BAND OF BROTHERS EP 1 *Currahee* - FIRST TIME WATCHING REACTION

[@TreyBlythe]

This is, in my opinion, the best ten hours of television ever produced.

[@oddish3022]

frfr

[@GrumpyOldGuyPlaysGames]

Absolutely

[@SmoggyFroggy]

I agree, it is a masterpiece.

[@markgrace7181]

Never watched any series or any movie as much as I have this one! You are so right!

[@davidbennett1357]

I agree 1000 percent. I have seen it many times and ANY time I see a reactor that I enjoy begin the journey, I get very happy!

[@Pachyzookeeper]

All the black on their faces is because they were dropping in at night, it helps keep reflections of your skin especially if sweating in the moonlight or searchlights

[@znk0r]

But they had cammo paint, do you have a source for that?

[@cyanide7270]

@@znk0r My dude, that IS the camo face paint.

[@znk0r]

@Pachyzookeeper wait...replied to the wrong post, wanted to reply to the one about burning wine cork or something.

[@zedwpd]

@@znk0r you can delete comments

[@DewayneGore]

Glad you started this series. As a US Army Veteran myself, it makes me proud to see younger people learning about the sacrifices made by these brave men.

[@Tooobuhz18]

I feel like it's important to remember that Lt. Winters is only 26 years old here. All of these men are so young

[@SmoggyFroggy]

The man who replaced Captain Sobel was 1st Lieutenant Thomas Meehan III, he was to lead the entire company into battle at D-Day at just 1 month into being 22-years-old, but his plane was shot down by enemy flak before anyone could jump out and was later found by Easy Company crashed on the ground without any survivors; he had handed a note out the door of the ill-fated plane as he entered to send to his wife of 2 years which she got with the news of his passing, the note said he was not scared to go into battle but misses her and wishes to be with her. You can actually read the letter he sent her online. It is quite incredible and tragic that the men leading the charge into battle were so young.

[@bernardsalvatore1929]

I subscribed because you are reacting to THIS particular series!! Wanted to throw my two cents into the mix!! YES the gentlemen that you see interviewed at the beginning of just about every episode are indeed the survivors of E/EASY company!! Just some quick details to give you some context!! The men that we will follow in this series belong to EASY company, of the second battalion of the 506th PIR (parachute infantry regimen) of the 101st Airborne division!! The fictitious character of Private Ryan from Saving Private Ryan was ALSO in the 506th regimen but he identifies himself as being from the FIRST battalion!!!😮😮 So, in essence, basically the same exact training AND experience that you see THESE men go through in the first couple of episodes are the SAME kind of experience that Ryan would have faced!! The very beginning AND end of this first episode show the 101st getting ready to drop behind enemy lines in the early morning hours of June 6th 1944/D-DAY!! THEIR job, as it was explained in the episode, was to take out specific targets and disrupt the enemy before the initial main invasion forces would land on the beaches!! I'm glad that you realized that these are real experiences that were lived through by REAL men!! Men that spoke of these things very rarely and the ONLY reason that they are even collected at this point was because of Stephen Ambrose and his desire to interview the survivors!! His book Band of Brothers was the basis for this series!! There are some inaccuracies and some artistic license taken BUT pretty much 98% of what you see is actually what happened!!! I hope you enjoy it as much as you can enjoy something like this BUT it IS important to learn this kind of History so that you can pass it down and show it to your own children!!! ❤❤❤❤

[@brandondano1995]

Oh man, you're in for a wild ride... One of those shows that can have you laughing one second and in tears the next. Truly 10 of the best episodes of television ever produced and aired.

[@ExUSSailor]

This is the history of E Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division.

[@amtrak7394]

Just a quick FYI about military promotions... by the time a new rank is bestowed upon an enlisted trooper or a commissioned officer, there has already been tons of paperwork filed and approved at the Department of Defense level for that promotion. So Winter's promotion to First Lieutenant had already been approved by Colonel Sink and everyone else necessary up the chain of command through the Pentagon and the Pentagon had approved the promotion, issuing orders to that effect. Presenting the new rank to Winters was more or less a formality. If Soebel had not given Winters his new rank, Soebel would've been answering a lot of unpleasant questions to at least Colonel Sink and the 101st Airborne Division Commander. That would not have gone well for Soebel at all. So even though Soebel may not have wanted to give Winters his new rank, he ultimately had no choice because if Colonel Sink had discovered Winters not wearing new, approved rank, it would've been Soebel's ass on the line for disobeying direct orders to promote Winters. Orders that would've been in writing from Washington, giving Soebel zero defense in withholding Winters's approved promotion. Also, I happen to be a former paratrooper myself (82nd Airborne). Jump (Airborne) school is three weeks long. During the final week you make five jumps from an actual aircraft. Back when I went through the school (1991), two of them were basic jumps (main parachute and reserve chute only) and three of them were full equipment (main chute, reserve chute, rucksack and rifle). Of those three full equipment jumps, one had to be a mass attack style jump (empty the entire plane in one pass over the drop zone), one had to be at night and they had to be two separate jumps. Back when I was in, a C-130 Hercules held 64 paratroopers while a C-141 Starlifter held 123 paratroopers.

[@philipcoggins9512]

Sorta true. Enlisted promotions to E4 and officer promotions to O2 and O3 in the Army, Navy and Air Force are essentially automatic done at the battalion/unit level. But yes, Winters' promotion had already been approved by Sink, who was the ultimate decision maker at the time, being the regiment's commander. It is not until you reach the higher ranks that promotions will be determined by the Department (Army, Navy, etc.) or Congress, as is for flag ranks.

[@davidbennett1357]

May I ask how many times you jumped from a C141? I'm fairly familiar with airborne operations from a C130 (I mean, as familiar as a civilian can be). That's essentially an entire company exciting an aircraft in short order. An impressive feat of army capability for sure.

[@amtrak7394]

@ Fifteen times including all 5 in jump school. The mass attack one I did in jump school was jump #3. The night jump was jump #5. All others I had outside of jump school were in the C-130.

[@woeshaling6421]

A basic primer for military hierarchy: Privates and corporals are the majority of the fighting soldiers. Sergeants are senior soldiers, they issue direct commands to squads of soldiers and keep them in fighting condition. They are non-commisioned officers. Lieutenants are junior officers who have had tactical and strategic training to manage multiple squads (30+ soldiers). Generally they have college level intelligence. Even though lieutenants are higher in rank to sergeants, they generally have less combat experience than sergeants. Captains are responsible for a company (100+ soldiers) and the higher the rank, the more soldiers they are responsible for. Each rank has subdivisions for particular roles. Nixon for example is a lieutenant S2, which means he is an intelligence officer responsible for the companies scouts and intelligence reports.

[@IllustriousCrocoduck]

Well put. It should be noted by those who are not as familiar with the workings of the military that besides one's paygrade or rank, you can hold a number of collateral duties, like Nixon's position as S2. That's a more formal and important example, but it can range down to any little routine action that someone needs to do, like daily muster, medical record keeping, command fitness leaders. We used to rotate the lesser ones between junior sailors every 6 months or so. Some you go to additional training schools for, or just training courses. Some don't require anything. It all varies by rank and paygrade and position. There is also seniority within paygrades; like here the platoon commanders may all be 1st or 2nd LT at any given time, and often the one who has the most experienced is designated Executive Officer (but not necessarily always). Same with NCOs. When I was an E6 of 6 years, my immediate peers ranged from my length of service up to 18+ years. I probably don't need to explain that our Leading Petty Officer nearing retirement and closer to my dad's age than mine was very much my superior, if not on paper. You'll see stuff like that in this series. Just some thoughts.

[@PaulDear-jb2bu]

You will not be disappointed, it is the best mini series ever made. You will definitely get to know the men, and get to know them very well.

[@neilpaine9063]

A half empty water bottle/ canteen makes more noise than a full one. They're training to operate behind and in close proximity to the enemy. Great reaction, welcome to the BoB fan club

[@justsmashing4628]

Gen Eisenhower cried in his car after seeing off the para's, 80% were expected to die on Day 1

[@jamezguard]

Yeh I didnt know that til I saw the Tom Selleck movie Ike:Countdown To D-Day. Underrated movie

[@charlize1253]

It's the reason why Eisenhower visited the 101st Airborne Division right before the D-Day drop in that famous photo. Airborne was a new concept, the Germans pioneered it during the Blitzkrieg but their Blitzkrieg drops were coupled with ground assaults, not amphibious assaults by sea. The risk of combining airborne drops with sea invasions, like D-Day, is that if the sea assault fails, the airborne troops are basically abandoned on another continent with no hope of rescue (one reason why the Marines never tried airborne assaults on the Pacific islands). It was a high risk concept which is why the planners thought the airborne troops might all just get killed.

[@justsmashing4628]

@@jamezguard never seen it, thanks

[@justsmashing4628]

@@charlize1253 all true

[@davidcorriveau8615]

80% casualties IF NOT HIGHER, was the expectation. If things went seriously FUBAR they could have lost every single paratrooper...and they knew it. There is a reason the man was chain smoking 5+ packs of cigarettes a day during WW2.

[@markpekrul4393]

The final scene with the ships and planes in and over the channel gets me every time - I read it as a message to the people of France, Belgium, Holland and elsewhere - "We're coming". In case you find this helpful (please don't be insulted if you already have this understanding): Easy (E) Company would have had about 145 officers and men at full strength. It consisted of a small HQ section - Lt. Meehan, his Executive Officer, 1st Sergeant William Evans, and a few other soldiers with specific support/administrative duties. It then had 3 platoons, each under a Lieutenant with another Lt. and platoon sergeant assisting. Each platoon had 3 rifle squads, each led by a sergeant and corporal with 10 privates/privates 1st class. Each platoon also had a 6-man mortar team - sergeant, corporal and 4 privates. Mortars are the tubes they plant on the ground, drop in a rocket and fire it off. So, 45 men total per platoon. Easy along with Dog (D) and Fox (F) companies made up the second battalion under Major Robert Strayer ("Who is the idiot who cut that man's fence?!?") assisted by Maj. Oliver Horton. Along with the 1st Battalion and 3rd Battalion, these made up the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment under Colonel Robert Sink. The 506th and a couple other PIRs and some additional units made up the U.S. 101st Airborne Division under the command of General Maxwell Taylor. The first time I saw this, I really didn't understand any of this organizational information. I think it helps better understand some things. Enjoy!

[@Dej24601]

When you finish the series, in addition to the excellent documentary “We Stand Alone Together”, I also recommend the ‘video diary’ shot by Ron Livingston (Nixon) about the 2 week training period the primary cast had before filming began.

[@mikealvarez2322]

BAND OF BROTHERS is about real people involved in real events. Our very way of life we owe to people that are willing to sacrifice everything. Movies entertain, history is real and we should honor the men that made it.

[@mikealvarez2322]

Keep in mind that Airborne troops were something that was very new. The Wright brothers flew their Wright Flyer for the first time only 40 years before. The first major battle executed by paratroopers was in May 1941 in the Battle for Crete. Nazi Germany suffered very high casualties but proved that airborne troops were a valuable weapon in battle. The Russians began training airborne troops back in the early 1930s.

[@baron7755]

2:45 very real, those are the real men, you will learn their names and who played them at the end of the series

[@neon0wl2107]

yes WW2 really happened.

[@baron7755]

@@neon0wl2107 you dont say

[@georgeplimpton9429]

Now you know why these guys earned the title The Greatest Generation!

[@Musicalchores]

... but episode 10 ...

[@gliblyaware]

It's notable that not only were the Paratroopers new to US military action, very few people had actually flown in a plane pre-WWII let alone jumped out of one. These men were heroic and pioneers simultaneously.

[@jeffreywettig5302]

I found it funny that many said it was years and years before they actually Landed in an airplane 😅

[@chuckhilleshiem6596]

I am a combat vet and I have commented about your work before ( ALL GOOD ) As you watch this try to remember that I said this.. The more you get into it the more you are going to feel and speak as if you are part of Easy Co. This is natural and fun to watch. May God bless you

[@explody7836]

This series is heavily based on a book of the same name which was written after extensive interviews with Easy Company veterans. All in all, one of the best television productions ever made.

[@docbearmb]

They carried so much gear with them on their jump because, as paratroopers, they served the extremely valuable role of jumping behind enemy lines. That can really screw up your enemy. But, because the enemy thereby is between E company and the rest of their own forces, they can’t get resupplied. No additional food, ammo, lodging (tents), tools, etc.

[@rayvanhorn1534]

Clicked like immediately. This is not only my favorite series hands down but these men of that Greatest Generation are my heroes. They are of my grandfather & great uncles time. Good commentary. Thank you for taking time to actually put thoughts into it. A lot of names are dropped, really hope you get to know the men. Looking forward to this journey.

[@wgandy9541]

So glad you choose to watch this series! Excellent start. Yes, the men you see interviewed at the beginning of the episode are the real men of Easy Company. Who they are will be revealed in the last episode. Looking forward to the remainder of the series!!!

[@mr.d.8121]

Spoiler!!! It's not a reaction if you know the end.

[@wgandy9541]

@@mr.d.8121 I've given nothing away as to which of the men survive. NOTHING has been spoiled.

[@r_p_m7330]

Sadly all the veterans that took part in this project have passed away over the last 24 years since this aired. This is the greatest miniseries ever made.

[@outspkn123]

there is an unofficial 11th episode called "we stand alone together" it was included in the dvd/bluray box sets and you should definitely watch it as well

[@Dej24601]

About 160,000 Allied troops landed in Normandy on June 6, 1944, during the D-Day invasion. This included troops from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and other Allied nations.

[@emdeeeff]

Oh, jumping out of a plane is super easy. Imagine you're sitting in a plane. You look to your left, and there's an open door. Then you look to your right, and there's a giant spider...

[@johannesvalterdivizzini1523]

Many of the actors in Easy Company are from Great Britain and Ireland. (including Damien Lewis as Winters) They had some really skillful dialect coaching.

[@DougCates-z6v]

Good job! The Black camo face paint is so their faces won't shine at night. I'm an old Marine, we did it with brown ,black and green. There are many books about this operation. You are going to learn a great deal. I subscribed.

[@mikealvarez2322]

The Battle for Monte Cassino was one of the most horrific of the Italian campaigns. The Italian Campaign played a very important role in Nazi Germany's defeat.

[@jvikingj1006]

Another great story of fellowship!

[@keithsimpson6563]

Hey Camilla I just found this channel and I'm loving it. I'm a 56 year old and I have a lot of things and movies some don't know about. Being young.

[@charlesedwards2856]

Some of the actors in this series were just starting out. The biggest name other than David Schwimmer was probably Ron Livingston, who plays Nixon. He had been in the cult hit Office Space with Jennifer Aniston about 3 years prior to this. Other notable actors (role/actor/other work): Compton - Neal McDonough - Walking Tall, Captain America 1, Minority Report, Arrow, Sonic the Hedgehog 1, and more. Guarnere - Frank John Hughes - Bad Boys 1, Catch Me If You Can, 24, etc. Lipton - Donnie Wahlberg - Part of New Kids on the Block in the 80’s, The Sixth Sense, Blue Bloods, etc. Winters - Damian Lewis - Billions, Homeland, Wolf Hall, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, etc. Randleman - Michael Cudlitz - The Negotiator, The Walking Dead, Southland, Superman & Lois, etc. Christensen - Michael Fassbender - X-Men reboot/sequels, 12 Years a Slave, Steve Jobs, Prometheus, etc. Evans - Simon Pegg - Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, the Mission Impossible movies, the new Star Trek movies, etc. Malarkey - Scott Grimes - The Orville, Oppenheimer, Family Guy, the Ted tv show, etc. Most of the other actors in the show have had a bunch of other work, but most as smaller roles or one-off tv appearances. I think Damian Lewis, Simon Pegg, and the Michaels (Cudlitz & Fassbender) have probably had the most prolific careers of the cast, especially over the last decade or so. Pegg may have had the most consistent career out of all of them. He went from a British TV show called Spaced to this, then into Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and into Mission Impossible and Star Trek. He’s done a bunch of stuff, both big budget, but also just fun and goofy stuff that geeks & nerds would like because he grew up as one.

[@fast_richard]

You missed Tom Hardy and James McAvoy, small roles then, big names now.

[@eatgreencrayons]

I love how many cameos are in this series. In this episode alone, we had Simon Pegg, Michael Fassbender, and Stephen Graham (Tommy from Snatch). And of course David Schwimmer. I'm curious to see how many you can recognize over the course of the series.

[@Robmcil]

Great review. Yes the old men being interviewed at the start of the show are surviving members, (at the time they were film, sadly all the men have now passed) of Easy Company. Good call on your part about Sobel, he was very good at training but was not good in the field. Years later many of the surviving members of Easy Company, including those who tried to resigned their positions credited the hard training they received under Sobel for helping them survive.

[@charlize1253]

In WW2, paratroops were a new concept. The Germans first used it during the Blitzkrieg across Europe, but their drops were coupled with ground assaults, not amphibious assaults by sea. The risk of combining airborne drops with sea invasions, like D-Day, is that if the sea assault fails, the airborne troops are basically abandoned on another continent with no hope of rescue (one reason why the Marines never tried airborne assaults on the Pacific islands). D-Day was a high risk concept and its planners thought that 75-80% of airborne troops might all just get killed.

[@philipcoggins9512]

The German paratroopers had such high casualties invading Crete they never did a large scale drop again.

[@bouncingbone]

Actually it was the Soviet Union who first used parachute infantry in a large scale but parachuting military personnel has been done by the French in WW1

[@YN97WA]

Great reaction, young lady. I applaud your willingness to learn about our greatest generation. This is a great series; there are a few creative liberties taken, but I would say it's 95% true and accurate. The first episode is necessary for context and character introduction. The fireworks start in episode 2. I'm looking forward to it.

[@charlize1253]

Much of the series was filmed in England and a very large cast was needed, so the series became a who's-who of young British actors, including young Michael Fassbender, Simon Pegg, James McAvoy, Tom Hardy, Jimmy Fallon, to name just a few, and what's funny is that they were unknowns at the time so most of their appearances are only seconds long.

[@christophercurtis-71]

Glad to see you watching this. I highly recommend reading the book Band of Brothers, which this series is based on. There have been numerous books by or about the men of Easy Company since this series. I have read two about Richard Winters; as a Veteran myself, he is a leader who was easy to respect. I would have loved to have met him. I had been in the Navy for five years when this series came out and immediately loved it. Most of the actors in this I did not recognize, except for a couple I had seen in movies during my teenage years in the 80's. Another great series by Spielberg and Hanks is The Pacific from 2010. It was about the Marines who served in the Pacific Theater during World War Two. That one hit a little harder and also got to me as I had been to some of the places where fighting took place in the Pacific during my time in the Navy. It was a very humbling experience walking on ground where people fought and died. It made me respect those who served before me even more than I already did.

[@buddystewart2020]

Yeah, this is an outstanding show, this is mainly taken from the book by Stephen Ambrose - Band of Brothers. The majority of the interviews you see during the episodes were done by a lady that I've seen in videos of the 20th Anniversary of the show, which was held at the WWII museum in New Orleans. She had some funny stories to tell about the men. She's pretty good looking so, I think a few of them might have had a little crush on her at the time. All of the men you will see in the interview clips were from Easy Company, some are represented in the show, some are not, but they were all there in real life. Dale Dye, who plays Colonel Sink, was actually in the military. He also ran the actors boot camp to get the actors ready to play the roles they were selected for. The guy that plays Nixon did a video diary of the actors boot camp which you should watch when you finish this. It's pretty damn funny. Also, in real life, Sobel was not well liked by the men, although later, many would admit that his hard training served them well in actual combat. There will be some artistic liberties taken by the show runners in this mini-series. Obviously, time has to be compressed, sometimes they will have a man do something on screen that was done by someone else in real life, mainly because it wouldn't serve the show well to try and have 200 main actors. So, they had to consolidate actions in various places. Also, they do make some mistakes in places. Keep in mind the production of this was done before widespread internet access, it wasn't easy to confirm details of actions. The stories came from the men, as they remembered them, and sometimes, they just made mistakes. But all in all I think they had a deep desire to make the show as accurate as possible.

[@custardflan]

My dad was on a submarine in WW2 for the sole reason it paid double, which he sent back to his single mother in Iowa. Only 3 of 100 were accepted. He dove into a tsunami and saved a flyer. He was 17 when he enlisted. His mother had to go with him to enlist. His high school graduating class had an empty chair for him on stage. His brother, my uncle, was a paratrooper in the 1st Marine Parachiute Regiment and was wounded in New Gujnea.

[@MarcoMM1]

Great reaction Camilla like always, my absulote favourite series. love it! 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. 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. Btw dont forget your tissues on future episodes. Keep up the good work.

[@thetr00per30]

Heck of a choice for your first series. This is simply put the finest miniseries ever produced. What a journey you are about to take on, good luck.

[@bobcharles1204]

NO SPOILERS!

[@houghi3826]

The Germans loose. There. I did it. Sorry, not sorry.

[@miggmon]

@@houghi3826 You really had to?!

[@ytorwoody]

@@houghi3826 "lose"

[@Musicalchores]

Episode 10 is the finale oops spoiler

[@ytorwoody]

@@Musicalchores Why did you have to spoil it for her? Now, there's no reason for her to watch any more episodes. 🙂

[@alextan1478]

Let your Band of Brothers journey begin, Camilla.

[@tomyoung9049]

Great that you chose this. An incredible series. No spoilers, but keep a tissue box close as you go thru the series. The attention to detail is so great.

[@BouillaBased]

Oh, you are in for A RIDE with this series. e: Yes, this is based on real events with real people. Two of them are resting quite near to where I live.

[@jeff-ni5cy]

Yes, The people you see being interviewed are the actual people being portrayed in the show. The big revile is in the last scene of the series.Some of the stories you will see down the line may seem fantastical but the stories are true. You will also see a lot of famous actors when they were young making cameos here, so keep your eyes open.

[@alanmacification]

Saving Private Ryan was fictional with all the usual " beats " of a standard war story. It is heavy in the loss or death of innocence themes. BoB is a true story with no unnecessary preaching. The men have either just finished basic training or are already serving in the Army. They can quit or be washed out at any time up to deployment and return to there original unit. They had 5800 volunteers but only need 1800 men. It was Sobel's job to eliminate 2/3 of theses men. Most would be eliminated by the run up Currahee. They had to run the 6 miles in 50 minutes.

[@houghi3826]

It is a pity we do not see men giving up/ being thrown out.. That would helped making that part clear. Now he looks just like an a.hole, being an a.hole without any reason Also a pity that "Ross" played him, because it is extremely hard to see him not as Ross. (But that might be a me problem.)

[@alanmacification]

@houghi3826 Private " White " is shown quitting.

[@BothanJedi]

Yes, the men at the beginning are some of the real people that are portrayed in this series. Their identities are only revealed at the end of the final episode, but you might be able to guess a few of them before then.

[@triggapplays]

Might be my first comment on this channel but super excited for this! Excellent choice!

[@lynnecurrie7561]

Yay!!! I'm here for this! Amazing series. The first episode premiered on the Sunday before 9-11. So ironic. Great reaction.

[@ytorwoody]

Those planes that carried the paratroops from England to Normandy are C-47s. There were slightly more than 800 of them that went over for the first lift. During the war, there were thousands built. After the war, many were used by civilian companies until they were good only for scrap metal. A few years ago, as one was being prepared to be scrapped, it was discovered to be "That's All Brother". That's All Brother was the actual C-47 that led all of the others to Normandy. Once that was confirmed, the CAF (Commemorative Air Force) purchased it and completely refurbished it back to its configuration on June 6, 1944. That's All Brother can be seen at air shows now. What a remarkable coincidence that it was found almost eighty years after WWII and in time to be restored.

[@Ranadicus]

(Sorry long): This series is based on the 1992 book of the same name by Stephen E. Ambrose which was itself based heavily on interviews with the veterans themselves. Regarding Henry Guarnere, he was actually killed in January but that information didn't reach Bill probably owing to a combination of communication security ahead of the operation and sloppy logistics. He only found out because the wife of his good friend Sergeant John Martin was able to get that letter to her husband. Despite Bill having been best man at his wedding before they both enlisted, Martin was unsure about how to tell him and intentionally switched their jackets. Another thing is this and many other episodes suffer from time crunch and give the appearance of events happening much closer together than they did. The matter of the Winters court-martial and Sobel being reassigned was actually resolved several months before the Normandy invasion and many have suggested it was actually Colonel Sink himself who orchestrated the NCO mutiny in order to get rid of Sobel who couldn't be reassigned easily due to the ongoing court-martial proceedings (perhaps also hinting at Sobel's true motivation). Obviously we'll never know for sure, but the Sergeant who was demoted had his rank restored shortly thereafter and the one who was transferred out of the regiment was actually transferred to the Army Pathfinders (those who jumped ahead of the main body of paratroopers to mark the landing zones with radio beacons).

[@justsmashing4628]

oh wow, Camilla watching the best miniseries ever made, fantastic! 😊

[@steelers6titles]

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile, This day shall gentle his condition: And gentlemen in England now a-bed Shall think themselves accursed they were not here, And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day. --Henry V, Act IV, sc. iii

[@davidl7605]

I'm so glad you started this series! It truly is a great show. And gives you a glimpse into the horrors and what men went through during WW2.

[@cra0422]

If the Lord of the Rings is considered the greatest movie trilogy, then this is the greatest television miniseries.

[@daddynitro199]

Many of the men in the Airborne were experiencing their first combat on D-Day, but some men had seen combat. Roy Cobb was part of the invasion of North Africa with the 1st Armored. As he was rotating home after Operation Torch, his troopship was torpedoed. Cobb survived and decided to join the Airborne.

[@czarfore]

They were trained to do without water. They were given salt tablets to help their bodies retain water. The idea that intense physical exertion required hydration (and too much salt wasn't good for you) didn't start to catch on until the 1970s. The movie they are watching is Mr. Lucky with Carey Grant. All the actors in this series are too old, the actual soldiers were (for the most part) just a year or two out of high school, and even Colonel Sink was only 39 in 1944. The soot was to break up the reflection of moonlight off their faces.

[@keithsimpson6563]

Hey this is the best thing ever. This is the most true war show or movie ever made. And just to let you know AFTER you finish with the 10 episodes there is a 11th episode ( kind of ) it's a Documentary called We stand alone together the man of easy company and band of brothers. It's the full interviews of all man of easy company. They tell their story. It's the best ever.

[@eschiedler]

Enjoy the experience! A few no-spoiler hints. I'm a huge history fan, not only but including WW2. My great-uncle got shot by a machine gun in France during the war. He said he would refuse to watch war movies like "Saving Private Ryan" and you'll see why. "Band of Brothers" hit the cultural zeitgeist with perfect timing and made a ton of money, especially in DVD sales. In a way, the part of WW2 that is the Western Theater in Europe is still romanticized. So I see the characters, based on real people, as composites so that Americans maintain their mythology about that war. For good or ill, it is what it is. Due to the profits, HBO green-lit a huge budget for "The Pacific" series, which follows the Marines during the titatic war against the Japanese Empire.

[@johannesvalterdivizzini1523]

"mythology"?? Feh.

[@eschiedler]

@@johannesvalterdivizzini1523 yup, there are a lot of myths about WW2, some more relevant than others.

[@Sir_AlexxTv]

Yes ! You will love this show and know and love each of these men by the end. This is not fiction, it is the real story of this particular company. A warning, for the second half of the show keep some tissues close.

[@michaeldavid6284]

Made my day to see you're going to watch BoB. IMO, there is no better depiction of war and combat in film or video. FYI, I had to bug my three sisters for years to watch this, but they wouldn't because they didn't like war movies. But after they had all seen the series, they thanked me. They all became emotionally invested in the characters and series and are fans for life. I watch it at least every other year...sometimes every year. Prepare to be moved, shocked, terrified, overjoyed, and heartbroken, Camilla.

[@jeff-ni5cy]

The Black on their face is to reduce light shine. White skin reflects light while anything dark helps to absorb and reduce the reflected light.

[@Belleplainer]

Sobel's intention with the way he conducts training isn't to prepare the men for specific situations, but rather to create an esprit de corps among the men basically by making them all hate him and also to generally toughen them up. The former is a very risky strategy for a leader, especially if he or she pushes it too far. To make it work, you ultimately have to: 1) be someone who is respected for their ability to do whatever job/project/task it is you're supposed to be leading your group to accomplish and 2) have an unspoken moment where you let the people under your leadership know that you have a reason for what you're doing and that you aren't just a sadist. You also should really let your immediate subordinates in on what you're doing early on so that they can guide the workers along the journey to where you want to take them with this type of "training". Sobel succeeded insofar as he created an amazing esprit de corps among his men, but, as you can see, he failed to pull off the overall plan because of his inherent weaknesses in the field and his jealousy of Winters.

[@Mark_E_M]

YESSSSSSSS!!!!!! So excited for this! I LOOOOVE this series!!! ALWAYS have tissues ready!!!

[@shrubbinthepub3176]

Camilla you're really making a great channel here! awesome, important show to experience, i hope it brings even more eyes to your corner!

[@Erick_Bloodaxe]

Great reaction. You're thinking about how many of the men going into D-Day and other operations had never even seen combat yet, but consider this: most of them aren't even completely through puberty yet. The majority of the fighting age men in the ranks are 17-25 years old. Even the company grade officers like Winters aren't over 30, most are around 22-25.

[@carthos4402]

Fun Fact: No Spoilers: The show is actually very accurate to historical events. In fact there is only one major mistake in episode 3, that you will definitely read about in the comments when you watch the episode. But for the most part, this show is very historically accurate.

[@1320crusier]

Also fucked up mustache mans death date

[@pardini1818]

"Band of Brothers" and "The Pacific"👍👍👍 are excellent. Both produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg.

[@jacfalle27]

Your first series and they chose this? Damn, really diving headfirst in the deep end. Keep in mind you will feel every emotion known to man watching this. It’s that damn good.

[@jimflores9098]

My Uncle, SGT Louis B (Shorty) Flores of Louisiana, was a member of this group ( though not portrayed) and made it all the way through to the end. A few years back he recommended i read Band of Brothers, as he felt is was the most accurate thing he'd read about his experience. I did read it, and after watching the series, found the series to be very true to the book. My Uncle did not watch the series....

[@steelers6titles]

Dirt in a weapon could mean a misfire in combat, and cost you your life. As far as blousing trousers was concerned, airborne and ground troops had to be able to distinguish themselves from each other, and from the enemy. Seemingly minor points could become major ones, in battle.

[@johannesvalterdivizzini1523]

Blousing trousers had nothing to do with "distinguishing themselves and... the enemy" US trousers were bloused so that on a drop, the pants cuffs didn't get tangled. In the early part of the War, Infantry had ankle high boots worn with separate canvas leggings, but as the War progressed, combat boots were modified to have an attached leather gaiter, making the paratrooper boot and the issue Infantry boot effectively the same.

[@steelers6titles]

@@johannesvalterdivizzini1523 My point was that units had to distinguish themselves from each other, and the enemy,. in battle, which I maintain. Thousands upon thousands of Allied troops were within a few miles of each other. As to any other error in what I said, I apologize.

[@johannesvalterdivizzini1523]

@@steelers6titles Two issues. One is the Airborne unit distinctions which fostered espirit de corps--and showing off their highly polished jumpboots was an AB thing when wearing their service uniform. The other is the issue of distinguishing them from enemy troops. The combat uniforms and silhouette of American troops were quite different than the Germans. Paradoxically, though, not in the boots, as German fallschrimjagers wore high lace up boots very much like the paratrooper boots of the US. Camoflage clothing was another difficult point, as US troops issued "leaf" camo for Normandy were mistaken for the SS, with some friendly fire instances, and the camo clothing was withdrawn. We will see that wearing German camo was not only unauthorized, it was dangerous. Later in winter combat US troops who were freezing did not put on German wool greatcoats for the same reason.

[@steelers6titles]

@@johannesvalterdivizzini1523 Thanks for the info.

[@2104dogface]

I had the honor of knowing many of the real Troopers from Easy Company while i was in E/506th Reenacted back starting in 93 after the book had come out.

[@ScandzaVaeringjar]

I've watched pretty much all the BoB reactions on youtube.. anyway... here we go again xD

[@TheDutchGun]

Congratulations. You;re about to watch one of the greatest television series of all time. It can be hard to watch at times, but I think it's important for each new generation to understand the sacrifices made by the "greatest generation." While there were some factual errors in the series, most are fairly minor, and are sometimes done to clarify or explain things better to a modern television audience. But for the most part, you can consider this show to be very historically accurate. Don't worry - you'll slowly get to know the men of easy company over the course of the series. It's hard for everyone to keep track of them at first.

[@arthurcamargo8416]

During WWII, it was treason, punishable by firing squad, to abandon your post, or disobey a direct order. Those men, whose lives were spared, were risking death by writing their letter, but they did it anyway. They were going to risk death anyway in combat, but I suppose they figured they'd face their death on their terms. Truly courageous and principled men! After all, they had a rendezvous with destiny!

[@artbagley1406]

Very revealing that Dick Winters came out to run up Currahee when he could have stayed in the mess hall cleaning up the spaghetti dinner preparations. A sneer at Sobel, for sure! Winters' integrity and depth of understanding of the tenets of leadership are clearly shown as he gives a hand up for each of his soldiers to load in the C-47s.

[@jb4054]

I've seen this series so many times I've lost count. It is phenomenal, and the best way we can honor their legacy is to learn and watch this series. You will marvel at their achievements, and the closing scene with this series makes me cry like a little kid, every time and I know exactly what is coming. To me, I put this as the best series of all time vs anything else that had been made. Just my opinion, of course. Enjoy the ride, and I look forward to seeing your reaction to this series!!

[@franciscojosecardenetedela2008]

Get ready for a hard ride. We will be watching

[@randallshuck2976]

The character of Sobel was classic training leader. The airborne was a volunteer unit drawn from the ranks. A guy who "washes out" of airborne training is put back into the general population of the Amy. Often the characteristics that make a good training officer are not what is needed for a combat leader. Sobel is portrayed as lacking the requirements for combat. His transfer likely saved his and many others in Easy from death on D day. I am looking forward to watching this with you. You seem to catch on quickly.

[@RP_Williams]

Great reaction! And yes, the veterans at the beginning are all played by actors in this show (unlike Saving Private Ryan, this a true story).

[@TB_9612]

To think about how young they were. The greatest generation ever

[@bigdawg723]

No way!!! I’m so excited for this! I love your content!!!

[@mlong1958]

Best series ever. You are going on a wild ride. Don't forget to have your tissue box handy for every episode after this one, especially Episodes 6, 7, and 9. There is an unofficial 11th episode, We Stand Alone Together, with more interviews with the men of Easy. This series is the story of Easy Company in WWII. They suffered very heavy casualties throughout the war. Human skin shines in the moonlight. The black face paint is to minimize that shine and make them blend in a little better. Many of the 101st Airborne went into combat with mohawks, to scare the enemy.

[@bdaigno]

A masterpiece...I watch it once a year.

[@bigtex741]

I too am here because of this series. You are to be applauded for doing this. It is a difficult but necessary watch.

[@kentbarnes1955]

Welcome to one of the best produced and dramatized shows on TV ever. BoB is very much the "gold" standard of mini-series. I recently have learned that Stephen Ambrose who wrote the book this is based on did play a bit fast and loose with some historical/factual details...but the production value, drama, and representation of ground warfare from D-Day to the end of the war in Europe is very very well done (just don't take everything as 1000 or even 100% accurate...25%?). I look forward to going on this journey with you. Peace.

[@thesnazzycomet]

HELL YEAH! ANOTHER BAND OF BROTHERS REACTION (i have watched like 10 but I want more)

[@mikealvarez2322]

A lot of the men lost their ankle packs because they were packed improperly. The Brits didn't have that problem because they adhered to weight limitations. Americans packed under the philosophy of "if it fits, it ships".

[@craighahn4838]

they couldn't do a lot of jumps because parachutes were fairly primitive at that time, 1 out of every hundred jumps the chute would fail to open.

[@williamberry9013]

Basic paratroop strategy: drop behind enemy lines capture whatever objective planned (usually, but not always, a bridge or town where roads meet) then your forces catch up to them and all is hunky'dory. Problem is, if your forces don't win elsewhere you have light infantry that is surrounded and they have only the supplies they carried with them. They can't very well take prisoners. And you probably over estimate tanks. It's OK, everyone does, even them. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpKrd4iBgLCggK8si=88KitHMIrDHfliKn 13:24 training film on facing tank Oh, if I hadn't told you, minor spoiler, have a blanket n studio. 1 future episode- I won't say which- can make the suggestable feel cold.

[@trentrouse5991]

Keep tissues around for the second half of the show just fair warning

[@lolmao500]

Yeah its all true, its based on a book written by one of the guys in the show. The character played by Ross had a really really really sad life... especially at the end... as bad as he treated his soldiers, it saved their lives in war... and the soldiers realized that during the war and they wanted to tell him how they appreciated that after the war in veterans meetings but Sobel never went to see them and died alone and very sad. The guy with the machine gun who drank water during the march... that guy carries a 84lbs machine gun with him, which requires a lot more effort than all the other soldiers... he deserves water haha

[@TheSocratesian]

This show is really the masterpiece of masterpieces regarding the war US war in Europe during WW2.

[@bobbyjennings6480]

I suggest watching Firefly next. Its only 14 episodes but its one of my favorite shows ever. If you have dork tendencies you'll love it. Its kinda like a space western and you'll recognize many of the actors.

[@co5875]

I know you already had a good community but this series is about to give it a BIG boost. It's a wonderful community that is always looking for new reactors to watch.

[@Lue_Jonin]

I subscribed since you're reacting to such top shelf films. Lord of the rings, now Band of Brothers 🇺🇸 🏆 🎥

[@apulrang]

I'm sure.this isn't an original idea ... but there's one interesting similarity between Ross from "Friends" and Sobel as depicted in "Band Of Brothers." Both are deeply insecure, which causes them to go overboard in certain ways to compensate, and it doesn't work that well for them.