“He was the one who made Easy Company tough”: Real-Life WW2 Veteran Vindicated David Schwimmer’s Band of Brothers Character After Show Turned Him Into a Joke
The history of the Easy Company was immortalized by Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, Erik Jendresen, and a talented roster of emerging young actors in the 2001 HBO miniseries, Band of Brothers. Despite their relative anonymity, the group led by Damian Lewis went on to establish a narrative epic set in a time of war that would never be replicated on television again.
Band of Brothers [Credit: HBO]
The series, as expected, was a critical darling and the creative collaboration between Spielberg, Hanks, and Jendresen proved a resolute success. However, one element involving the series plotline failed to hit the mark despite the extensive research that went into its production and development. Later, the story of the Easy Company and Band of Brothers would come a full circle, erasing the mistake that left a stain on an otherwise impeccable war drama.
Band of Brothers Lives Upto Its Reputation – Except for One Account
Famously regarded as one of the most factually accurate stories ever told on screen, HBO’s Band of Brothers impresses not only the foregone era of the mid-20th century and a war-torn Europe but also paints a true image of the experiences and tragedies of the time for a modern-day audience of the 21st century.
Band of Brothers [Credit: HBO]
Compiled from letters, journals, memoirs, interviews, and notes from soldiers along with the accounts reported in historian Stephen E. Ambrose’s book on the Easy Company, the series serves as an unforgettable reminder of the power of storytelling, especially when it is true and respectful of the original events.
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Unfortunately, the part of Captain Herbert Sobel that was delegated to David Schwimmer as the notoriously strict boot camp drill inspector of the Easy Company was colored by the biased accounts in Stephen Ambrose’s book. Depicted as a petty, vindictive, and inept Commanding Officer who failed to prove his mettle on a real battlefield, Captain Sobel’s characterization held more to the story than shown on screen in HBO’s Band of Brothers.
Band of Brothers Gets a Do-Over From Its Real-Life Counterpart
Despite appearing merely in 3 episodes, a decisively horrible portrayal of Captain Herbert Sobel in Band of Brothers left the audiences peeved by his mere existence. But two real-life veterans of the Easy Company felt compelled to set the record straight after the distasteful (and potentially inaccurate) characterization marred the reputation of their CO and boot camp drill instructor.
David Schwimmer as Capt. Herbert Sobel in Band of Brothers [Credit: HBO]
The veterans, namely Sergeant Forrest Guth and Easy Company machine gunner Bill Wingett, although not disagreeing with the exacting nature of their CO, painted a different side to his personality that many failed to understand after a superficial first look. In their accounts as recorded in Marcus Brotherton’s book, We Who Are Alive and Remain: Untold Stories from the Band of Brothers, Sgt. Guth claimed, “As far as I’m concerned, Sobel was the one who made Easy Company tough,” while Wingett wrote, “I’ll argue hands down with anybody who says Sobel is the SOB they often say he is.”
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While David Schwimmer may have remained loyal to his assigned role, the reality of Captain Sobel may have been colored and prejudiced due to his infamous reputation as the drill inspector of the boot camp. For a series that was as dedicated to portraying the truth on screen, presenting the alter ego and a deeper understanding of a single character on a multilayered miniseries may have proved a bit too complicated to adapt within his limited 3-episode arc.
Band of Brothers is available to stream on Netflix.