Lieutenant Colonel Herbert Sobel was the initial company commander of the legendary ‘Easy Company’, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, during World War Two. He was a controversial figure and portrayed as a drill Instructor in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by David Schwimmer. As a consequence, Sobel is better remembered as Captain Sobel, as the depiction caused much debate. Sobel was a harsh drill instructor and strict disciplinarian. He was constantly berating his recruits and punishing them for minor infractions. He was also known to be petty and vindictive, earning the hatred of many of his men. He also trained his men intensely and at an extreme rate, pushing their limits but hardening them into top soldiers. Sobel himself was extremely fit and in recognition for his ability as a physical trainer, was promoted to Captain. His company became the finest of the Battalion. However, after advanced infantry training in England his pronounced lack of understanding of basic infantry combat tactics, poor map reading and panicking in unforeseen circumstances worked against him. He was subsequently removed from command of Easy Company, which hit him hard. On 06 June 1944, D-Day, Sobel parachuted into Normandy as part of Regimental HQ Company. He earned the Combat Infantry badge and the Bronze Star Medal. He was later reassigned to command and supervise the training at Chilton Foliat Jump School, England. In contrast, Sobel had a good reputation as a civilian and family man. When he returned to the United States in 1945, he married an attractive woman. They had three boys and a daughter who died several days after birth. He worked as a mid-level credit manager in downtown Chicago. He was a staunch Republican who wore a suit every day and a clean white shirt. His son, Michael, didn’t recall a single day when his father was sick or stayed at home from work. Mrs. Sobel worked too. Every morning, Sobel got up early and made her breakfast. Every evening after work, he made a cocktail for his wife. Michael remembers him as a loving and attentive father. He never heard him swear or loosing his temper. On Sunday mornings Sobel made pancakes and welcomed every neighborhood kid who strolled by. Sobel saved money, making it possible for all three sons to attend college. He was recalled to active duty during the Korean War and served many years in the Army National Guard. He retired at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. In the 1960s, he met Major Clarence Hester, who was Sobel's first Company Executive Officer. Hester found that Sobel was still very bitter over the lost command of Easy Company and showed indications of mental problems from his war experience. At the height of the Vietnam War, Sobel became estranged from his family due to political views. One of his sons turned into a longhaired Berkeley student who was arrested during a war protest in 1968, which hurt Sobel and strained the family’s relationship. In 1970, Sobel shot himself in the head with a pistol but survived. The bullet entered his left temple (which was strange, for he was right handed) but severed his optic nerves, blinding him for life. He was later moved to a VA facility in Waukegan, Illiniois, but their living conditions were poor. Sobel and his wife divorced soon after. It is not clear who filed for divorce. He resided there, reportedly living in a semi-vegetative state, for his last 17 years. He died of malnutrition on 30 September 1987 at age 75. No funeral or memorial service was held and no family members were in attendance when he died.
What a heartbreaking end to his story. He might have come across as an asshole, but he surely didn't deserve that. You gotta keep in mind, he wasn't an asshole just out of pure hatred for his men, he wanted them to become the best. And as you wrote, he was right in doing so. Poor guy. But thank you for the insight, it means a lot to me to hear those details. For me, he was a hero just like his fellow men.
Kyaw Thu they are still LEGS. If you have never stood in the door in the middle of the night and stared into the abyss at 1200 feet and UNASSEDTHE airplane you will always be a LEG.
@@RoKBottomStudios Knees are fine, my back is FUBAR thanks to a tree landing on Sicily DZ. How the hell the Air Force missed that giant , glow in the dark sandbox is beyond me, but they did, on all 3 passes no less!
Seven years on Jump status. First jump was a C123 in 1981 and I was the "Man in the Door", nervous and excited at the same time. Served in the 509th Airborne as a grunt and then went to the 101st Airborne as a Pathfinder. Even got the chance to jump from a C47 in Honduras. Earned my "Master B;asters", which i still cherish to this day! Airborne!
If Sobel about went to pieces just jumping-imagine him in a combat situation. At least Colonel Sink realized this-and wouldn't have without the NCO mutiny. Worth a few chevrons that one can always get back instead of their lives which is irreplaceable.
In reality, even if Sobel hadn’t been relieved, his time as commander of Easy company would have come to a quick ending. Many an incompetent or dangerous officer was lost due to fratricide in the middle of a fire fight. I think you get my drift. I remember my WWII father telling me about that as he also taught me that a good officer leads from the front and always takes care of his men. You see that clearly in Winters.
@@seanassociateproductions1691 Sobel did jump into Normandy, but not as a combat leader as he would've hoped for. Colonel Sink had him train rear echelon and non combatant personnel, and then he ran logistics with headquarters in Europe for the regiment.
Only had 3 jump refusals in 26 years of jumping. “Show me a man who will jump and I’ll show you a man who will fight!” Few things are as mighty on thee battlefield as a pissed off paratrooper.
I served with 37th armored regiment in Germany in the early 70s. They were the first in to relieve the 101st at Bastogne. Creighton Abrams commanding. Basking in reflected glory. 😇
Courage Conquers! I was with 1st battalion [Bandits] 37th Armored for my first tour in Iraq as a Cavalry Scout. We were stationed on Biggs Army Airfield, Fort Bliss, Texas. This was 2008. I stayed with them until 2012.
I've read that the French had personal chutes which they not only had to pack themselves but care for like any other piece of their equipment. Don't know if it's still the same now.
I admit it. That first jump the jumpmaster had to damn near throw me out. But after that, I was good. Did 15 of them, well 20 really [you don't count jump school jumps].
Was listening to an Airforce guy talking about his Tech Sergeant(?) during training. Apparently, this Sergeant tells the guy's training company (IDK what MOS) they had to get into chutes and ride in the C130 but jumping was optional. So this guy says: "The pilot took the plane up to 5k or 10K feet and pulled up SHARPLY, dumping us out like so much garbage. That's the day I learned my Tech Sergeant was a Liar!"
@@carlhicksjr8401 I was in the Army. ANOC (which I never attended... only reaching BNOC) was a "Master Class" in sugarcoating and twisting the truth for those below you. This poor fool though the "Chair Force" would somehow be different from the "lower services" (Army, Navy, and Marines) treatment of enlisted. He was wrong! :)
The thing most memorial about my first jump from the C-130 is how quite the world became when the parachute opened. My fourth jump was from a Huey and I heard the ripple of the of the rubber shroud packing bands.
It's not the same, but I noticed the exact thing when I first went parasailing. On the boat, it's loud and chaotic with the sound of the boat, the water, the people talking, the music .... But once you're up there, everything is almost silent with just the light rustling of the chute
It’s a great series enjoyed watching it I served and 82nd airborne and we did it a little differently than it was portrayed we did the real thing it was a blast I miss my brothers B-1319 FA
actually if he were the one to check the gear, It would put my mind at ease, as he was a total perfectionist for everything related to that, but if the man was to lead my unit in combat, that would be a totally different story and I would be the first one to get scared shitless
I quite agree with the others here. His inept field skills are no impediment to the rest of his military skills. Not everyone is cut out for front line duty. That's why the vast majority of most modern militaries aren't made up of front line soldiers. There's so much more to it than that. I knew an old boy who was in the British army from 1940 until the wars end. He was basically a postman. Still had some bullets fly at him in Greece and Egypt though.
I know the 101st had it's share of glory, but now it's time for someone to shed light on the 82nd which jumped into Sicily and North Africa years before under the frontline leadership of 'Slim Jim' Gavin-who studied the tactics and organization of the Luftwaffe's 'Fallschirmjager' units and wrote the book on US airborne doctrine. His forces were scattered all over Sicily and with bits and pieces of other scattered units integrated them into his own (even regular Army infantry) and went toe to toe with German paratroopers who were elite soldiers.
I went to Jump school in the Summer of 2000, with a few guys from AIT (couple of us even went to Basic together) - I was nervous until we hooked up and started to the door. My friend Ryan was in front (1st man out the door) I was right behind him. He went, and I was like, well shit, he did it, I'm doing it. 100+ jumps later, still get a bit nervous haha, but wouldn't say scared. Static line hook ups still the same, just yellow now (think they upgraded this after I got out) Jump out of CH-47's, black-hawks, C130's, C17's and (if you go to Korea, Hot air Balloons) and typically 1200 feet AGL vs the 1000 they used to in this series. But ultimately not much has changed. PLF's still the same, same checks, same shuffle lol .. all these years later! Also a little trick if you get dragged, pop just 1 of your risers on the ground, it will deflated the chute.
@@xenojester13 Thanks for that. I have been wondering about the wisdom of maintaining paratrooper units. Can that type of tactic be used like in the past? Just asking out of curiosity.
John Boy no, not really with ground based weapons and anti aircraft technology. You can use it for QRF operations and to get outside of a theater of operation with equipment (means trucks supplies etc all get airdropped). As for an actual combat jump behind enemy lines that’s more a HALO / HAHO thing for special operations forces and maybe LARS units etc. This is why hardly any “combat jumps” were conducted in Afghan, you can just land in Bagram haha!
William Ryan , I went to jump school summer of 01. It’s uncanny how much didn’t change over all of those years. I was so pumped up on my first jump, no fear whatsoever. My second jump however scared shitless. 40+ later jumps weren’t the problem. For me that was the easiest part. What this doesn’t show is the long hours to prep for a jump. The weight of your ruck sack, weapon, secondary and primary chute that you carry on the ground and walk to the flight line. It doesn’t show a missed drop zone mark and the march after you land carrying that shit all over again. As much as I remember my first jump, my worse jump stands out. Missed the mark at the Normandy drop zone at Ft. Bragg. Felt like at eternity just to make it to a parachute drop point. I was so beat down I didn’t have on my helmet... a major no no. I remember thinking, “ I wish a mfer would say something after all of this” lol. Sorry for the long post just strolling time great horrible fun times.
We all were scared as fuck on our first jump. The thing is, he still did it. Hate the man for being an asshole to his troops, but don't disrespect him because he's human. He also made a combat jump, so yeah, he was scared, he conquered his fear of death and did the deed.
I was 0311 (Rifleman) in The Corps and then made it through a weekend pre Recon selection run by 2nd Recon Battalion at Lejeune in '75 and was sent to BRC (Basic Recon Course) and then in quick succession to Pre Combat Diver School and then Jump School at Benning...after BRC and Pre Combat Diver School, Jump School was a really fun relaxing three weeks and the chow halls at Benning were like three star restaurants. I put on 7 lbs in 3 weeks.
Definitely dreading the jump, I don't think sobel ever really portrayed envy of Winters until he had to salute him at the end. Even when they were both promoted in the first episode, I felt he only made him take mess duty as a way to lighten his own load.
This is pretty damn accurate. And there is not such thing as a refusal in the aircraft. Okay, maybe there is, but it's 1/million. Dale Dye did a great, great job. He was acting above his pay grade.
The airborne was still developing during WWII for the US Army and by the time the 101st were jump qualified, the US Army already had a combat airborne division with the 82nd. I know initially paratroopers used football helmets till they developed an adequate retention strap for the M1 helmet for airborne use, but by the time Easy Company was being qualified as paratroopers, was it SOP to use the football helmet initially and then transition to a full combat dress? Any insight would be appreciated.
I don't know about that but I was surprised to learn that at a certain point in time paratroopers jumping out of both sides of the plane at once was a new idea.
"....Hopefully under deployed canopies..." Sorta like when they told us right before they dropped us in the ocean that barracuda are attracted to the white sox we wore....
Sobel reminds me of Johansen from Heartbreak Ridge "Jumping out of a perfectly good aircraft is not a natural act, so just do it right and enjoy the view"
@@JammyDodger45 Gravity hasn't changed??? Well, no shit. You think maybe I was talking about static-line jumping? And the equipment check? And the jump commands? "Gravity" 🙄
The paratroopers were created by the US during WW1. The first-ever paratrooper jump was going to be deployed in Germany between 1918-1919. Of course, this never happened due to the Wednesday Armistice being signed prior to deploy date.
Former german paratrooper here: Believe me boys, on the first jump everyone is nervous like Sobel! When you stand at the door, see he wide world and the depth under your boots you will sweat. Maybe you scream while jumping, but when you touch mother earth, i swear you, you can't wait that the plane land and pick up you again! Always jumped out of a C160 'Transall'. Glück ab, to all para's all over the world!
I always read this as his perfect little fantasy that he is a brilliant leader of men is continuing to slowly, steadily wear down under the grind of more challenging training that he himself must now endure for the first time. Its no longer just "infantry" drilling and PT. Early in the episode he takes pride in random contraband searches, sudden PT announcements, and berating his men for weakness. But then the men rally together, including Winters leading them in song up Currahee. You can see it start there, as he watches them continue to run past, at first he wants to punish them for standing up to his behavior. But then his brain switches back on and he realizes they are actually responding well. When they get to England it gets worse, as he struggles under pressure during maneuvers and field training. Suddenly Mr. Hi-oh Silver appears to be incompetent. He gets lost and starts to panic because he's embarrassed, rather than realize mistakes can happen, its best if they happen during training when he can learn from them before lives are at stake, and move on. Because he's entire being is built on the idea of yelling and berating his men for inadequacies, he can't allow himself to ask those same men for help or even try to relate his challenges to theirs. This scene here, with the look of frustration as the most terrifying moment of his life ends with an awkward fight with his own chute, is the first big crack in the psyche of Sobel. David Schwimmer is incredible. (Also, yes, he may have in fact shit himself)
@@beemoney19 It's a crazy thing to think about how he made great soldiers, but did not have the capacity or ability to lead them. Because of his rank they followed his command, but they didn't respect him, and even less so when they realized he'd only get them killed. I agree with what you said that his self worth is built on belittling the people he trained. I'd add that it isn't so much having to ask them for help when he screws up, it's that he's not one of them. They bonded on their hatred of him, pushed each other to get things right so he'd be off their backs, came together one failed. All the things he demanded of them, he himself couldn't put forward and it showed in the worst ways. That realization he has is a mix of, "I'm not one of them, and I can't do this." Then there's the whole thing with Winters. His ego was going to cost them a great commander in Winters just before they literally jump into the deep end. I think if he asked for help when he screwed up they'd respect and maybe like him more. You acknowledge you messed up but is willing to reach out. It'd show he trusts them to act when he can't. That's what good leaders do or so I've been told. If they can't do, they delegate to someone that can.
@@Whatisright The problem is since they expanded the Army so much during the war they didn't have experienced officers leading men into battle. Sobel before failing at all of these exercises had never even exeperienced simulated war scenarios before. He was qualified in drilling soldiers because that's what he learned during his days at the military academy. But was straight up inept at actually being a war time officer.
Just to add to the previous comments: Those parachuts are extremly expensive. I think they were made from pure silk. So butchering your landing and destroying the chut could get you in quite some trouble.
Science: Jumping out of a plane is perfectly safe Also Science: unless you accidentally land in a tree, then you‘re dead Me: ok then, guess what I‘m never doing
Yes, even during practice jumps after being assigned to units it wouldn’t be uncommon for men to die in such circumstances. I mean they even sing a song about malfunctioning during a jump and dying
urban legend of the Gurkhas, so probably not a legend. When told they were parachuting into ta mission they objected to height of the drop 5k foot drop and wanted it to be half that, until the CO said "your parachutes wont work" and their response was Oh We get parachutes, that's fine then. Another favourite was that when white officers pissed them off they stole their shoelaces whilst they slept.
On D Day there were reportedly nine refusals to jump on the part of US airborne troops and at least 35 other uninjured paratroopers returned to England aboard C-47s. (Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_airborne_landings_in_Normandy).
So anyone can tell me the airborne training at this time? I know they didn't have a proper M1 helmet for airborne training, so they want with football helmets for the time being. I understand they are starting light and working up to wear full battle rattle, but why didn't they simply use the M1 helmet for their first jump? Thoughts on this?
Football helmets were still leather. Same company though, Riddell. It was a dedicated parachutist's helmet. (airbornejumpjacket.com/2013/06/14/us-airborne-riddell-paratrooper-training-helmet/)
US went from peace time to suddenly in the thick of fighting in World War II so they suddenly needed a lot more officers and soldiers then before so you make officers out of people who otherwise wouldn't have been so in peace time.
...or if your pilot misses the drop zone, or the powers blow off unsafe weather conditions to give a go for the jump, or if your rigger screwed up packing your chute, or if the guy behind you pushes you out too close to the guy in front of you, or the guy behind you follows you too closely or if if if if. Went on about 50 jumps in my time in the 82nd, saw two guys burn in, heard about others, don't think I had a single jump where there was not someone screaming medic, or just screaming on the DZ. My favorite jump was a 'fun' jump we did on a day off-- plane was not jam packed, no equipment, jumped at about 2000 feet, which was a glorious amount of chute time. Landed softer than a feather hitting a pillow though experience made me expect an impact like jumping off a two story building at 20 mph..
Sorry for the 2 month old reply, the quote I made was from Medal of Honor: Airborne in reference to the tutorial in jumping out of a plane. Thought it was fitting.
Jumping out of a plane is about the most un-natural thing you can do. I did it once to get a girl (it worked BTW). But I'll never do it again without taking at least my own body weight of the plane with me.
No, if you think a little about it they look kind of similar but that’s not him. This one portrayed Herbert Sobel (Played by David Schwimmer), the original CO of Easy Company. The Pacific portrayed Eugene Sledge (Played by Joe Mazzello), I believe he was a Corporal. Sledge was a Marine, Sobel was a Paratrooper. Hope this helps!
LTC Sink is doing a Hollywood version of a southern accent . So you could say Capt Dye is a mid southerner doing a Hollywood deep southern accent. The old accent is so beautiful it almost gives ya chills and goosebumps but is slowly dying away with the generations . It's a pity of course ,everything southern is horrible and disgraceful according to Hollyweird . Southern accents are so cringeful and embarrassing...
@@dcornejoy Its all regional , You can go up into the Mtns like Bryson city or Maggie valley. If u thought Knoxville was bad .lol..Then you have the Piedmont and Coastal areas . The further away you get from metropolitan areas are where you'll find older accents. Hell , there's a few islands off the Carolinas who still speak with an English dialect. Of course it's all from English and Scots-Irish. The trick to speaking southern is to speak very slowly. Reason is, it's so godamn hot down here you dont wanna do anything to quickly for fear of falling out .
They landed a lot harder than that...like jumping from a 12 foot high height. No air brakes back then. If you didn't bend/lean properly, almost certainly a broken ankle.
Michael Akkerman Oh. Yes that patch.. Military history tells us that the patch you speak of is to commemorate the size of the testicles belonging to Ronald Speirs.. I tried to ask Mr. Speirs about the patch once. But he just looked at me, and asked me if I wanted a 🚬.. I then watched him walk into a liquor store. . BUT THE MOST AMAZING THING WAS.. AFTER HOOKING UP AN I PHONE.. THE SON OF BITCH CAME BACK..
But it doesn't matter because I recently found out that it's a General HQ Reserves patch, basically what state-side troops wear who have not been assigned to a combat unit yet. So go fuck yourself :D
Lieutenant Colonel Herbert Sobel was the initial company commander of the legendary ‘Easy Company’, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, during World War Two. He was a controversial figure and portrayed as a drill Instructor in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by David Schwimmer. As a consequence, Sobel is better remembered as Captain Sobel, as the depiction caused much debate.
Sobel was a harsh drill instructor and strict disciplinarian. He was constantly berating his recruits and punishing them for minor infractions. He was also known to be petty and vindictive, earning the hatred of many of his men. He also trained his men intensely and at an extreme rate, pushing their limits but hardening them into top soldiers. Sobel himself was extremely fit and in recognition for his ability as a physical trainer, was promoted to Captain. His company became the finest of the Battalion.
However, after advanced infantry training in England his pronounced lack of understanding of basic infantry combat tactics, poor map reading and panicking in unforeseen circumstances worked against him. He was subsequently removed from command of Easy Company, which hit him hard.
On 06 June 1944, D-Day, Sobel parachuted into Normandy as part of Regimental HQ Company. He earned the Combat Infantry badge and the Bronze Star Medal. He was later reassigned to command and supervise the training at Chilton Foliat Jump School, England.
In contrast, Sobel had a good reputation as a civilian and family man. When he returned to the United States in 1945, he married an attractive woman. They had three boys and a daughter who died several days after birth. He worked as a mid-level credit manager in downtown Chicago. He was a staunch Republican who wore a suit every day and a clean white shirt. His son, Michael, didn’t recall a single day when his father was sick or stayed at home from work. Mrs. Sobel worked too. Every morning, Sobel got up early and made her breakfast. Every evening after work, he made a cocktail for his wife. Michael remembers him as a loving and attentive father. He never heard him swear or loosing his temper. On Sunday mornings Sobel made pancakes and welcomed every neighborhood kid who strolled by. Sobel saved money, making it possible for all three sons to attend college.
He was recalled to active duty during the Korean War and served many years in the Army National Guard. He retired at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. In the 1960s, he met Major Clarence Hester, who was Sobel's first Company Executive Officer. Hester found that Sobel was still very bitter over the lost command of Easy Company and showed indications of mental problems from his war experience.
At the height of the Vietnam War, Sobel became estranged from his family due to political views. One of his sons turned into a longhaired Berkeley student who was arrested during a war protest in 1968, which hurt Sobel and strained the family’s relationship.
In 1970, Sobel shot himself in the head with a pistol but survived. The bullet entered his left temple (which was strange, for he was right handed) but severed his optic nerves, blinding him for life. He was later moved to a VA facility in Waukegan, Illiniois, but their living conditions were poor. Sobel and his wife divorced soon after. It is not clear who filed for divorce. He resided there, reportedly living in a semi-vegetative state, for his last 17 years. He died of malnutrition on 30 September 1987 at age 75. No funeral or memorial service was held and no family members were in attendance when he died.
pretty sad. thank you for the information.
Sometimes you bite the world, sometimes it bites you
What a heartbreaking end to his story. He might have come across as an asshole, but he surely didn't deserve that. You gotta keep in mind, he wasn't an asshole just out of pure hatred for his men, he wanted them to become the best. And as you wrote, he was right in doing so. Poor guy. But thank you for the insight, it means a lot to me to hear those details. For me, he was a hero just like his fellow men.
Wow!
Very tragic. It seems that Sobel's biggest flaw was taking himself far too seriously, to the point of pushing people away :(
I appreciated how LTC Sink addressed Sgt Grant by name when he gave him the pint.
Now we parachute from planes at extreme heights for recreation
Kyaw Thu they are still LEGS. If you have never stood in the door in the middle of the night and stared into the abyss at 1200 feet and UNASSEDTHE airplane you will always be a LEG.
@@robertmartin9549 What the hell is a LEG?
@@IIBloodXLustII It is short for "straight legged infantry" i.e. those who have never bent their knees landing after a combat parachute jump.
*space
@@RoKBottomStudios Knees are fine, my back is FUBAR thanks to a tree landing on Sicily DZ. How the hell the Air Force missed that giant , glow in the dark sandbox is beyond me, but they did, on all 3 passes no less!
The one where Ross is scared to jump
They were on leave!
@@oz_jones in london!
Scurrrrred?😳
Jman
Does anyone else notice that Sobel looks scared as hell when preparing to jump? That's some great acting on whoever was playing Captain Sobel.....
David Schwimmer.
Ross
Yeah, great act and very convincing.
Well let’s be honest if you had to jump out of a perfectly good airplane, You would be scared too. Hell I’d shit myself lol
During airborne school I was actually more scared of the 250ft tower than jumping out of a plane. Maybe it's just me.
George Luz's imitation of Capt. Sobel sounds like a muppet.
whats the goddamn holdup mr sobel
A fence, sir a....a _barbed wire fence!_
@@davecrupel2817 "will you cut that fence and get this goddamn platoon on the move!!"
Hats off to David Schwimmer for the acting. You can smell Ross' fear through the TV screen.
Winters fearlessly leading the men out of the plane this early on is great plot shadowing
Thank god for Winters
@@jonnybirchyboy1560 THANK G-D INDEED FOR WINTERS AND ALL LIEUTENANTS LIKE HIM , 🇺🇸🇮🇱✡️🕎🙏👍❤️🌹, (SOBEL , something else)
@@jonnybirchyboy1560 THANK G-D INDEED FOR WINTERS AND ALL LIEUTENANTS LIKE HIM , 🇺🇸🇮🇱✡️🕎🙏👍❤️🌹, (SOBEL , something else)
Seven years on Jump status. First jump was a C123 in 1981 and I was the "Man in the Door", nervous and excited at the same time. Served in the 509th Airborne as a grunt and then went to the 101st Airborne as a Pathfinder. Even got the chance to jump from a C47 in Honduras. Earned my "Master B;asters", which i still cherish to this day! Airborne!
I like how Easy men treat each others almost equals as friends than ranks. One of the sign of great combat unit.
Dale Dye one of the best character actors I've seen. You can recognize him in lots of movies.
And he was one hell of a Marine too
@@rithvikmuthyalapati9754 yeah but we wont5hold it against him that he was a crayon eater. He is one of the good crayon eaters
If Sobel about went to pieces just jumping-imagine him in a combat situation. At least Colonel Sink realized this-and wouldn't have without the NCO mutiny. Worth a few chevrons that one can always get back instead of their lives which is irreplaceable.
Tom Servo true Col Sink realized it but the cost is Lt Meehan
If sobel wasnt reassigned he will be in the plane Meehan was on
@@witchking008 Lots of variables and 'what if's' though.
In reality, even if Sobel hadn’t been relieved, his time as commander of Easy company would have come to a quick ending. Many an incompetent or dangerous officer was lost due to fratricide in the middle of a fire fight. I think you get my drift. I remember my WWII father telling me about that as he also taught me that a good officer leads from the front and always takes care of his men. You see that clearly in Winters.
Except Sobel jumped into Normandy and was awarded a bronze star for bravery in combat, I’m pretty sure the mutiny was an eye opener for him.
@@seanassociateproductions1691 Sobel did jump into Normandy, but not as a combat leader as he would've hoped for. Colonel Sink had him train rear echelon and non combatant personnel, and then he ran logistics with headquarters in Europe for the regiment.
Only had 3 jump refusals in 26 years of jumping. “Show me a man who will jump and I’ll show you a man who will fight!” Few things are as mighty on thee battlefield as a pissed off paratrooper.
I served with 37th armored regiment in Germany in the early 70s. They were the first in to relieve the 101st at Bastogne. Creighton Abrams commanding. Basking in reflected glory. 😇
Courage Conquers! I was with 1st battalion [Bandits] 37th Armored for my first tour in Iraq as a Cavalry Scout. We were stationed on Biggs Army Airfield, Fort Bliss, Texas. This was 2008. I stayed with them until 2012.
Any refusal at the door and you are OUT of the airborne. THAT is a true statement even today from what I understand.
I would prefer regular infantry over airborne infantry
"How do you expect to slay the Huns with dust on your Jump Wings?" lol
Amazingly these guys packed their own chutes. The riggers came later.
I've read that the French had personal chutes which they not only had to pack themselves but care for like any other piece of their equipment. Don't know if it's still the same now.
4-25 airborne. Now we have Arctic paratroopers that get to jump AND freeze their fucking asses off.
I admit it. That first jump the jumpmaster had to damn near throw me out. But after that, I was good. Did 15 of them, well 20 really [you don't count jump school jumps].
Was listening to an Airforce guy talking about his Tech Sergeant(?) during training. Apparently, this Sergeant tells the guy's training company (IDK what MOS) they had to get into chutes and ride in the C130 but jumping was optional. So this guy says: "The pilot took the plane up to 5k or 10K feet and pulled up SHARPLY, dumping us out like so much garbage. That's the day I learned my Tech Sergeant was a Liar!"
@@swaghauler8334 And it wasn't the last time a sergeant lied to you, was it? WAS IT? 😆😆
@@carlhicksjr8401 I was in the Army. ANOC (which I never attended... only reaching BNOC) was a "Master Class" in sugarcoating and twisting the truth for those below you.
This poor fool though the "Chair Force" would somehow be different from the "lower services" (Army, Navy, and Marines) treatment of enlisted. He was wrong! :)
@@swaghauler8334 well technically...he wasn't lying since they didn't have to jump 😂😂😂
I’m a five jump chump but I’m air assault all day. Thanks for your service brother
The thing most memorial about my first jump from the C-130 is how quite the world became when the parachute opened. My fourth jump was from a Huey and I heard the ripple of the of the rubber shroud packing bands.
It's not the same, but I noticed the exact thing when I first went parasailing. On the boat, it's loud and chaotic with the sound of the boat, the water, the people talking, the music .... But once you're up there, everything is almost silent with just the light rustling of the chute
Colonel Sink seems like a really likeable leader.
Sink also had a keen eye for movies, after the war he became an advisor to film directors.
It’s a great series enjoyed watching it I served and 82nd airborne and we did it a little differently than it was portrayed we did the real thing it was a blast I miss my brothers B-1319 FA
Mad max Max 101st here. Love you guys. Miss my brothers.
@@robertmartin9549 101st don't even count as real paratroopers anymore
Can you imagine how terrifying it would be if Sobel was the one who green lit your equipment check?!?
actually if he were the one to check the gear, It would put my mind at ease, as he was a total perfectionist for everything related to that, but if the man was to lead my unit in combat, that would be a totally different story and I would be the first one to get scared shitless
This man had a better eye for uniform and gear than anyone else. He could see microscopic dust particles on clothes. It'd be good to have him check it
I quite agree with the others here. His inept field skills are no impediment to the rest of his military skills.
Not everyone is cut out for front line duty. That's why the vast majority of most modern militaries aren't made up of front line soldiers. There's so much more to it than that.
I knew an old boy who was in the British army from 1940 until the wars end. He was basically a postman. Still had some bullets fly at him in Greece and Egypt though.
I know the 101st had it's share of glory, but now it's time for someone to shed light on the 82nd which jumped into Sicily and North Africa years before under the frontline leadership of 'Slim Jim' Gavin-who studied the tactics and organization of the Luftwaffe's 'Fallschirmjager' units and wrote the book on US airborne doctrine. His forces were scattered all over Sicily and with bits and pieces of other scattered units integrated them into his own (even regular Army infantry) and went toe to toe with German paratroopers who were elite soldiers.
Wasn't Gavin, at 35, the youngest major general ever at that time?
I went to Jump school in the Summer of 2000, with a few guys from AIT (couple of us even went to Basic together) - I was nervous until we hooked up and started to the door. My friend Ryan was in front (1st man out the door) I was right behind him. He went, and I was like, well shit, he did it, I'm doing it. 100+ jumps later, still get a bit nervous haha, but wouldn't say scared. Static line hook ups still the same, just yellow now (think they upgraded this after I got out) Jump out of CH-47's, black-hawks, C130's, C17's and (if you go to Korea, Hot air Balloons) and typically 1200 feet AGL vs the 1000 they used to in this series. But ultimately not much has changed. PLF's still the same, same checks, same shuffle lol .. all these years later! Also a little trick if you get dragged, pop just 1 of your risers on the ground, it will deflated the chute.
Just curious, did they still use CH-47s as part of your training?
John Boy not in jump school just C141and C130. Didn’t jump a Chinook till I got to first group. Most of our jumps there were out of CH47.
@@xenojester13 Thanks for that. I have been wondering about the wisdom of maintaining paratrooper units. Can that type of tactic be used like in the past? Just asking out of curiosity.
John Boy no, not really with ground based weapons and anti aircraft technology. You can use it for QRF operations and to get outside of a theater of operation with equipment (means trucks supplies etc all get airdropped). As for an actual combat jump behind enemy lines that’s more a HALO / HAHO thing for special operations forces and maybe LARS units etc. This is why hardly any “combat jumps” were conducted in Afghan, you can just land in Bagram haha!
William Ryan , I went to jump school summer of 01. It’s uncanny how much didn’t change over all of those years. I was so pumped up on my first jump, no fear whatsoever. My second jump however scared shitless.
40+ later jumps weren’t the problem. For me that was the easiest part. What this doesn’t show is the long hours to prep for a jump. The weight of your ruck sack, weapon, secondary and primary chute that you carry on the ground and walk to the flight line. It doesn’t show a missed drop zone mark and the march after you land carrying that shit all over again.
As much as I remember my first jump, my worse jump stands out. Missed the mark at the Normandy drop zone at Ft. Bragg. Felt like at eternity just to make it to a parachute drop point. I was so beat down I didn’t have on my helmet... a major no no. I remember thinking, “ I wish a mfer would say something after all of this” lol. Sorry for the long post just strolling time great horrible fun times.
Favourite character in the series was Dusty Jumpwings. I wish they would have showed more of him.
Lol captain sobel is scared af
As I would be
Still jumped, though.
@Where Is Waldo i was so hungover my first jump i fell asleep in the plane
@@pugsly4489 I vomited just reading your comment
We all were scared as fuck on our first jump. The thing is, he still did it. Hate the man for being an asshole to his troops, but don't disrespect him because he's human. He also made a combat jump, so yeah, he was scared, he conquered his fear of death and did the deed.
I was 0311 (Rifleman) in The Corps and then made it through a weekend pre Recon selection run by 2nd Recon Battalion at Lejeune in '75 and was sent to BRC (Basic Recon Course) and then in quick succession to Pre Combat Diver School and then Jump School at Benning...after BRC and Pre Combat Diver School, Jump School was a really fun relaxing three weeks and the chow halls at Benning were like three star restaurants. I put on 7 lbs in 3 weeks.
0:15 The Sobel blank stare, sometimes it seems he is looking at Winters like I am going to get you, or he is just over his head in the moment.
Definitely dreading the jump, I don't think sobel ever really portrayed envy of Winters until he had to salute him at the end. Even when they were both promoted in the first episode, I felt he only made him take mess duty as a way to lighten his own load.
@@Supersquigi Yeah, no, he was seriously threatened by Winters' excellence. They hated each other.
This is pretty damn accurate. And there is not such thing as a refusal in the aircraft. Okay, maybe there is, but it's 1/million. Dale Dye did a great, great job. He was acting above his pay grade.
Right? His acting amazed me, yet I never hear anyone mention it. So cheers.
“Are those dusty jump wings”?😂😂
What, not packed in like sardines so tight that the safety has to walk across your ruck sacks to get to the front of the plane? Gotta love C130's.
The airborne was still developing during WWII for the US Army and by the time the 101st were jump qualified, the US Army already had a combat airborne division with the 82nd. I know initially paratroopers used football helmets till they developed an adequate retention strap for the M1 helmet for airborne use, but by the time Easy Company was being qualified as paratroopers, was it SOP to use the football helmet initially and then transition to a full combat dress? Any insight would be appreciated.
I don't know about that but I was surprised to learn that at a certain point in time paratroopers jumping out of both sides of the plane at once was a new idea.
"....Hopefully under deployed canopies..." Sorta like when they told us right before they dropped us in the ocean that barracuda are attracted to the white sox we wore....
This was the moment when one of the strongest bond in history between some men was created
Allright, I have to watch this series again.
Sobel reminds me of Johansen from Heartbreak Ridge "Jumping out of a perfectly good aircraft is not a natural act, so just do it right and enjoy the view"
It’s crazy to think we’ve been jumping the same way in the military since the 40’s. A few minor differences here and there, but essentially the same.
How many other ways do you think there are to get from 'the door to the floor'?
Gravity hasn't changed in the 80 or so years of military parachuting.
@@JammyDodger45 Gravity hasn't changed??? Well, no shit. You think maybe I was talking about static-line jumping? And the equipment check? And the jump commands?
"Gravity" 🙄
@@zacharyfett2491 - wow, a billion users on YT and I've met the dumbest.
My life is complete, I can now retire my YT account.
Thank you
The paratroopers were created by the US during WW1. The first-ever paratrooper jump was going to be deployed in Germany between 1918-1919. Of course, this never happened due to the Wednesday Armistice being signed prior to deploy date.
Former german paratrooper here:
Believe me boys, on the first jump everyone is nervous like Sobel!
When you stand at the door, see he wide world and the depth under your boots you will sweat.
Maybe you scream while jumping, but when you touch mother earth, i swear you, you can't wait that the plane land and pick up you again!
Always jumped out of a C160 'Transall'.
Glück ab, to all para's all over the world!
It's amazing how Georgia looks absolutely nothing like Ireland.
It doesn't? I wouldn't know.
They were training in the U.S. before deployment.
They’re not in Ireland
Was this filmed in Ireland?
That’s because this is set at Camp Tacoma, Currahee
2:22 that guy has more experience from 82nd Airborne
5 jumps in one day? Not possible. I was exhausted after two jumps in one day and all the things you need to do to get ready for each jump.
Casual
absolutely possible, and happens more than you think.
The first jump is easy. Following jump are more nerve wracking because now you know what you didn’t know before….
The episode where Ross and C47’s relationship isn’t going well, so they “take a break” from their relationship….. at 1000 feet…..
They were on a break!!!
What's with the look on Sobel's face after he lands and is reeling in his parachute?
I always read this as his perfect little fantasy that he is a brilliant leader of men is continuing to slowly, steadily wear down under the grind of more challenging training that he himself must now endure for the first time. Its no longer just "infantry" drilling and PT. Early in the episode he takes pride in random contraband searches, sudden PT announcements, and berating his men for weakness. But then the men rally together, including Winters leading them in song up Currahee. You can see it start there, as he watches them continue to run past, at first he wants to punish them for standing up to his behavior. But then his brain switches back on and he realizes they are actually responding well. When they get to England it gets worse, as he struggles under pressure during maneuvers and field training. Suddenly Mr. Hi-oh Silver appears to be incompetent. He gets lost and starts to panic because he's embarrassed, rather than realize mistakes can happen, its best if they happen during training when he can learn from them before lives are at stake, and move on. Because he's entire being is built on the idea of yelling and berating his men for inadequacies, he can't allow himself to ask those same men for help or even try to relate his challenges to theirs. This scene here, with the look of frustration as the most terrifying moment of his life ends with an awkward fight with his own chute, is the first big crack in the psyche of Sobel. David Schwimmer is incredible. (Also, yes, he may have in fact shit himself)
@@beemoney19 It's a crazy thing to think about how he made great soldiers, but did not have the capacity or ability to lead them. Because of his rank they followed his command, but they didn't respect him, and even less so when they realized he'd only get them killed. I agree with what you said that his self worth is built on belittling the people he trained. I'd add that it isn't so much having to ask them for help when he screws up, it's that he's not one of them. They bonded on their hatred of him, pushed each other to get things right so he'd be off their backs, came together one failed. All the things he demanded of them, he himself couldn't put forward and it showed in the worst ways. That realization he has is a mix of, "I'm not one of them, and I can't do this." Then there's the whole thing with Winters. His ego was going to cost them a great commander in Winters just before they literally jump into the deep end. I think if he asked for help when he screwed up they'd respect and maybe like him more. You acknowledge you messed up but is willing to reach out. It'd show he trusts them to act when he can't. That's what good leaders do or so I've been told. If they can't do, they delegate to someone that can.
@@Whatisright The problem is since they expanded the Army so much during the war they didn't have experienced officers leading men into battle. Sobel before failing at all of these exercises had never even exeperienced simulated war scenarios before. He was qualified in drilling soldiers because that's what he learned during his days at the military academy. But was straight up inept at actually being a war time officer.
@@Whatisright There is a saying in life, "Those who can, do, those who can't, teach" Sobel was a teacher, Winters was a doer.
Just to add to the previous comments: Those parachuts are extremly expensive. I think they were made from pure silk. So butchering your landing and destroying the chut could get you in quite some trouble.
when you go for the 1st time to school as a kid
Mom: GET READY,EQUIPMENT CHECK
Me looking like Sobel
Science: Jumping out of a plane is perfectly safe
Also Science: unless you accidentally land in a tree, then you‘re dead
Me: ok then, guess what I‘m never doing
that's why you pull the little strap hanging down to turn away and watch the wind sock
Crazy part was that the US Airborne was the safest of all of the airbornes too
How do you work that out?
I could picture Captain Sobel reciting inside his mind "unagi"....lol
I'd probably be queasy in the plane, but then I'd tell myself "this is what we're here for" and get on with the jump.
My Father was in 11th. Airborne. Under General Lemnitzer. I have Lemnitzers signature on copper indentation. And the first Dive flag ever made.
I like the fact they are wearing American Football helmets on that jump great historical little detail there. 👌
I've asked former paratroopers why anybody would jump out of a perfectly good airplane. The answer was always jump pay.
...or "the door was open.:
For some reason i want a tall frosty
0:06 When did that drop take place? Wasn't the USAAF roundel changed to exclude the red circle in the middle by that time?
That Sobel was just as tough as any of them. Crazy though.
Were there any casualties during the training jumps back then?
Yes, even during practice jumps after being assigned to units it wouldn’t be uncommon for men to die in such circumstances. I mean they even sing a song about malfunctioning during a jump and dying
My very first jump I was number one. Master sgt took a look at me and hooked up in front of me said follow me out. No problems after that lol!
The 82nd airborne needs light shunned upon them
“Yes, I joined the Army and became a paratrooper BECAUSE WE WERE ON A BREAK!!”
Col. Sink was more down-to-earth than Cpt. Sobel
Really? How Profound!
Dale Dye is a legendary BadAss.
urban legend of the Gurkhas, so probably not a legend.
When told they were parachuting into ta mission they objected to height of the drop 5k foot drop and wanted it to be half that, until the CO said "your parachutes wont work" and their response was
Oh We get parachutes, that's fine then.
Another favourite was that when white officers pissed them off they stole their shoelaces whilst they slept.
There is also the Book "Curahee". Good read, guy wrote what happened.
Schwimmwr such a great actor
On D Day there were reportedly nine refusals to jump on the part of US airborne troops and at least 35 other uninjured paratroopers returned to England aboard C-47s. (Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_airborne_landings_in_Normandy).
One Thousand, Two Thousand, Check canopy! or as I did it, One Thousand, oh feck!
So anyone can tell me the airborne training at this time? I know they didn't have a proper M1 helmet for airborne training, so they want with football helmets for the time being. I understand they are starting light and working up to wear full battle rattle, but why didn't they simply use the M1 helmet for their first jump? Thoughts on this?
Football helmets were still leather. Same company though, Riddell. It was a dedicated parachutist's helmet. (airbornejumpjacket.com/2013/06/14/us-airborne-riddell-paratrooper-training-helmet/)
Football stye helmets gave more protection, tanker helmets also based on the design.
This was new so trying all sort of stuff
they didn't have a safety strap that wouldn't hang the soldier if the lines fouled up on it
A “Roman candle “is when the chute doesn’t open
Some day there is going to be and 82nd and 101st Orbital Troopers. But I'm sure they will have a better tag than that.
0:25...Al Capone joins the Airborne.
Woulda been cooler if they yelled "STANDS ALONE" in response.
Seriously how did sobel who was obviously scared af became a captain!!
US went from peace time to suddenly in the thick of fighting in World War II so they suddenly needed a lot more officers and soldiers then before so you make officers out of people who otherwise wouldn't have been so in peace time.
Jumping out of a plane is one if the safest things a man can do, so long as he follows proper procedure!
...or if your pilot misses the drop zone, or the powers blow off unsafe weather conditions to give a go for the jump, or if your rigger screwed up packing your chute, or if the guy behind you pushes you out too close to the guy in front of you, or the guy behind you follows you too closely or if if if if. Went on about 50 jumps in my time in the 82nd, saw two guys burn in, heard about others, don't think I had a single jump where there was not someone screaming medic, or just screaming on the DZ. My favorite jump was a 'fun' jump we did on a day off-- plane was not jam packed, no equipment, jumped at about 2000 feet, which was a glorious amount of chute time. Landed softer than a feather hitting a pillow though experience made me expect an impact like jumping off a two story building at 20 mph..
Sorry for the 2 month old reply, the quote I made was from Medal of Honor: Airborne in reference to the tutorial in jumping out of a plane. Thought it was fitting.
The look on sobels face is priceless
interesting history of Sobel.
That’s got to be so disorientating ...
Dude loves guaranteeing things. Should work for Men's Warehouse
DAKOTA AIRCRAFT PARACHUTE JUMP AT LABUAN AIR FORCE.
SEMUA IKUT MACAM AKU.. AKU YANG MULAKAN SEBUT KERAHHII.. BAHASA HOLLAND.
Where the hell did Luz get that second beer from? Does he have a stash of filled pint glasses sitting under the table?
I have wondered this for 19 years...if I were Toye I would have asked for a fresh one.
Together we stand alone!!
The training SGT. made a lot of guarantees
As he was the Senior Jumper, he would have been the first ouy of the Aircraft.
Jumping out of a plane is about the most un-natural thing you can do. I did it once to get a girl (it worked BTW). But I'll never do it again without taking at least my own body weight of the plane with me.
Airborne patch on headgear on left for enlisted, right side for officers.
these parachutes are not steerable right?
Is that meant to be the same soldier who served in The Pacific, think his name was Sledge? Or just accidentally they happened to use the same actor?
No, if you think a little about it they look kind of similar but that’s not him. This one portrayed Herbert Sobel (Played by David Schwimmer), the original CO of Easy Company. The Pacific portrayed Eugene Sledge (Played by Joe Mazzello), I believe he was a Corporal. Sledge was a Marine, Sobel was a Paratrooper. Hope this helps!
Where is Sobel on this party?
From what region of the US is the Colonel Sink accent?
LTC Sink is doing a Hollywood version of a southern accent . So you could say Capt Dye is a mid southerner doing a Hollywood deep southern accent. The old accent is so beautiful it almost gives ya chills and goosebumps but is slowly dying away with the generations . It's a pity of course ,everything southern is horrible and disgraceful according to Hollyweird . Southern accents are so cringeful and embarrassing...
@@trevorfuson715 I went to Knoxville and it took me a little to completely understand them haha, but I went through very well
@@dcornejoy Its all regional , You can go up into the Mtns like Bryson city or Maggie valley. If u thought Knoxville was bad .lol..Then you have the Piedmont and Coastal areas . The further away you get from metropolitan areas are where you'll find older accents. Hell , there's a few islands off the Carolinas who still speak with an English dialect. Of course it's all from English and Scots-Irish. The trick to speaking southern is to speak very slowly. Reason is, it's so godamn hot down here you dont wanna do anything to quickly for fear of falling out .
@@trevorfuson715 hahah thanks, next time I'll go to the US I'll try, cheers
Somewhere from the UK I think.
When I was in basic I went to Benning and I was in easy company. We called it echo but all new it was easy and it was
Sure, we're 5000 ft up and you'll be free falling but don't worry, you'll have your football helmet!
They landed a lot harder than that...like jumping from a 12 foot high height. No air brakes back then. If you didn't bend/lean properly, almost certainly a broken ankle.
Can still happen today.
What is the patch they all seem to have? It is not the 101st Airborne patch.
Michael Akkerman looks like the patch of the 506th PIR
Michael Akkerman Oh. Yes that patch.. Military history tells us that the patch you speak of is to commemorate the size of the testicles belonging to Ronald Speirs.. I tried to ask Mr. Speirs about the patch once. But he just looked at me, and asked me if I wanted a 🚬..
I then watched him walk into a liquor store. . BUT THE MOST AMAZING THING WAS.. AFTER HOOKING UP AN I PHONE.. THE SON OF BITCH CAME BACK..
Shut the fuck up.
I wasn't asking for a joke response, I was looking for a legitimate answer. And good luck with that haha
But it doesn't matter because I recently found out that it's a General HQ Reserves patch, basically what state-side troops wear who have not been assigned to a combat unit yet. So go fuck yourself :D
Why was Sobel 6th out while Winters was first? Seems like Sobel chose his spot and Winter volunteered to be first in that vacancy.
it was written that way.
How did I never notice the football helmets before?
Patrick Flaherty that use to be standard equipment. Don’t know why because we always landed on our ass.
Robert Martin Helmet is there because if you bumb your head you won't damage the plane.
Sobel is afraid of heights after he fell down from a building side stairs when him and joey was trapped at the rooftop of the building
The first jump was easy. The one after that kinda shook me a little.
What's the real meaning of the motto?
One of the people in the screenshot kinda resembles Chicago cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo.
What beer is that?