Band of Brothers

Band of Brothers is an incredible 10-part series that I've discovered rather late in the day. But what a welcome distraction it is during these weeks.

Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks put together a wonderful cast and made sure they got every detail right in this series that pays tribute to Easy Company of the 101st Airborne Division. These men were heroes during their time in Normandy, Holland, Belgium and Austria. They returned home anonymous, slipped back into their families and carried on with life as best as they could. Then Stephen Ambrose brought them out of anonymity with his thoroughly-researched book, and today, Spielberg and Hanks have made sure no one will ever forget what Easy Company did for America and for the Allied Forces during World War II.

It is true that the series shows events from the perspective of the Americans (the British and French are seldom featured), but Spielberg and Hanks based the series on a book, and the author chose to focus on Easy Company's stories. Both producers aren't defending or delivering excuses for their decisions. And they shouldn't have to. These stories are about a group of men who fought on the side of the Allied Forces, who fought for their company and platoon, and for the brother next to them.

As Lin Kiat once told me, in the thick of the battle, you don't think about your country; you think about the guy who's beside you, who's putting his life on the line as you are yours. He's the one who'll give you cover fire, and you'll cover him when he needs it.

Posted by Monoceros at May 15, 2003 10:54 PM