Band of Brothers
Summary
David Schwimmer’scharacter , Captain Sobel , is infamous among the men of Easy Company in HBO’sBand of Brothersfor his stringency and apparently malicious nature towards the men under his program line , but was his veridical - life story opposite number as bad as the television show present him ? Much of the focusing on Captain Herbert Sobel takes space inBand of Brothersepisode 1 , " Currahee , " due to his role as the company ’s drill instructor , as he was not a combatant . TheBand of BrothersSobel portraying is that of a roughshod and sometimes petty man who repeal weekend passes to the gentleman under his command for infraction such as take in dirty sight on their rifles .
SinceBand of Brothersis based on the non - fiction book of the same name by Stephen E. Ambrose , David Schwimmer ’s performance as Captain Sobelis based on the remembrance of the last members of Easy Company . question surrounding the work ’s historical accuracy arise as with any film or television adjustment of a tangible fib . Since Schwimmer ’s performance as Captain Sobel is overpoweringly negative , it would initially seem that his portrayal of the character inBand of Brothersis somewhat inaccurate .
Captain Sobel’s Early Life
While the audience become to know thecast of characters inBand of Brothersmore as the series goes on , Captain Sobel has a brusk role in the show and thus his life outside of Easy Company and his yesteryear is not really known . Herbert Sobel was bear on January 26 , 1912 , in Chicago , Illinois . Sobel was born into a Judaic kinsfolk which is referenced in Band of Brothers when one of the soldiers pretend a dismissive scuttlebutt about Sobel based on his religion , thus anger another Jewish soldier in Easy Company .
Though the recollection from other member of Easy Company was that Sobel was n’t particularly acrobatic and fight with the run - up Currahee Mountain along with the rest of the valet de chambre , he was on the swimming team when he attended high school . It seems that a military time to come was always a plan of his from an early age as he serve Culver Military Academy in Indiana . He after went on to canvas business at the University of Illinois .
Captain Sobel’s Military Career
Before becoming Captain Sobel , he was first commissioned as an officeholder in the United States Army Reserve following his time in university . Sobel rose through the rank and file quickly and was made a lieutenant in 1937 . In 1941 , Sobel was assigned to Camp Grant in Rockford , Illinois just ahead of the United States join World War II . Sobel became the first member of Easy Company in 1942 as well as its commanding officer . During the grooming of Easy Company under his dictation at Camp Toccoa , Georgia , during which he was promoted to captain .
Though his training was harsh but good during the initial canonic training , Sobel proved himself to be lacking in field dictation acquirement when Easy Company was transferred to Camp Mackall , North Carolina . Sobel was enunciate to have difficulty take a single-valued function and would become easily flustered in the field . When the company was move to England , Sobel ’s tension with the company grew worse as he essay to judicature - martial Easy Company ’s next loss leader Lieutenant Richard Winters in a baron move .
A figure of non - commissioned officers within East Company wrote letters to command submit their posts if Sobel lead them into the war , reasoning that he was a liability who would getEasy Company soldiers killed . While the officers were reprimanded , Sobel was replace as commander of Easy Company by Lieutenant Thomas Meehan . Sobel was transfer to the bid of an airborne school in England . He shoot down in Normandy and led an attack on a German machine gun , destroying it . Sobel spent the remainder of the war as a staff officeholder in the 506th Service Company .
Band Of Brothers' Real Sobel Was Disliked In Real Life
Just asBand of BrothersSobel portrayal show in " Currahee , " Captain Sobel was notorious among the men he trained for his pettiness and coarse treatment of those inferior in rank to himself . The scene where Sobel ordersthe extremity of Easy Companyto run up and down Currahee Mountain instantly after eating spaghetti in the mess hall is take from real life . Many men did throw up but were forced to keep running by Sobel , as draw inBand of Brothers . Due to this , and many other examples of rough discussion , most member of Easy Company heavily dislike Captain Sobel .
However , there was a ash grey lining to Captain Sobel ’s harsh treatment of Easy Company during training . Many members of Easy Company credit their survival of the Second World War with the planning that Sobel had provided them , deliberately or otherwise . Major Richard Winters , played by Damian Lewis inBand of comrade , even stated that " one of the ground that Easy Company excel was undoubtedly Captain Sobel . " WhileBand of Brothers’depiction of Sobel as cruel but in force as a training officer is exact , the show ’s nature as a miniseries stand for that it had to leave many of Captain Sobel ’s real - living subtlety out .
How The Real Sobel Was Different Compared To Band Of Brothers
Theusually detailedBand of Brothersminiseriesdoes not match on Sobel ’s private lifetime , instead utilizing his theatrical role as an resister for the men of Easy Company to join against . In veridical sprightliness , after the state of war , Sobel became an comptroller and promote a family . He continued to serve in the Army Reserve but eventually , became estranged from his syndicate .
Sobel died at 75 in 1987 in a Veterans Affairs breast feeding rest home in Illinois . No funeral was held . However , his youngest son Michael defended his forefather ’s actions at Currahee in the bookWe Who Are Alive and Remain . Many of the soldiers trained by Sobel , as depicted inBand of Brothers , have also posthumously defend Sobel , including the oft - subject of Sobel ’s wrath and mockery , Donald Malarkey . Captain Sobel ’s vicious treatment ofEasy troupe may be accurately depictedinBand of Brothers , but the miniseries could not include the refinement of the homo David Schwimmer ’s quality was base on .
