The Commander Of Band Of Brothers Met A Bleak End That Didn't Make It Onto The Big Screen

For anyone who doesn’t remember, Band of Brothers is a ten-part series telling the true story of a group of soldiers fighting in WWII. First broadcast in 2001, the HBO show depicts Easy Company, a unit of the 101st Airborne Division. The episodes all open with a sequence of talking heads, during which some of the men depicted in the show recall their experiences as soldiers.

There were some very impressive people involved in the production of Band of Brothers. Behind the scenes we had glittering names such as Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, who both helped to get the show off the ground. Hanks even directed one of the episodes. And on-screen there were some fantastic actors, too.

Damian Lewis is a big name these days but not many people knew him when he took on the role of Richard D. Winters. And he’s just the tip of the iceberg. Band of Brothers is full of actors who’ve since gone on to stardom. Among the faces you can catch a glimpse of are Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Donnie Wahlberg, Simon Pegg, Colin Hanks, Andrew Scott, Tom Hardy, and even Jimmy Fallon. There are plenty more besides.

Many of the actors in Band of Brothers were only at the start of their careers, then, and hadn’t hit the big-time yet. But one star was already a firmly established name — so much so that it was strange to see them dressed in military uniform. David Schwimmer was still making Friends at the time, which meant it was shocking not to see him as Ross Gellar.

Casting Schwimmer in this grizzled role was risky. After all, he was world-famous as a silly, nerdy, sometimes socially inept paleontologist. The part of Captain Herbert Sobel was an entirely different kettle of fish. But despite his image Schwimmer somehow managed to convince as the ruthless, often cruel Sobel.

Though Schwimmer only appeared in the show as Sobel in three episodes, he left quite the mark. Sobel was meant to be hated by those who were watching, a man who seemed to relish the misery he inflicted upon those under his command. He stood in stark contrast to Dick Winters, the character played by Damian Lewis.

The depiction of Sobel in Band of Brothers isn’t flattering. Not only does he come across as vindictive and cruel, but he’s also characterized as incompetent. Is that fair, though? Was he really like that? Well, it seems that the truth’s a bit complicated. Sobel was actually quite a complex figure.

The real-life man’s full name was Herbert Maxell Sobel and he came from Chicago. Born into a turbulent time in world history at the beginning of 1912, it maybe isn’t terribly surprising that he set off on a path towards a life in the armed forces at a really early age.

While he was still just a kid, Sobel entered into military training. He was enrolled at Indiana’s Culver Military Academy. This introduced him to the life of a soldier and would leave a mark on the rest of his life. When he was older, he went to college in Illinois and upon completing his studies he joined the Army.

Initially Sobel signed up with the Army’s Reserve Officer Corps but by early 1941 he’d moved on to the Military Police Corps. During this period, he was based at Kansas’ Fort Riley. Sobel then volunteered to transfer to the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, which was a consequential move.

Sobel rose through the ranks and eventually served as the chief officer of a unit known as Easy Company. This, in essence, meant he had quite the challenge on his hands: to turn the group of untrained men under his watch into high-quality soldiers. That would be no easy feat.

Sobel accepted that responsibility with relish and it wasn’t long before his methods became quietly notorious. Word of just how strict a commanding officer he was swiftly spread throughout the whole Army. And a recruit who served under him was known to call Sobel “the Devil in jump boots.”

Dick Winters served under Sobel during this period and he’s written about what that experience was like. On the subject of Sobel’s expectations of his men, he recalled, “Easy Company would be the first and the best in everything it did. He expected Easy to lead the 506th [Parachute Infantry Regiment] in every measurable category.”

In this almost crazed pursuit of perfection, Sobel pushed his men to their very limits. He made them exercise far more intensely than any other units had to. As depicted in Band of Brothers, he required that his soldiers raced along a track snaking up Currahee Mountain. It should go without saying that this was no leisurely run.

While Sobel was far from a natural athlete he still pushed himself as hard as his men. This didn’t go unnoticed, as one soldier who served under him has publicly remarked. Donald Malarkey was depicted extensively in Band of Brothers and the real man’s written about Captain Sobel’s relentless drive.

According to Malarkey, “[Sobel] did what we did. He’d get to the top of that mountain — frankly, not easy for him, but he’d never quit — with a stopwatch in his hand. ‘This might be good enough for the rest of the 506th but it’s sure as hell not good enough for Easy Company!’”

Sobel clearly pushed his men hard and it’s fair to say they hated him for it. But at the same time, on reflection, some have come to see value in what he was doing. As Malarkey remarked of Sobel’s methods, “In a strange way, it kind of filled you with pride. You got the idea he was hardening us for tougher times to come.”

Whatever his reasons, though, Sobel definitely had a vindictive streak. He was known to punish his soldiers for the most minor of offenses, whether it was having an out-of-place fiber on their uniforms or simply possessing a name he disapproved of. His punishments could be downright twisted as well.

One such punishment was both mentally and physically taxing. Basically, Sobel would make his soldiers scoop out a big hole from the earth — and once they’d completed this arduous task he made them put the soil back again. An ultimately fruitless activity, seemingly designed only to make his men suffer.

Time under Sobel’s command went by and it was getting close to the time where E Company would be deployed to fight the war in Europe. But the soldiers weren’t feeling good. They didn’t trust Sobel at all by this point — and it wasn’t just because he was cruel. His basic skills as a soldier were coming into question.

Not only did his men despise him, but Sobel also apparently couldn’t use a map properly. He wasn’t very adaptive in combat exercises, either. Dick Winters once wrote, “Lieutenant Sobel did not impress me as a field soldier but he was the commander and I was determined to do my part to make my platoon the best in the company.”

Winters and Sobel eventually started butting heads. In a moment immortalized on the screen, Sobel tries to punish Winters for appearing late for one of his duties. Sobel claims he’d sent word about an alteration in the times but no such message ever reached Winters. Regardless, the commanding officer sets out to sanction his subordinate.

In the show, the scene plays out with Sobel telling Winters, “So, your options are quite simple, lieutenant. Punishment for your offenses will be denial of a 48-hour pass for 60 days... Or, you may initiate a letter of appeal and request a trial by court-martial.” He apparently tries to reason with Winters, saying, “You spend your weekends on base anyway, Dick. Be a man and take the punishment.”

Winters remains resolute, though, saying, “I request trial by court-martial.” It’s a dramatic moment in the episode — and one with profound repercussions. It serves as the catalyst for the men of Easy Company to view Sobel as being totally discredited, which ultimately pushes them to the point of mutiny. Despite the perils involved, some of the men declare that they can no longer submit to Sobel’s leadership.

This sequence makes for great drama in Band of Brothers, of course, and it turns out it’s pretty much accurate. Events really did proceed as depicted on the screen, with Winters officially putting in a plea to be trialed by court-martial. And after that, the men of Easy Company did rebel against Sobel.

Erik Dorr, who put together a book called Hang Tough: The WWII Letters and Artifacts of Major Dick Winters, has written about this real-life situation. “A band of sergeants mutinied against Sobel, writing a letter to Col. Sink indicating their unwillingness [to] serve under the captain,” Dorr explained. “Risking their own futures, the men unleashed a verbal volley undermining Sobel’s authority and abilities. Several of the sergeants were accordingly punished for insubordination.”

Laying out the consequences of the mutiny, Dorr added, “Realizing how sour the situation was, Sink at last transferred the captain from Easy Company that February. He was replaced by Lt. Thomas Meehan from B Company. Meehan, a Philadelphian, possessed a kinder disposition. Winters was folded back into his former role.”

Dorr actually quotes Don Malarkey in his book, with the soldier reflecting on the situation. “Winters quietly orchestrated the deal to force Sobel out,” Malarkey stated. “Not for his selfish gain, mind you; that wasn’t Winters’ style. He was among the most selfless men I’ve ever had the privilege of serving with. No, he did it for the good of the men. He did it to save their lives.”

Even though the men who’d mutinied against Sobel faced sanctions, their actions ultimately proved successful. It’d become obvious that Sobel wasn’t fit to lead his men to war and so he was ousted from his position in Easy Company. First Lieutenant Thomas Meehan was then installed as his replacement.

With his command over and his company taken away from him, Sobel had been left humiliated. Yet while he was justly despised by numerous recruits who’d once served under his command, some of them later came to reevaluate the role he’d played. Easy Company went on to make history during the war — and a number of its men would credit Sobel’s ruthless training for contributing to their achievements.

After losing command of Easy Company, Sobel moved around a bit. He was first ordered to take control of a jump school and then transferred to another role early in 1945. Later that year he returned to America and was given his honorable discharge. Now, it’d be back to civilian life.

Sobel moved into accounting after the war had ended. On top of that, he got married and had a few kids. His military days weren’t quite over yet, though, as he signed up again during the Korean War. He was also later part of the National Guard, reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

As a father, Sobel was as you might expect: strict. Having said that, he was apparently also quite a supportive parent who valued his children’s education. Over time, however, his relationship with his middle child broke down. This kid, Michael, grew up to oppose militarism, which didn’t go down well with his dad.

And it wasn’t just his middle son with whom Sobel struggled to maintain a good relationship. He and his partner ran into some major difficulties and in the end they decided to separate. As the years passed he’d stop having contact with his other kids, too. His life had taken a really sad turn.

By 1970 Sobel’s life was a mess. He was in an extremely dark place and he took the grim decision to end it all. He tried to take his own life but survived the attempt. Sobel didn’t get away unscathed, though, as he was left blind. A bleak story had somehow gotten even bleaker.

Without his sight and all alone, Sobel spent his final years in destitution. He was moved into an Illinois nursing home for veterans but it wasn’t a very nice place. The institution was not in good shape — and neither was he. In 1987 Sobel passed away, apparently because he was malnourished. And he didn’t even have a funeral.

In life, Sobel had made a lot of enemies thanks to his strict ways and his cruelty. Even his own family ended up turning against him in the end and he ultimately died a miserable death all on his own. But since that time, some unlikely people have gone on to reappraise his life and defend his legacy.

Sobel’s estranged son Michael is one such person. Now a little older, he feels that his dad played a very important part in shaping Easy Company and the things its men went on to achieve. Sobel’s methods may have been callous, yes, but Michael thinks they were probably worth the distress they caused in the end.

Even Sobel’s one-time enemy, Dick Winters, thinks Sobel’s vindictive actions probably served a higher purpose. He once remarked, “One of the reasons that Easy Company excelled was undoubtedly Captain Sobel.” And it wasn’t just Winters. Plenty of other Easy Company soldiers ultimately looked back on Sobel’s training as having been extremely formative. The man has a complicated legacy, then.