[appell8]

BK, thanks for making the recap possible. y.o.s., Doug

Sue, I'm delighted that Hornpipe is lurking. He has rarely posted, but, when he does, wow. I hope he responds to the new audience represented by these boards.

[ladymadonna]

I would just like to add that I too cried for most of this episode, for all the men who suffered and for those who never made it home to enjoy, as Winters puts it, the world without war, but I also cry because despite knowing that many of these men went on to have long, happy and full lives I never got to express my thanks and gratitude, either directly or indirectly, when they were still around - until now.

All the more sad seeing some of the veterans interviewed for the series that are no longer with us.

Thanks Gino, to you and yours, for this site. I've 'met' some fantastic people and have learned so much and now feel I have an active part in paying tribute to all theses extraordinary men.

Donna

[sunman]

I held together until Carwood Lipton's "Band of Brothers" quotation. The new sadness of course is the result of our loss of Mr. Lipton late last year. Now I cringe each day when I pass over the obits in the newspaper for fear that another BoB hero has left us - "made the last jump".

I read somewhere that we are losing 3,000 WW2 vets per day. Thank God that Spielberg and Hanks had the vision to record BoB for future generations. My 14yo daughter will definitely inherit my soon to be released BoB DVD set.

Gino, I hope that I speak for many when I thank you for this forum and of course the quality posters it has attracted. The second broadcast would have been much less inspiring without the dimension added by your forum. Each episode was given more and new meaning because of your forum.

I'm very sad for it's ending, yet inspired and grateful for the BoB experience.

Salute.

[usjumper82]

As the re-airing of the series comes to an end, I would like to thank everyone here for their contributions. My goal is to do what little I can to keep the memories alive. The stories of the countless heroes of our past should be a guiding light for our lives and the lives of generations to come. Leave them one backward glance and learn from their suffering, sacrifice and triumph. The future is brighter for their efforts. Let us make good use of it.


This day is called the feast of Crispin:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispin.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispin:'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispin's day.'
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day: then shall our names.
Familiar in his mouth as household words
Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remember'd.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispin shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember'd;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whilst any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

[Neon]

Quote

I would just like to add that I too cried for most of this episode, for all the men who suffered and for those who never made it home to enjoy, as Winters puts it, the world without war, but I also cry because despite knowing that many of these men went on to have long, happy and full lives I never got to express my thanks and gratitude, either directly or indirectly, when they were still around - until now.

All the more sad seeing some of the veterans interviewed for the series that are no longer with us.

that`s exactly how i`m feeling now days

thank you, a simple yet sincere thank you to all the veterans

[Neon]

i would like to ask your opinion on the 'lottery'

there has always been a big question mark in my head about this..
why is Shifty the one that gets the ticket home?

[usjumper82]

Neon:

If I remember correctly, in the book, there was a lottery with names of "high points" veterans from each company. Shifty was just the one who got picked. I also remember that Sgt. Forrest Guth was given a similar deal. I think his was a "30 day" leave to travel back to the U.S. I'll have to refer back to the book, but I think this is correct.

[Neon]

thanks for the info usjumper82 :)

the reason why i was wondering this, is because in the series
you can see that Shifty`s is the only name in the helmet

i haven`t read the book..yeah shame on me...
let`s just say that geographical adversities are depriving me of good readings
but hopefully i`ll get my copy at the end of this month :D

[appell8]

Neon, it is clear in the production that this lottery was rigged to pick Shifty. Harry Welsh can't keep a straight face, and Speirs gives a ringside announcer intonation to "Powers," about as flamboyant as we've seen him. Shifty was obviously poplular, he was a Toccoa man, he'd never been out of action, and he'd saved men with his shooting many times, including Carentan and Foy. Logical choice.

The rigging may have been ahistorical, but it is a feel-good reward for a deserving trooper. Compromised by the traffic accident.

[Neon]

Major, thanks for the explanation :D

[psumner]

Amazing what you learn when you read this stuff... thinking back on it there was only one name in the helmet. I thought it was a movie goof, but now I think it was intentional.

None more deserving than Shifty.... terrible shame about his accident. I read where most (if not all) of his souveneirs were stolen while he was in the hospital. But at least he made it out of there in one piece.

Paul

[ToeKnee]

Great posts, everyone, as always.

For some reason I can't quite recall much detail to comment on regarding this episode, so I'll definitely watch it again tonight. My mind seems to dwell more on the sadness that the story of Easy Co has come to an end, and on the fact that these men won't be with us much longer, like others have alluded to. I would so much like to see an episode 11 (and 12 and 13 and....) that would tell us what happens next. Even if it just focused on Maj. Winters and Capt. Nixon, and their exploits at Nixon Nitrates. Or on the Philadelphia boys and their post-war lives - e.g., how did Wild Bill adjust to losing his leg? Or even a cheesy reunion movie like those "Rescue from Gilligan's Island" and "Back to Mayberry" TV-movies that came out in the last 10 or 20 years. Although I know if the writers, directors, and actors from the BoB series are involved, it would be anything but cheesy. The fact that these are all real people makes me care so much more about them than any fictional character in a book, movie, or TV show, no matter how attached I became to the latter.

OK a few details do stand out in my mind: comments on the show:

In Ep. 9 Janovec was introduced. At the time it seemed a bit odd - why bring in a new character at this point? Why Janovec? Why not some other replacement? He wasn't the only one who fraternized with the Germans, was he? Now we know why, so his fate in ep. 10 would have some resonance. Good example of the cooperation among the writers that Mr. Orloff mentioned.

One possible mistake I noticed is the inclusion of Sgt Martin in the series all the way to V-J day. I thought I read in the book that shortly after E Co entered Germany, Martin became disgruntled with not getting promoted or something, and then mentioned an injured knee or something like that to medical personnel, and that bought him a ticket home. Does anyone know if the book or the series is correct?

The scene with Liebgott shooting the alleged camp commander - like Doug said, very complex. I think there's some parallel to be drawn between this scene and the scene where the men are beating up Grant's shooter. Both events are acts of revenge. Perhaps Grant's shooter is allowed to live because Grant lives, perhaps because the shooter was drunk, or perhaps because he's American. The camp commander is not so lucky, although his past is not as well defined. Maybe he really wasn't a camp commander. Maybe he was just a guard, following orders, in no position to help the prisoners of the camp. Maybe he didn't work at the camp at all. We don't know the truth, do we? Neither did Liebgott, but he felt the need to take revenge for what happened to "his people". Powerful acting and dialogue for Liebgott.

Also complex is Webster's role in this scene. At this point, Web has regained some compassion for the German soldiers, after going on a tirade in Ep. 9. He is strongly opposed to Liebgott's plan to kill the camp commander, willing to give the German the benefit of the doubt. This is in sharp contrast with his automatic indictment of the baker in Ep. 9. Also, after Lieb shoots the German, and Web is on guard duty, he forces a family to drive a wounded German soldier to Munich. He's gotten over his absolute hatred of the Germans. And it is interesting how prior to this, Web and Lieb seemed to be becoming friends, but this killing changes things - will they ever be friends again? The intellectual Webster cannot tolerate the visceral Liebgott, and the Jewish Liebgott cannot tolerate Webster's compassion for the Germans.

BTW, who is the other soldier that actually shoots the German?

Doug mentions "lottery" is rigged. Is that true - why Shifty? Why not Malarkey, who'd been so devestated by the deaths of his friends? Why not Perconte, who has a baby at home he's never met?

Also, regarding Doug's praise of Shifty - going back to Ep. 9, once the soldiers go inside the camp, Shifty acually says to a prisoner "I'm Sorry". Sweet guy.

Hmmm...on second thought maybe I can recall a lot of details. Sorry for the length once again.

Tony

[homefront41]

Tony, Skinny Sisk is the third soldier going after the camp commandant. He's the one who pulls the trigger.

I don't remember reading any posts by writers as to why they implied that the drawing for the early rotation home was rigged. Ambrose writes that Powers didn't even want to attend the drawing. Quoting the book: "Hell, Paul," he told Sergeant Rogers, I've never won anything in my life." But Rogers persuaded him to go, and he won.

Further: Immediately, another soldier offered Powers $1,000 for that trip home. Powers recalled, "I thought about that for a while, $1,000 was a lot ofmoney, but finally I said, 'No, I think I'll just go home.'" Can't you just hear him telling that story in his soft-spoken considered and unassuming way.

That he was in a head-on crash with a truck on the way to Munich was dreadful luck, following the good luck of the lottery. In the end, he got home months after his Easy buddies. And it is true that he lost all his back pay and souvenirs to theives when he was in the hospital. Maybe he should have taken the grand. But I'd bet he'd say he doesn't hold any bad thoughts about it now. BK

[psumner]

One thing that I wish had been included in Episode 10, at the end when Winters is narrating about each man and his life afterwards, was that he would have stated what happened to the others that didn't make it to Austria - Guarnere, Toye, etc. A quick flashback and narration would have done the job, and perhaps put more of a finishing touch to the whole company.

Paul

[appell8]

Tony, Paul, enjoying your comments. Tony, I seem to remember that you're right about Martin, but I don't think it was a "mistake" to have him in the ballgame at the end, but artistic license. We would have missed seeing him in that game, as we missed Wild Bill and Joe Toye.

Why not Perconte? He had a wife (points) and a child (points) and a purple heart (points). He didn't need a handout. Winters finds a way to give Malark a honey of an assignment, and "don't think we'll see you back here." The good officers are finding way to have good things happen to good guys. There is something that feels very right about each of those results. IMHO, Doug