BAND OF BROTHERS REACTION | PART 8 (The Last Patrol)

[@lithium23]

13:49 They didn't have any special forces that were trained for this at the time, the results of WW2 is what inspired their creation.

[@H880]

Malarkey went from a kid to a beat down grizzled veteran. The actor did an amazing job.

[@cyberdan42]

What Winters did here was extraordinary and a testament to his courage and leadership, it is possibly the bravest action he performed in the war. He specifically takes the briefing and does so alone, absent Spiers and Nixon, so if punishment falls it only hits him as the direct and sole instigator. He disobeys, and orders other men, a direct order, in the face of the enemy, an offence which would certainly have seen him court-martialled and could have seen him executed for disobeying orders in the face of the enemy, literally the one of the most serious charges in military law. He knowingly stands up and takes this risk, completely on himself, in doing so he also displays exceptional leadership, both in preserving his command from a order he sees as wasteful, and in implicitly trusting his men to understand and be silent (not a small task considering soldiers gossip like a retirees bingo circle after a couple of brandies). This moment, more than any other, demonstrates why Winters was the officer he was, why he was held in such high esteem by his men and why Easy company was such an elite and successful unit in a division of some of the very best soldiers in the European theatre.

[@ryanhampson673]

its the perfect example of moral courage.

[@cyberdan42]

@@ryanhampson673 Yes, if I was defining morale courage I'd play this clip, explain it and go, "that, morale courage is that".

[@thomasc.5219]

I know if I was fighting in ww2. I be a better leader than Winters. I have a brilliant military mind. Strategy and tactics have come easy to me since I was a child. I would go down as a hero, easily.

[@1Fracino]

@@thomasc.5219 Why would you put on display for all of the World to see, your pathetic disrespect for one of the unsung Hero's of WW2 ?

[@ObiCentral]

@@thomasc.5219 🤣🤣🤣stfu go back and play hoi4

[@jamesellis1972]

Webster wrote a book that the publishers refused because it wasn't a superhero type book of war. Ambrose, who wrote Band of Brothers, found out about it and got it published. It is an excellent read. Well worth the time for anyone who wants to know the gritty details of war.

[@slimmey436]

Cobb was actually court martialed after his outburst in the basement.

[@yadarehey1130]

And you can see him hauled away by MPs in passing at the end of the episode

[@dubfez_9256]

Cobb was an asshole it seems

[@Zenon0K]

IRL i think they didn't want to explore the real story. In reality everyone liked him quite a bit and he was one of the more popular members of Easy, but he was a completely different person when drinking, was a complete asshole and a violent one at that. Ended up sucker punching an officer. So I guess turning the character into a whiny douche worked to the same end.

[@MandoWookie]

IIRC Cobb was also one of the few guys who had combat experience prior to going into the airborne. I believe he served in North Africa in an infantry company.

[@Seriona1]

@@MandoWookie He did and if I remember my history correctly, he was also on a ship that got torpedoed by a Vichy sub. Again, I am not 100% sure but he was tired of the infantry and thought being a paratrooper would be better.

[@aidanwestcott6165]

They promoted Winters because he was acting as the Battalion Commander as a Captain. That position is normally held by a Lieutenant Colonel. with the Battalion XO being a Major. Battalion XO is the role he initially got moved into in Episode 5 (when he left Easy). I guess at some point between then and now he was moved again into the Battalion Commander role. At the time due to manpower shortages it was common for people to hold positions meant for a higher rank, and only get the official promotion until much later. This happened all the time, for example a Company commander on paper is supposed to hold the rank of Captain but both Spiers and Winters were Easy Company CO when they were still Lieutenants.

[@dirus3142]

Brevetting is the term. You could be a 1st LT. then Brevetted up 3 ranks because of attrition. Only to have it taken away and dropped to 1st LT again.

[@badsekt0r1121]

Sorry, but I've seen this WAY too many times, it is spelled S P E I R S, not Spiers. The man deserves his name to be spelled correctly.

[@rollomaughfling380]

@@badsekt0r1121 Maybe you and I could put our heads together over a few weeks and figure out a way for you to make a bigger fuckin' deal about it.

[@tracymiller1149]

And just to be clear, in case anyone is confused, a battalion consisted of three companies, so 1st Battalion was companies A, B, and C, and 2nd Battalion was companies D, E, and F, and 3rd Battalion was companies G, H, and I. That's why you see Winters, as 2nd Battalion CO, working with members of D and F companies in addition to E Company (such as when he commanded Speirs from D Company to take over E Company command). The Regiment (commanded by Col. Sink) consisted of all three Battalions, plus a HQ Battalion. Each company, at full strength, was around 140 soldiers (although of course you seldom see that many at one time on screen). Because of replacements and casualties, by the end of the war over 340 soldiers had served in E Company. Each company consisted of three or more platoons, which were usually headed by a 2nd Lt. (the lowest ranking officer in the Army).

[@2684dennis]

you havent been watching episode 5 because if you did you would know that why winters was promoted is because maj horton was killed, and winters was a solid tactision and a good leader.

[@markpekrul4393]

Webster was from a well-to-do family in Bronxville, NY. He could have probably gotten an officer's commission, but his goal was to enlist as a private. He wanted to experience the war from that perspective - his goal was to always do what he was told and needed to, but never to volunteer or otherwise offer to do something he deemed unnecessary. The fact he apparently didn't make an attempt to break out of the hospital before Bastogne, if true, is in keeping with this - he was going to leave when they told him to leave. I think I read someplace there were some comments by surviving vets when the series came out to the extent of "who the Hell was Webster?" "I don't even remember him". Sadly he passed away before the series. His memoir of his experiences is a good one to read - it provides the best account I've seen of the structure and function of, and within, the company.

[@Philbert-s2c]

Yeah, 40 years before the series. He disappeared in 1961 while studying sharks. His death has been the subject of some speculation for decades now.

[@launchsquid]

it's not weird that not all vets remember Webster, they don't all know each other super well, and since he went missing in 1961, he wouldn't have been able to attend the reunions.

[@beemoney19]

It's such a super-complicated character portrayal. There are some comments about how some in the unit considered him a gold-brick, like Liebgott says in the episode, always trying to get out of stuff. But then apparently Ambrose, who wrote the book, considered Webster a sort of warrior-poet and apparently gave a positive illustration of his experiences? So like, yeah, he's not portrayed as someone like Cobb, who ends up in MP detention and drummed out for punching an officer, but he's also not Popeye or Guarnere or Toye, right? And yeah, we're also talking about the memories of people 50 years removed from the event, and 30 years after he disappeared, who knows the last time Malarkey or Guarnere ever saw him or talked to him, or really thought about *him* specifically. Now this dude wants to write a book documenting your experiences, interviews a ton of people about it, then yeah, some people are going to get hazy and skewed in the retelling just based on the passage of time.

[@dukelive]

I think what Ambrose particularly liked was that Webster had a writer's instincts and abilities and wrote contemporary accounts, rather than 50 years later. His memoirs were a good source of first hand accounts.

[@leroy1154]

One thing to remember also is that contrary to what was shown in the first episode, Webster didn't actually train or jump into Normandy with Easy. He trained with Fox Company and jumped with HQ, before requesting a transfer to Easy after D-Day.

[@prollins6443]

I always felt that Lt. Jones was treated the way he was because he was new. And then, once he had proven himself, the men showed the respect due to his rank.

[@HotrodDan]

Fun fact: Tom Hanks, who was also the executive producer of this series along with Spielberg, was the voice of the wounded German soldier on the riverbank.

[@Mark_The_Chemist]

Tom Hanks makes another cameo, on screen this time...in the next episode if memory serves.

[@gene7887]

@@Mark_The_Chemist He is also one of the British paratroopers in the scene celebrating their escape from Arnhem after Easy helps rescue them (the one mission led by Moose) kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4W2lISapZiYo68 at 2:46, upper left of the shot

[@paulmichaelfreedman8334]

And his son Colin is in this episode too.

[@mikeyj9607]

@@Mark_The_Chemist he was also a British paratrooper , also the French officer who shot german prisoners by the road as easy co.rode by in part 9

[@Vograx]

No spoilers, but highly recommend 1) don’t make plans for right after watching next episode, 2) keep tissues at hand. Looking forward to next one! It’s going to be an interesting one as far as reacts go.

[@fallofcamelot]

The whole series is great but when I think of the series three episodes come to mind: "Curahee", "Bastogne" and "Why We Fight". "Why We Fight" is by far the most emotionally draining episode of the whole thing. Prepare yourselves accordingly.

[@beemoney19]

It is so wild watching these reaction videos, when others get to Episode 9 and how it catches them off guard.

[@ablationer]

@@fallofcamelot Same except I would actually swap out Bastogne for The Breaking Point. As much as I love Eugene, I think Breaking Point did a better job at giving everyone some VERY important and memorable scenes. From Spiers kicking ass, to Winters having to watch his men get plucked while he stayed in the back, to Lipton really coming into his own, not to mention Bill and Joe going home together, and Buck just... So much happens in a single episode, it's unreal.

[@fallofcamelot]

@@ablationer I think the Breaking Point is a great episode but for me the image of Eugene ripping up the nurses headscarf for bandages will always stick with me.

[@rubenlopez3364]

Airborne was technically "Special Forces" as were the guys in Private Ryan the Army Rangers but like you said they had no one unit for things like Prisoner Capture or Rescue missions. After the war we realized we need troops specifically trained for crazy missions

[@19McCloy91]

Exactly. The SAS was the only true SF regiment in ww2

[@daletaylor5589]

True a lot of patrols like this were ran by regular infantry units, it’s how they gathered their intelligence.

[@krisfrederick5001]

Pathfinders Lead the Way

[@WraithWTF]

@@19McCloy91 Sort of, but not really...The US Marines had the Raiders program, a sort of early version of Delta, active in the Pacific theater of WWII, and both the NCDUs (Naval Combat Demolition Units) and UDTs (Underwater Demolition Teams), the original units of what we now refer to as Navy SEALs (though they didn't take the name of SEALs til the early 60s), were active in the European and Pacific theaters respectively. So the SAS were the only general purpose SF unit (since NCDUs were highly specialized for one task) operating in the European theater, but they weren't the only SF unit in WWII.

[@ariochiv]

I think the first formal "special forces" units in the US Army were in Vietnam.

[@cshubs]

My understanding is that Webster's leg wound was severe enough that he couldn't have just got up and returned, even if he wanted to.

[@valeriyav2149]

yes, there were complications after the leg surgery

[@nicknam8478]

I'm pretty sure he was in England.

[@sheva_8767]

​@@nicknam8478yeah but so was Guarnere back in episode 5 but he managed to bust out

[@nicknam8478]

You can’t forget that the 101st was surrounded at Bastone. It was a hard time getting ammo, food and warm clothing to them. It would be impossible to get in there. Plus in the B o B they made it look like the guys were pissed at him. From everything l’ve read they welcomed him back.

[@ClosedGame75]

He was hit by a machine gun, according to his online information. Whether it was an MG34 or MG42, that's VERY serious. Sure, the Germans used the same ammo in their machine guns as in their rifles, but whereas a Gewehr 41 shoots one round at a time, both types of machine guns fired well over a thousand rounds per minute. Meaning that he was LIKELY hit by more than one bullet close together. He was lucky his leg wasn't sawed off ... let's not forget that the MG42 was nicknamed "Hitlersage" ... Hitler's Hacksaw ... for a reason.

[@MattTruitt]

Can’t wait to see how Ariana responds to “the” scene in “why we fight”. I’ve seen it many times and I still get fully grown man wrecked every time.

[@markpekrul4393]

There are so many possible "the" scenes - are you referring to the whole section in general, or really to one specific scene?

[@scottty795]

@@markpekrul4393 If you know, you know

[@henrikklarsen2380]

@@markpekrul4393 Avoid spoilers in the comment section ;)

[@teddybearclarence]

@@markpekrul4393 There are many scenes but there's only one portion of episode 9 that will really wreck most people...

[@delraybrewer]

Grant?

[@Gruvmpy]

Reading some of the memoirs and journals of men from Easy, they were actually really glad to have people like Webster injured since they missed combat that might of killed them if they were there. From memory his return had a warm welcome, in contrast to this episode.

[@nihlify]

The show did alter certain events to show off different aspects of war, this being one of them.

[@Gruvmpy]

@@nihlify Oh absolutely, Webster treated as an outsider and regaining thay trust through the episode works great.

[@pangkaji]

Webster was treated as an outsider because he always did the bare minimum. He was studying at Harvard (or was it Yale?) When the war started. I think he thought this soldering thing was beneath him (even though he volunteered). He never volunteered for any extra duty etc. Unlike Joe Toy, Guarnere and others who snucked out of rehab early to rejoin the company, Webster took his full time and only rejoined the company when discharged. He was the only original Tocoa member of Easy that did not make NCO by the end of the war.

[@garytomblin3572]

Uhhhh you need to read more than. Webster was actually hit up by some of the officers and asked him if he'd be willing to accept a battlefield commission both before and after he was wounded. He turned it down because he just wanted to "be one of the guys" He had a reputation in the company for being smart, adaptable, and calm under pressure!

[@davebcf1231]

According to accounts there was a little bit of hostility when he returned, but not like what's depicted in this episode. It was because the others didn't realize how badly he had been wounded. They thought he had minor wounds and had been milking it in a field hospital. In reality he had been wounded pretty badly in the legs by machine gun fire and was sent to a hospital back in England to rehab. The series doesn't depict how he was wounded or his return accurately. Just a couple of the many things they changed.

[@shanek3453]

Something that Reel history pointed out, you'll notice toward the end of the episode whilst Webster is narrating the catharsis of the episode, Cobb is riding in a jeep with 3 MP's, he had received a Court martial due to his transgressions toward LT Jones in the basement after the patrol. In reality this altercation occurred between Cobb and another LT named Foley. But all in all he got his comeuppance.

[@pjdiver3]

Never noticed that before...thanks for the attention to detail!

[@AdderTude]

Foley was portrayed by Jamie Bamber (Lee Adama in Battlestar Galactica), most prominently appearing in Episode 7 when he was leading 1st Platoon into Foy...until Dike called him back because Dike needed to see where he was.

[@kylokenUSMC]

Oooh episode 9 is going to be a slap in the face for you guys! Really hope to see you guys do The Pacific right after this series.

[@gene7887]

Definitely a must watch, but the Pacific is HEAVY. BoB has brief moments that fill you with hope. By the time The Pacific gets to Okinawa (or Iwo, really) you want to crawl into a hole and never come out.

[@marekanthony3935]

Prepare yourself for episode 9. Make sure you have tissues handy.

[@cjperry2731]

Indeed.. Just absolutely heartbreaking..

[@booboo8577]

A spare box would be prudent.

[@jamesnichols2348]

Also, don't make plans for afterwards.

[@williamdobbin7827]

Or three reserve boxes......

[@jawaman77]

4 boxes....will definitely need 4 boxes.

[@G.I.HistoryHandbook]

Modern US Army Special Forces trace their lineage to WWII units like the First Special Service Force, the Alamo Scouts (Sixth Army Special Recon Unit), and the OSS Operational Groups. However, the mission depicted in this episode is not deep behind enemy lines. A raid to seize prisoners from an OP (forward of the enemy MLR), while risky, was just another type of combat patrol regular infantry units were trained to conduct. (Though the field manual emphasized: "rehearsals are imperative.")

[@mmmmmduffbeer]

I think the reason Collin Hank's character was promoted is because he was a West Point graduate. Having graduated from the United States Military Academy marks him as likely a career soldier and the higher-ups probably want him to get wartime staff experience. As for Winters, I think he probably is going to be doing the same job because he was actually of lower rank than his posting. Probably for narrative clarity, Sink calls him battalion commander outside of Foy in Episode 7 which was usually held by a Lt. Col., but I think he was still battalion executive officer at this point which was usually held by a major.

[@Rhyfelwr03]

Jones had also been a 2nd Lt for almost a year(about 8 MTHS), beings he graduated June 6, 1944 and the 101st were in Hagenau Feb. 1945. And in WWII promotions happened might bit quicker than current day.

[@mmmmmduffbeer]

@@Rhyfelwr03 That's true. I was thinking more about him being moved out of the company.

[@jamesnichols2348]

This was a common practice; get a little combat experience, then pull them back for staff positions so they could be the main officer corp in the post war, peacetime army. In the book, there is a description of a classmate of Lt. Jones who was assigned to another company and in his short time there, he stepped on a land mine and had is foot blown off, thus ending his career.

[@mikegoodwin2386]

@@Rhyfelwr03 I agree, and said something similar on another reaction where someone was questioning that promotion. I believe promotion from 2nd Lt to 1st Lt was pretty much automatic, assuming one didn't f-up too badly, after a certain amount of time, and that time got pretty sort during the war.

[@DirtnapJack]

The book talks about this. Jones was a real person. The point was made that no one was surprised he got promoted so soon because he was from West Point. The officers from WP would be leading the army post war so higher brass like Sink (also a WP grad) were moving them up and keeping them out of the real shit where someone who came up through OCS might not be given the same movement despite being a better leader.

[@williewilliams6571]

Winters now outranks Capt. Sobel (Giggle). There is an "11th" episode- where they interview the real men of Easy Company. You should do a reaction to that too.

[@lmfao5411]

I had read a comment that irl, Sobel losing the company messed with his head so much that he put a bullet through it. Didn't die, but he blew out his optical nerves and blinded himself.

[@williewilliams6571]

@@lmfao5411 I gather from the book that Sobel had ALOT of problems and I doubt if just losing the Company set it all in motion.

[@rithvikmuthyalapati9754]

We Stand Alone Together

[@SuperDoggy99]

"We salute the rank, not the man."

[@MitraKesava]

I watched The Last Patrol last night for the first time in years in preparation for this reaction 😄 It hadn't stuck with me as much over the years but damn if that ain't a sobering episode. I think the impact of Episode 9 is so strong that it can overshadow this one but it shouldn't. The writing in this show was soooo good!

[@joemckim1183]

There literally isn't a single weak episode in the whole series. Every episode was very essential and told a good story.

[@Andre-qc1ui]

One of my favourite scenes is in the end of this episodes, when the officers enter the room and Sergeant Martin say "Ten-hut". It really shows respect towards Lt. Jones.

[@ronmaximilian6953]

1. Lt Henry Jones was a staff officer. His superiors wanted him to see some combat before promoting him. 2. David Webster wrote "Parachute Soldiers" It was published after Webster's death and Steven Ambrose edited it. Ambrose would later write the book "Band of Brothers" and much of his material what came from Webster's book. As and Ivy League educated enlisted soldier, Webster fit into both worlds. 3. Carwood Lipton was not the only mustang, an enlisted men who became an officer. Richard Winters was drafted in 1940 and started as a private second class. The fact that he went from basic training as a private to major in less than 5 years is astounding. 4. Bring a box of tissues for episode 9 and another for episode 10

[@ChicagoDB]

Winters went through OCS…it wasn’t that uncommon…

[@ronmaximilian6953]

@@ChicagoDB going to OCS was not on common. The speed of his promotions was. He went from first lieutenant to major in under a year. He was a highly skilled commander and rose through the ranks accordingly.

[@ColdWarShot]

On the subject of Winters’ promotions, he holds the Army record for fastest promotion track, from Private to Major in less than five years.

[@jbrewer299a]

I’m not so sure, George Custer went from 2nd alt to Brigadier General in two years. I’m not sure who holds the record, but sadly promotions are quicker during wartime.

[@ColdWarShot]

@digifalc0087 Winters described being the 2nd Battalion XO (Executive Officer) as a thoroughly distasteful job, but by all accounts, he performed the role well.

[@Valkyrie1911]

Col Sink had a visit from what's called "the good idea fairy". IIRC Tom Hank's son plays the son of some Senator or something, hence his going to West Point and just being there a short time. It wasn't uncommon for that to happen so the individual could get their "combat experience" and then move a more safe position. He really wasn't a bad guy.

[@davidbeach4682]

I think that while Winters was promoted to Major, his position within the battalion and duties were not changed. He as a Captain replaced the Major who was killed in the ambush in Holland.

[@dubfez_9256]

That officer who was sniped in the neck at Nuenen was a lieutenant, Bull Randleman calls out to him and his rank before he got shot.

[@Ausl0vich]

@@dubfez_9256 he's talking about Major Horton, who is referenced a number of times but never seen on screen. He's the guy who Luz impersonates to trick Sobel in the first episode. He was killed during a German attack on the battalion HQ around the same time as the battle at the crossroads and Sink informs Winters of that when he is made battalion XO.

[@dirus3142]

Correct. His promotion to major is his rank catching up to his position. Keep in mind it might not have been permanent. They needed to fill that roll, he was the xo, so he got job when there was no one else available with more experience. You can see the rank promotion making his job official.

[@dirus3142]

WInters assigned Lt. Welsh to his HQ after he came back from the hospital. He was the 1st platoon commander. Lipton had to leave the company because Army regulations on commissioning an enlisted man. They dont' like keeping knew officers, former enlisted, in the same unit with their old buddies. IT's stupid. So WInters also put him in his Battalion HQ. I almost choked on the rape whistle comment. Knowing that there was an M16 half track used for cover fire. It's an AA version, quad 50 cals. You can see it next to Sink. Lt. Jones died in a jeep crash two years later. Talbot/Tipper (sorry cant remember which) is promoted to first Sargent. He is the man who named his dog Trigger.

[@americandad8903]

So Glad you all are watching this series. Could not wait to see your reaction to winters when he tells them to get a good nights sleep for the “second patrol “. You get it. Gives me goosebumps every time !

[@osirispluto8782]

The music they play when Nixon tosses Winters his Oak Leaves is so soul stirring, almost eerie. I got full body chills watching that as well. And I've seen that scene several times!

[@BGBG617]

Probably already mentioned but, Webb wrote a book on E Company. Called Parachute Infantry. He was a Lit major at Harvard. Easy read and well-worth the time.

[@JimFinley11]

I was in a regular Marine Corps rifle company, and there were patrol missions where we left the helmets behind and wore soft covers - it makes sense; the helmet is heavy, it interferes with your hearing, and against direct fire at close range it wouldn't do you much good anyway (we had the old steel pots, before the Kevlar helmets came out, but not much difference in that regard.) When we were in workup to go on float, a patrol to capture prisoners was one of the missions we trained for. Winters being promoted to major didn't change his responsibilities - he was already the battalion executive officer, and that job calls for a major. They were just giving him the rank appropriate to the job he already had. And the reason they keep moving people up is that they need to get the most valuable use possible of their abilities and experience - for example, Winters can do more good as battalion XO, and acting battalion CO whenever the CO has to be somewhere else, than with his leadership and organizational ability limited to one company. Likewise, Lipton may not be contributing more as a new lieutenant than he was as first sergeant, but he will move up to more senior jobs as an officer; also, there are other excellent senior NCOs in Easy who can do the job as first sergeant.

[@luketimewalker]

Reactor mentions the MONOMYTH. We are impressed!

[@Diegesis]

A Special Thanks to Our Gold Patrons: Matho Lazarus8@ Divdiv Shiftymoth James Lester Sergio Villa Anthony Dimas Matthew luna Azrieal Pauly V Hannibal Lecter Chandra

[@garycollins7750]

Cobb was actually one of the oldest in the company having joined the Armor in 1934, served in North Africa and survived the sinking of his ship returning to the US, all before joining the airborne. He was given a court-martial and discharged from the army.

[@joec5544g]

I watched this series 20ish years ago... It was huge... Love your commentary... I think Winters shaved everyday because it was the one routine he could do alone that reminded him of his "normal" life... It's familiar and comforting.. Great content, take care.

[@mattthomas3207]

My grandfather retired a major from the army and after the war stayed in the national guard and was in charge of his division for 40 years until he fully retired in the 80's. Towards the end of his life when I was getting old enough to understand everything he explained alot of it to me. We would watch ww2 documentaries and shows like this one and he would tell me what was accurate and what wasn't. He was in North Africa Italy France and the eagles nest. Americans will never know the full sacrifice they made and that's why I watch every bit of history for their respect

[@TheJohhnyE]

the cool thing about the actor who 0lays Malarkey is that he also does voice acting. he's the voice of Steve on American Dad

[@Sir_AlexxTv]

I highly recomed to watch We Stand Alone Together when you finish the show, it's the docuumentary from the intros, you will love it :)

[@kylewright7882]

Definitely prepare yourself for what’s to come. Also hope you guys watch The Pacific after this. It’s shocking the difference between the European and Pacific theaters during the War. Not sure how others would feel, but personally I’d rather be slogging across Europe then dealing with Islands hopping in the Pacific.

[@alexlim864]

15:15 Jackson was basically a supply and mail runner for Easy Company in all this time. He hadn't seen direct action prior to this, and he requested to join the patrol, as he figured it would be his last chance to get into an honest-to-goodness fight. The grenade fragments apparently hit the pain generation cells in his brain, so in reality, after he was hit, he was screaming and begging to be put out of his misery, as he probably felt as if he was being roasted alive. 24:25 Before an enlisted man can be given a commissioned officer position, yes, he has to resign as an enlisted man before being signed up as a commissioned officer. So, if a shell comes in and kills you after you resign and before you're signed up, you're technically a civilian and your family will forfeit any military benefits due you. 24:45 Jones was moved to Regiment because the Army higher-ups, at this time, were already figuring out how to organize after the war ended. Jones would die in a car accident in 1947. He was said to be a promising officer. Great reaction! Looking forward to the next episode.

[@gabrielegenota1480]

Jesus fucking christ "felt as if he was roasted alive" That's horrible

[@scottvivian9859]

Absolutely loving your reactions... wishing you both a very happy new year 🎉🎉🎉

[@majorwinters8333]

Now I can finally comment :D Thanks for reacting to my favourite TV Show! I don't want to spoil you - I just live a few meters away from where they took their last company picture. I've watched the show a few times with my father who was a young boy back then. He said he remembered a guy called Winters. They loved the americans because they gave all the kids choclate and chewing gum. Thanks again and be emotionally prepared for the last episodes! :)

[@almyska467]

Colin Hanks' character was there to illustrate that, this late in the war, they were cycling through new officers solely for the purpose of checking the "combat experience" box before pushing them up the ladder to "bigger and better" things.

[@trainer-daver]

"Prisoner" snatch patrols were a regular action by front line units, along with reconnaissance patrols were the troops go out for a look-see. Enough so that the booby-trapped wire they had to cut (13:17 in your video) in order to get through quietly was setup to specifically interrupt such a patrol. And you mentioned the calm coolness of the medic, by this time in the war he has seen almost everything (wait until the next episode). There is a great book about combat medics by Canadian author Ted Barris called 'Rush to Danger', highly recommended reading.

[@templarwhiskey8167]

For years there was a Band.of Brothers guided tour where you follow Easy Company campaign through Europe and finish with a dinner at the Eagles Nest. I don't know if it stoppped with Covid. But definitely recommend if it is still available .

[@billrab1890]

You questioned that there should be special forces conducting the raid. Our special forces today are highly trained and outstanding in every way but there is no comparison in training to the combat experience that these paratroopers as well as just about every other infantryman that fought their way across Europe as well as the marines and soldiers that fought across the Pacific. With their combat experience they are more qualified than just about anyone who has ever lived to conduct this type of a raid - prisoner snatch. As for special forces in WW2, in Europe you had the US Army Rangers and the British Commandos (who the US Army Rangers were modeled after) and in the Pacific the US Army had Rangers and the Alamo Scouts. (who's stories are incredible and it has been said that they were the precursor to the Green Berets) The Marine Corps had the Marine Raiders and the the US Navy in Europe and the Pacific had Frogmen who were divers who would swim in and blow up underwater beach obstacles clearing paths for the assault boats to hit the beaches during amphibious invasions and were the precursor to the Navy Seals.

[@mingingmobutu1797]

you hhave to remember this is before satellites and really heavy monitoring of troop movements and certain formations. Before that time things like prisoner raids were vital for intelligence gather, because you don't know if you're fighting regular guys like they captured or if they're fighting someone like the paratroopers from Carentan. These kinds of operations became more specialized only after better intelligence gathering technologies were available, but in ww1 you have guys like trench raiders who did the same thing they just got told to cross no mans land and destroy a bunker or capture some guys, or even earlier before we had massive continent sized battlefields going from coast to coast you had "small war" where armies would send their cavalry to conduct raids and reconnaissance on the enemy to ascertain their disposition and positions, and then return to fight in the actual battle. Special operations are truly a modern age invention which funny enough actually started to get off the ground in world war 2 with things like italian frogmen, the OSS, and the SAS all forming or becoming much more specialized in this war.

[@Alice-ic5fy]

We take for granted a hot shower and a roof over a head. These guys fought to make sure that we always have that

[@Farbar1955]

When you lose officers (and ALL the units in the war were losing officers over time) you have to promote people to replace them. There aren't spare officers sitting off to the side with experience who can jump in. Replacements were privates and the older privates were moved up to corporal and sargeant. There had to be an order of command. The original Easy guys knew how the system worked and they did what they had to do.

[@busterdee8228]

I believe Colin served to contrast Dyke. One of my favorite officers was also brand new. Several times, I overheard him say: I hear you, but I have to lead if I'm ever going to be any good. I caught him drunk one night, mumbling "Top, I'm a team player aren't I?" I figured the OIC had just criticized his loyalties. That told me all I needed to know: he sucked as a politician, so he was going to be a fine leader. Wonderful commentary guys. Much enjoyed.

[@Devil_EMS]

The Colin Hanks character was at a rank where the promotion is pretty automatic with time in grade. Once you leave the schoolhouse for whatever military job you get, you don't remain a second lieutenant for very long.

[@steveg5933]

Trivia Tom Hanks IS in Band of Brothers. This episode, the soldier crying for help across the river, is uncredited but it is the senior Hanks

[@zurnie]

My, now ex, wife got me this series on DVD one Christmas. I had heard of the show at work, water cooler talk, but never decided if I wanted to see it or not. (she also did this with the Sopranos later in our marriage) I had to take some vacation time by the end of January so This series was my first binge watch long before streaming was even thought of. I was literally watching the Bastogne episode when it was -15 to -20 outside not counting wind chill. In a 75 degree house I was shivering through Bastogne with Easy Co.

[@SidewaysEightSix]

Tom Hanks was a back ground actor in a few different scenes. In Carentan he’s the unknown soldier who had his leg blown off.

[@deanhibler3117]

Paul Clifford "Hayseed" Rogers became First Sgt. He was the guy who wrote the poem "The night of the bayonet" The night was filled with dark and cold, When Sergeant Talbert the story’s told, Pulled out his poncho and headed out, To check the lines dressed like a Kraut. Upon a trooper our hero came, Fast asleep; he called his name. “Smith, oh Smith, get up, it’s time To take your turn out on the line.” Private Smith, so very weary, Cracked an eye, all red and bleary, Grabbed his rifle and did not tarry, Hearing Floyd, but seeing Gerry. “It’s me!” cried Tab. “Don’t do it!” and yet, Smith charged toute de suite with bayonet. He lunged, he thrust, both high and low, And skeweth the boy from Kokomo. And as they carried him away, Our punctured hero was heard to say, “When in this war you venture out, best never do it dressed as a Kraut!”

[@doctroxel1921]

In his book, Stephen Ambrose pointed out that Captains did not command Battalions, although that is what Captain Winters had been doing ever since the Crossroads. Sink promoted him to Major so he could have the proper rank to go nose-to-nose with the other battalion commanders (all majors) in command conferences. Also, Lt. Jones was a protege' of someone at high command. After Sink reported the successful raid that Lt. Jones took part in, he was promoted and moved back to the upper echelon offices. Jones had his "combat experience" so he could now be brought back under the safety of whichever higher up was mentoring him. Not Jones' doing; his mentor was watching out for him.

[@Stevie8654]

I love how Webster and Lt Jones get instant street cred on the patrol.

[@chrislewis1981]

Guys, good job. I'm loving your reaction to this series. No spoilers but bring plenty of tissues for the next episode.

[@jimnoort5391]

Lt. Jones was a West Point graduate. At this stage of the war what was known as the WPPA (West Point Protection Association) was starting to take effect. Meaning many of the West Point graduates were being taken off the line and put into the rear to protect them from getting severely wounded or killed. Also, the day before he came to Easy Company, one of Lt. Jones friends at West Point had his foot blown off by a mine

[@andrewsiarkiewicz341]

4 months in hell while he was in the hospital is a big difference. All these guys have been through a hell of a lot while he was gone Edit: the rape whistle comment got me chad lmao

[@doubleswords]

"We Stand Alone Together" is an extra documentary which not enough people react to. It includes more interviews and screen time with the veterans.

[@qburns2035]

Make sure when you watch the Pacific, that you get the episodes with the interviews and narrative context in the beginning

[@Lina_unchained]

Guarnere is pronounced "Gar-neer" Garnier is shampoo lol. One of my relatives was friends with Wild Bill Guarnere and Joe Toye back in their days. He said the actor who played Guarnere did really well portraying how Bill was back then

[@cyberdan42]

So you are aware, this sort of aggressive combat patrol is pretty standard among well-trained combat units, the river is the major complicating factor (but also an aid as it makes the enemy feel more secure) which could make (as the episode shows) extraction under fire tough. But it is a mark of a well motivated and aggressive unit that they regularly patrol and do what is called securing the initiative and frontline. Of course it also results in inevitable savage small unit clashes and casualties for little apparent long term gain, but war has a savage and merciless calculus all of its own.

[@Elmarby]

Indeed. Offensive patrols and prisoner snatches were pretty normal when the front settles down. In case of the former it was felt beneficial to the offensive spirit of the unit and would put psychological pressure on the enemy. Prisoner snatches gave the added bonus of getting an idea of what unit was opposite their front, their strength, morale, and supporting units. Ordering a second snatch is inexcusable though. Sink should have had the good sense to realize that Easy was too depleted and exhausted and that the enemy would be more alert. Snatching more prisoners would only tell them the same info as the first prisoners did in any case. A completely pointless order.

[@cyberdan42]

@@Elmarby Agreed. One of the most obvious examples of limited offensive actions were the WW1 trench raids. The success of such limited operations relies hugely on surprise and the complacency of the opposition. Running two operations back to back is literally inviting a crushing defeat by an angry, nervous and alert enemy. But over confidence bordering on arrogance mixed with a lacing of braggart is not an uncommon thing, especially in aggressive elite units and commands, you want your troops and officers to by near that borderline, on this occasion Sink crossed into foolhardy and wasteful, fortunately Winters was an exceptional and courageous junior officer.

[@ExUSSailor]

Well, there were the Army Rangers, of course, but they were more light infantry than dedicated special forces. There were USMC Raiders, the Navy UDTs got their start in WW2, and, there was the 1st Special Service Force, nicknamed "the Devil's Brigade" by the Germans.. It was a joint Canadian-U.S. unit formed to handle special missions.

[@nemesis4852]

On a patrol like the one planned; no helmets just baseball or watch caps because 1) Helmets make noise, 2) very recognizable silhouette, and 3) make it difficult to hear when worn, particularly in stealth missions like a prisoner snatch. (A helmet is lifesaving under artillery barrages, trenches, or fortified positions, or in direct daylight assaults.) Former 2nd 503rd 101st Airborne division 1973.

[@boosuedon]

In the 506th Battalion there were 11 companies, each company had a primary function. One company would be "Headquarters Co", one would be "Transportation Co", one would be "Supply Co" and so on. "Easy Co" was the "Special Weapons and Tactics Co". They were the assault muscle of the Battalion. That is why Col Sink sought out Easy Co to silence the guns at Brecourt Mannor, lead the assault on Carentan and now, secure prisoners for interrogation. There were other companies that were "shooters" as well but Easy was trained on all weapons, strategies and tactics. The fact that then Lt Winters was able to quickly and effectively come up with a "plan of attack" to take those guns was no accident. Easy Company were true bad asses!

[@RichardTaylor1800]

Regarding the crazy special ops-style nature of the mission: prisoner grabs were pretty common across regular units back then. I have a book by a Canadian sergeant-major who fought from the beaches of Normandy until he was wounded in Holland in 1945, and he describes in detail how they would go out some nights and snatch German prisoners, usually finding a foxhole with two soldiers in it, killing the conscious one, then beating and dragging the one who had been asleep back to Canadian lines. Wasn't any kind of a special unit, just a regular infantry company. One of those things that you either learn how to do by necessity or die in a failed attempt. I think that's actually part of the reason why special forces were created in the first place. Because these missions were so specialized and dangerous (among many, many other types of operations), they developed particular units specifically for that kind of detail. Commandos existed in WWII but of course not in enough numbers to assign them to every, say, battalion. In other words, ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Crazy stuff, you ask me: these were just normal citizens put in these incredible situations, and they did the best they could.

[@saltydoctor4033]

Thanks for taking us through this journey again ^^ i miss this show so much and it's a bummer that there aren't many like it...

[@kzintilord6145]

Lieutenant Jones (Colin Hanks) was promoted because as a graduate of West Point, the US Military Academy, he's a career soldier and at least educated in staff and command work, not just another warm body. So yeah, an officer up at battalion would want first dibs on him. It's like getting an intern who can actually do their job with minimal supervision.

[@jordanvangundy975]

Something to keep in mind, it’s not like there was any warning for the Battle of the Bulge. The one-legged Sgt. (whose name I can’t spell and I can’t spell the STD that is also his nickname) just happened to get back in time. If he had waited a little longer, he easily could have missed the battle too. The guys in the hospital had no idea of knowing their unit would be moving out with no notice.

[@MrDiver1959]

great reactions from you two. so glad that young people still exist that realize and appreciate the sacrifice of them that came before

[@Blue-qr7qe]

Good job, guys - thanks

[@Rogue-7.62]

Major Winters was on his way to becoming a General and another General actually mentions that fact near the end. However Winters chose to leave the Army after the war ended.

[@maggsmvp04]

After this you guys need to watch The Pacific, about the pacific theater of war with Japan. It's more dark and savage.

[@thesaltyengineer6086]

SO... also understand that near the end of the video where you are talking about personnel and command movements of character is that 1) movie/show budget you can't hire 200 main characters and show every single one of the soldier's stories as cool as it would be to do that, however you can condense multiple stories into 1 character 2) as accurate as BoB is it is still a show not a documentary. Corners has to be cut for time and budget. But in the end they do it very well for that kind of show.

[@leopardskills69]

If you look in the background when they load up on the trucks. There is an Military Police Jeep, with Private Cobb in it. He was arrested for drunk on duty, and was courtmartialed

[@justinchristoph3725]

13:45 "I don't know what kind of Special Operations units existed in World War II". The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was the intelligence agency of the United States during World War II. The OSS was formed as an agency of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to coordinate espionage activities behind enemy lines for all branches of the United States Armed Forces.

[@Alvin-1138]

Webster's book is _excellent,_ and fills in a lot of details. His reputation & philosophy was the common "Never Volunter For anything", and they all knew it. BUT, more importantly he _never_ avoided doing his job or helping his friends no matter the danger. Webster dropped out of Ivy League College to enlist, he didn't use the College or his Family's privilege to avoid service. Or to get a safe/stateside Officer'a Commision. He even wrote a letter Home, basically saying to his family what Speirs said to Blythe. (I'm probably not coming home so get ready)

[@Stubbies2003]

So in the USAF we would say you are always training your replacement. The point is you don't want to have a Winters who is the best at what he does and no one else at his level because if Winters gets killed you want someone else to be able to immediately take over and push towards whatever the objective is. The absolute worst case scenario is having all of the expertise at one person and you lose that one person at the worst time possible. That has the very real possibility of wasting an entire platoon of people. Obviously doing this in war time speeds up the process and you just hope you have enough Winters and Speirs etc. to keep filling the holes as they are promoted.

[@Canadian169]

Also, the dude yelling on the river bank was Tom Hanks. And his kid was sitting there listening to it, lol.

[@douglascampbell9809]

Arianna needs to watch The Pacific next.

[@oboogie2]

Trivia point: the voice of the third prisoner crying from the far bank was actually Tom Hanks.

[@EricPalmerBlog]

Also, in the ETO, even regular infantry did night time prisoner grabs. The target was usually an enemy forward observation post that did not conceal itself well. Example: in the book "If You Survive".

[@rogergriffith3924]

Promotions from 2Lt to 1Lt re determined by time in grade. The rank of Captain is a billeted position meaning that the position has to be occupied with proven compentence. The rank of Major is usually given to either Battilion Exeutive officers or senior staff officers in regimental or division. Usually "ring knockers" or West Pointers are selected before the "mud grovellers" ie the ROTC or OCS for appointment and a chance for promotion.

[@dirus3142]

This episode is based on Webster's book Parachute Infantry, as well as Ambros', and other interviews by the men involved.

[@jimomaha7809]

This kind of intelligence / capture prisoner(s) missions was done by many regular army units. The Germans also did this. In Holland they also took civilians who were still living in the front line as they might have knoledge about Allied units in the area. In Holland the 101st also had sent an group on information collection accros the Rhine. This became later known as "The Incredable patrol" They went with 6 men behind the German lines for about 2 days and they retuned with 32 German prisoners captured in those days.

[@unboxingbuds7555]

It's funny cause Malarky said Jackson had been with them for awhile, but winters ands Heffron think he joined right before market garden. He also helped toye and guarnere get medical help after they got blown up as the driver that took them was an ammo resupply jeep and he refused to take them until Jackson threatened him with a gun. Also I read that Webster was liked very much due to his light and friendly attitude which is similar to why Luz was so well loved. Also Lt. Jones was a ladder climber he was well connected and knew he wouldn't be in easy for long he just needed the combat experience to get promoted, not to say he wouldn't be a good leader I read some stuff on him and it was that he was good under pressure. He also stayed in Germany after the war only to die by a car accident at 23 years old.

[@linkus7918]

Back in the WW2/Korea war era, a lot of prisoner snatch missions were done by the Intelligence and reconnaissance platoon, though if that platoon was gone then they would just send whoever they could spare.

[@dastemplar9681]

Lt Jones became respected by Easy Company, he was still viewed as a green and “by-the-book” type, but they still saw the competence and potential in him. Heartbreaking that he died in a car accident later in Germany during the final days of the war.

[@dalewhiting2895]

If you notice in the in the MPs are putting cob in the back of a jeep and he’s arrested

[@nemesis4852]

So one more thing re: Unit Citations: Any Unit Citation awarded to any Unit is worn by every member of that Unit in that or in any other Unit in which he serves. If a service member is not in the Unit when the Citation was awarded he may only wear it if he is a current member of that Unit but not when a member of any other Unit. So the Soldier in question had the absolute right to wear that Unit Citation while serving in the Unit to which it had been awarded. Great reaction BTW as always😘.

[@LIGHTNING278TH]

The mission they were sent on is standard for Infantry to this day, Raids and Patrols, ATP 3-21.8.

[@lawrencewestby9229]

I believe Winters in real life was promoted to major a while earlier, probably when he took over the battalion (in Crossroads he was promoted to battalion XO). A battalion would normally be commanded by at least a major if not a lt. col.

[@EricPalmerBlog]

Great work guys. Thanks for sharing.

[@D-Wells0203]

Love your reactions. I really hope that you check out The Pacific when you’re done with Band of Brothers.

[@tokyosmash]

Band of brothers has its ups and downs, the pacific just leaves you feeling like you’re covered in icky bugs. Suck a phenomenal series

[@kevinberglund5229]

Love your reactions, B.O.B. Is best show hands down

[@Rogue-7.62]

The young Lt that Tom Hanks son played in this episode, never made it out of Germany. He was killed in jeep accident in Germany, shortly after the war ended.

[@mrsjr78]

I'm enjoying the fact that you guys have been ramping up the release rate of this series. Can't wait to see how you react to the last two eps.

[@HouTexHemi]

Of course there was no possible way for him to break out of the hospital and rejoin Easy in Bastogne. They were completely surrounded by half a million German troops! The guys are just bitter that he didn't go through it with them. They know it is impossible. Toye was wounded after they were already in Bastogne and rejoined them after the siege was lifted. Webster would have been in a hospital in a different country.