.
He may not have been the best tactician and or had the leadership qualities of Winters, but I have to give him credit for getting thse 4 lost paratroopers together, destroying a machine gun nest (I'm sure there were other battles along the way to Carentan as well) and leading the 4 paratroopers to safety.
He made mistakes for sure, but also hardened the men of easy company to get through the war. The transition from Sobel to Winters was inadvertently perfect. Sobel was the hard ass that built the necessary toughness. Winters refined them and harnessed their potential.
Even with how Captain Sobel was portrayed in BOB, I still found great admiration for the man and can appreciate how hard training pays its dividends later.
It breaks my heart that Soebel's life ended so tragically. Although he didn't lead Easy company in combat.l, every man has his strength and his was training. It was his training that no doubt saved lives of members of easy company during their campaign. World War II veterans have a special place in my heart for their sacrifices to protect my freedom.
Thank you for this video and expanding on Soblel’ life. I learned a lot.
I've watched BoB at least 3 times now. My views on Sobel and his betrayal are now forever changed. Sure, he could be a bastard but look at how the men are treated in boot camp in Full Metal Jacket. The military, especially one's introduction to and first moments of military life are no place for the "kid gloves" treatment. In order to survive hell I firmly believe one must first go through hell or worse. Sure, Sobel had his deficiencies. At times he was downright inept. But in the long run I believe he saved more lives than he destroyed. And that's where the focus should be. His end was a tragic one. Sad and very telling of how we mistreat those we owe the most to. Easy Company was full of heroes. I salute them all.
Thankyou for sharing this story.
I love the band of brothers series. Zobel was an important character in the series and he is depicted as a brutal trainer of the to-be soldiers, wich he surely was. When he took upon himself that role, he must have known, that he would be hated by the men. One of his priorities was, not to befriend the men. It is however sad, that while he was instrumental in hardening the men, he got no respect from them, while Winters, who himself did not hsve to be hard on the men, got all the respect. At the same tome Zobel had to witness that the respect went to the very man in the company he disliked or rather envied. I believe that would have been very hard for Zobel to acknowledge. Apparently he wasnet able to appriciate that some of the men like Winters, that he trained, became a better soldier than himself. I think thats a failure of Zobel as a trainer. And to add to the pain, He had to realize that Winters actually turned into, a genuine warrier and the best leader of the men, that he himself would never have been able to become since he just did not have those qualities himself
Thank you for this true reflection of the life and character of Captain Sobel, I must admit that after reading the book/watching the series I was convinced that he was anything other than an imaginary character based upon an imaginary officer. Though by being a veteran myself I am well aware that there are such ''nasty'' persons in places of authority in all organisations such as the military/boarding schools, though not many...thank God.
Reading the article has left me with a deep feeling of injustice that he was unjustly portrayed in the series. To my mind this detracts from my previous admiration for such a splendid series but of course it will not stop me from reviewing the series, though this time around I shall feel respect rather than contempt for the man.
my problem with BoB is that they pissed on some guys who volunteered to give their lives. yes, they were imperfect. but they put their lives on the line. Did Hanks? No. Did Spielberg? No. Did Ambrose? No.
Idiotic comment.
@@karmpuscookie wow that hurts, karmpuscookie. 🤣