The Unforgettable Untold Secrets Behind Band of Brothers

Summary

Band of Brothers accurately depicts the stories of real American paratroopers, but it leaves out many real events from Easy Company's time in WWII.

Only a select few from Easy Company managed to survive the rigorous training at Camp Toccoa, with only 140 paratroopers being chosen to join the mission on D-Day.

Although the outcome of Sergeant Charles "Chuck" Grant, who suffered a gunshot wound to the head, remains unknown in the Band of Brothers series, he miraculously survived thanks to the swift actions and medical skills of German doctors.

Band of Brothers received acclaim for its accurate portrayal of American paratroopers in the war. However, there are still some aspects of the true story that are left out, such as the fate of Sergeant Grant from the Band of Brothers. The series is based on the book of the same name by Stephen A. Ambrose and was executive produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, who had previously collaborated on Saving Private Ryan. Unlike Saving Private Ryan, which follows a fictional troop, Band of Brothers focuses on the experiences of real soldiers.

As a 10-episode miniseries, Band of Brothers has the advantage of being able to chronicle the journey of Easy Company, a unit of the 101st Airborne paratroopers, from their training days to the end of the war. Viewers witness Easy Company parachuting behind enemy lines on D-Day, participating in Operation Market Garden in Holland, enduring a harsh winter in Belgium, and capturing Hitler's mountaintop retreat, the Eagle's Nest. Despite the extended runtime of a miniseries, numerous significant events from Easy Company's time in World War II had to be omitted.

Dozens Of Easy Company Recruits Dropped Out During Training

In the opening episode of Band of Brothers, titled "Currahee," Captain Herbert Sobel, played by David Schwimmer, commands the 2nd platoon to undergo a grueling run up and down the mountain, totaling three miles in both directions. As the platoon prepares to leave the barracks, Carwood Lipton notices that Private White is not joining them and remains seated on his bed. Lipton urges White to join the others, but he continues to disregard the order. Eventually, Lipton gives up and leaves White behind. This moment highlights the significant number of Easy Company recruits who did not make it through the training at Camp Toccoa.

Under Sobel's leadership, Easy Company endured demanding and punishing daily drills. Robert "Popeye" Wynn later recollected that several members of the unit lost a staggering 40 pounds during their training. In the documentary We Stand Alone Together, Paul "Buck" Rogers mentioned, "They got rid of so many. They would be here one day, and the next day they would disappear." Bill Guarnere added, "They couldn't keep up, you see. They were good men, but the intense training proved too much for them." Those recruits who couldn't meet the requirements were reassigned to other units, leaving only the 140 paratroopers who successfully endured and shipped out on D-Day.

Martin & Guarnere Got Matching Tattoos

When Easy Company returned to England following their victories on D-Day, real soldiers John W. Martin and Bill Guarnere from Band of Brothers had the opportunity to take leave and visit Scotland. While in Edinburgh and "drunk as a skunk," as mentioned in a subsequent interview with Guarnere, they both decided to get matching tattoos on their right arm. The tattoo depicted a paratrooper gracefully descending from the sky with an open parachute. Guarnere confessed that if he had been sober, he never would have done it. In addition to that, he also honored his fallen brother, a fellow soldier who lost his life while serving with the 1st Armored Division in Italy, by getting another tattoo.

Cobb Did Put The Dying German Soldier Out Of His Misery

In episode 8 of Band of Brothers, titled "The Last Patrol," Easy Company is stationed in Haguenau. A group of 12 soldiers is selected to venture into the German territory and capture prisoners for interrogation. Unfortunately, one of the prisoners is severely wounded during the assault, and the team decides to leave him by the riverbank. Even the next day, he persistently cries out for assistance. When the idea of ending his suffering is mentioned, Private Roy Cobb crudely retorts, "F**k his misery."

In the Band of Brothers' book, it is revealed that Cobb ultimately fulfilled the task of ending the suffering of the wounded German soldier. Despite the attempts made by Staff Sergeant Robert Marsh and Private David Webster to kill the dying man with grenades, they were unable to get close enough. However, the series fails to mention that Cobb, unable to bear it any longer, took matters into his own hands. He seized a grenade, went to the river bank, and finally put an end to the German's life.

Furthermore, the portrayal of Cobb baiting Webster and insulting him as "college boy" in the Band of Brothers scene is only a fragment of the real story. Cobb's drunken state was a result of a "daytime scrounging mission" alongside another private, during which they were fired upon by German forces, leading to the other soldier being wounded in the knee. Both men consumed a bottle of schnapps each. When 1st Lieutenant Jack Foley reprimanded Cobb for his drunken and disorderly conduct, Cobb became aggressive and charged at Foley. This resulted in Cobb's arrest and subsequent court martial for his misconduct.

Sergeant Grant Recovered From Being Shot In The Head

The incident involving Sergeant Grant and the Band of Brothers is an unusual but true story. In the final episode of the series, which takes place towards the end of World War II, the men of Easy Company are either waiting to be relieved of duty or sent to the Pacific front. Despite the fighting having ceased, there were still deaths occurring from other causes. Private Floyd W. Craver, a replacement in "I" Company, became involved in a tragic shooting after consuming alcohol. He killed two Germans and then went on to kill a British major and his sergeant who approached the scene. Staff Sergeant Charles "Chuck" Grant was Craver's final victim, resulting in a gunshot wound to his head. However, Captain Ronald Speirs managed to find a skilled German brain specialist who could operate on Grant. The series does not confirm Grant's fate, but according to Marcus Brotherton's book A Company of Heroes, he survived the gunshot wound albeit with speech problems and partial paralysis.

Albert Blithe Survived & Fought In The Korean War

The most significant error in the book and miniseries "Band of Brothers" was the portrayal of Private Albert Blithe's fate. In episode 3, "Carentan," Blithe is depicted as being shot in the neck, when in reality he was shot in the right shoulder. The episode's text also incorrectly states that Blithe never recovered from his injuries and died in 1948. However, Blithe actually returned to the army and even served in the Korean War.

In real life, Private Albert Blithe passed away at the age of 44 in 1967. His death was attributed to a perforated ulcer and kidney failure, which were consequences of chronic alcoholism. The mistake in "Band of Brothers" can be traced back to the faulty memories of Bill Guarnere and Edward "Babe" Heffron, who both believed they attended Blithe's funeral in 1948. It remains uncertain whether they were genuinely mistaken or if they attended the funeral of a different individual named Albert Blithe.