Watching Band of Brothers yet again. Today I was really struck by the 6th episode, “Bastogne.” Everything about it was powerful, beginning with the narratives of the surviving members of Easy Co. at the beginning. I especially remembered JB Stokes who said: “Even today, on a real cold night,” my wife will tell you that I say, “man, I’m glad I’m not in Bastogne.”

The focus of the story is the character played by Shane Taylor, medic, Cpl. Eugene Roe. God he was good in this episode. Then there was the member of Easy with trench foot, who refused to come off the line. The beautiful French nurse, killed at the end of the episode, and Cpl. Roe tearing the nurse’s scarf to use for a bandage, after staring at it for a moment or two.

It was just great. The whole miniseries is as good as television gets, but that episode stands out for me.

That is one of my favorite episodes as well. My wife and I just watched the series again last spring.

Every kid, male or female, that's headed to college should watch that entire show to counteract the crap they are about to be exposed to in school.
That might be the only history they learn but there are a number of important lessons there.
The later episode when they discover the concentration camp and see the local Germans that claim they didn't know is a good lesson too. Also, they get to see what a real concentration camp is about.

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It should be watched from the 6th grade on. That and the beginning of Saving Private Ryan...the landing on the beach scene. Maybe it would wake these idiot kids up. Unfortunately, this country's history is going down the garbage disposal fast.

To the OP...I can hear Mr. Stokes' voice in my head reading what you typed. Just amazing men and women of that era...

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Originally posted by erj_pilot:
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It should be watched from the 6th grade on. That and the beginning of Saving Private Ryan...the landing on the beach scene..

No, can't do that. Those kids would be traumatized and would never leave their "Safe Space".

I watch that whole series about once a year.

I haven't re-read the book in awhile but maybe this fall I will.

I originally read them before the series and they did amazing work getting it right.

quote:

Originally posted by 220-9er:
Every kid, male or female, that's headed to college should watch that entire show to counteract the crap they are about to be exposed to in school.
That might be the only history they learn but there are a number of important lessons there.
The later episode when they discover the concentration camp and see the local Germans that claim they didn't know is a good lesson too. Also, they get to see what a real concentration camp is about.

I watched it with my middle son years ago. Plan the same for my daughter at a later date.

I met a guy today from the 101st Airborne Division, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, H Company (BoB was focused on Easy Company). I don't know when he joined the group, but he was at Bastogne.

I asked him how accurate BoB was, and he said the vets and he think Hollywood played fast and loose with the facts and added a bunch of romantic BS. He also said Lt Soebel wasn't that bad. He said Soebel was tough, and trained his men hard, but it was war, not a dinner party. He said both the mini series and the book were 'commercial enterprises' and were both too hard on Soebel.

Still, BoB is the best WWII movie (or equivalent) I've seen made in the past 40 years, and I think it was excellent overall.

Siegel wasnt booted because he was hard on his men, he was booted because he sucked in the field.