Good timing. I was needing something to watch and just decided to run this through last week. I haven't seen it since it aired my senior year of college.

Outside of a few kinda dated looking CGI plane scenes in episode 2 the thing could've been filmed by HBO last fall. Amazing how well it was produced.

Add to that just a great both heartfelt and gut wrenching story, I should watch it more often.

Two things.

The PC/Console game Hell Let Loose feels/looks a lot like parts from BoB. Best WWII FPS made to date.

Generation War is a good German BoB-esque series. Obviously it takes a different approach but it's character-driven and well shot.

Claude! said:

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13B said:

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Looking forward to the 8th AF version too. I thought it was supposed to already be done.

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It's called Masters of the Air, based on the wonderful book by Donald Miller. Latest I'm seeing suggests a spring 2023 release, but who knows if that will happen.

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I read the book. I was kind of surprised to find out the Swiss weren't so neutral.

That stuck out to me as well. Story of the guy in the Swiss prison was awful.

Claude! said:

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That stuck out to me as well. Story of the guy in the Swiss prison was awful.

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I agree! Horrible!

I know you know one old Marine and one's wife who think you're pretty much a hero. You certainly honored them!

That is an incredible story. That was an invaluable thing he did for you.

I have tried to imagine surviving a sinking ship. At my maternal grandfather's funeral, there was a disagreement between my mom and aunt regarding him surviving such an incident during his time in the South Pacific. My mom claimed it didn't happen, my aunt claimed it did. It was part of the eulogy where it was stated that Papa survived having two different ships sunk beneath him. No other details. But this highlights the point of their reluctance to discuss their wartime experiences. I choose to believe he did survive a sinking, but there is no corroborating testimony to prove or disprove. And with the infamous fire that destroyed a building containing many veterans' military records, I doubt I'll ever know for certain.

theeyetest said:

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cupcakesprinkles said:

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It really is one of the best shows ever. I watched it for the first time about two years ago and am going to wait until I forget some of it before I watch it again.

That's how I wish they would have done All Quiet On the Western Front instead of cramming it into a movie

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How was AQONTWF? Been wanting to sit down and watch it.

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decent but not anywhere close to BOB

For a decent look at the air war in the Pacific, folks could do worse than "It Wasn't So Jolly" by Thomas Baker. Unsurprisingly, it focuses on the 90th Bomb Group (the Jolly Rogers) from their formation in the States through multiple bases in Australia and throughout the Pacific. The author really doesn't like imperial Japan and lets it show, but you get a really good sense of the lives of B-24 pilots and crew through the Pacific campaign.

Claude! said:

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For a decent look at the air war in the Pacific, folks could do worse than "It Wasn't So Jolly" by Thomas Baker. Unsurprisingly, it focuses on the 90th Bomb Group (the Jolly Rogers) from their formation in the States through multiple bases in Australia and throughout the Pacific. The author really doesn't like imperial Japan and lets it show, but you get a really good sense of the lives of B-24 pilots and crew through the Pacific campaign.

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I'll look into it, thanks.
Great uncle on my father's side was a 1st Lt B-24 driver, 400th Bomb Squadron, 90th Bomb Group. He and crew were lost (reported as shot down) over Borneo 10 Oct, 1944, and are still MIA.

My maternal grandfather served in the Navy in the Pacific, but I have no information other than that.

My great Uncle on my dad's side served in the Army in Europe and was captured during the Battle of the Bulge and he talked about it all the time with my dad. Enlisted 1 month after Pearl Harbor at 28. Served mainly in a military hospital, went to the front with the 106th ID as part of their medical staff. Was on the front for less than a couple of days when the Bulge happened. Was captured either 3 or 4 days later as part of smaller unit trying to fight their way back to American lines. He said the disarray of troops and equipment was carnage and that it felt like they moved from one fight to another.

Got sent to a huge POW camp near Dresden, then moved to a POW camp on the Polish border. POW camps had prisoners from everywhere. Russia, Poland, France, the UK, Aussies, and everywhere else that the Nazi's had captured. Then when the Red Army was advancing, they took the Americans and Brits out and moved them in a long forced march that ended close to Berlin. Basically a repeat of the Bataan Death March, although with a lower death rate.

The Red Army eventually liberated them, but they were kept in the camp for another month. He used to say the treatment from the Germans was better than that of the Russians. He blamed it on our German heritage and very German surname. He didn't return to American hands till the very end of May 1945.

AggieRob93 said:

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Claude! said:

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For a decent look at the air war in the Pacific, folks could do worse than "It Wasn't So Jolly" by Thomas Baker. Unsurprisingly, it focuses on the 90th Bomb Group (the Jolly Rogers) from their formation in the States through multiple bases in Australia and throughout the Pacific. The author really doesn't like imperial Japan and lets it show, but you get a really good sense of the lives of B-24 pilots and crew through the Pacific campaign.

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I'll look into it, thanks.
Great uncle on my father's side was a 1st Lt B-24 driver, 400th Bomb Squadron, 90th Bomb Group. He and crew were lost (reported as shot down) over Borneo 10 Oct, 1944, and are still MIA.

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You have a name for your uncle or for the bomber? I can see if it's mentioned in my copy. My granddad was a radio operator in the 319th Squadron. His plane went down over China (not clear whether due to weather or enemy fire), but everyone bailed out and was rescued.

https://www.90thbombgroup.org/

Interesting site that appears to be the same BS/BG as being discussed.

Cinco Ranch Aggie said:

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JABQ04 said:

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So much form this thread:
-BoB is my absolute favorite war movie/series. My favorite scene is in episode 1 where the C47s are taking off. The music and the ground crew/AA personnel watching them fly off to an unknown fate hits me every time.
-The Pacific grew on me after serval times and I rate it just a hair under BoB. My grandfather fought on Iwo Jima as an infantryman(Army) and while I never met him due to him passing when my old man was only 8 I have a couple hundred letters from him to my grandmother as well as few other war souvenirs he collected
-looking forward to Masters if the Air (finally). If you haven't read about the air war over Europe it's depressing more. More fliers killed than marines in the pacific in WWII.
-AQOTWF was kind of a let down. Agree with the poster about wishing it was a several episode series. Still a good show, just not what I was expecting
-like Apachepilot said my own wartime experience csnt Even compare to those men. I usually had a bed of sorts, fairly regular access to internet and phones, and overall great chow and good/available equipment. I'd try to keep that in mind when I'd start to ***** and moan about my living conditions

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I'm pretty sure the C-47s came in at the beginning of the second episode, or at least that's what I am recalling. But regardless, I also love that entire sequence. I had never really given that part of D-Day much thought (surprisingly given my nutty love of WWII aviation), but damn, the visuals in that sequence really reset my thought that it was just a bunch of planes delivering paratroopers.

Masters of the Air was a fantastic book, and I cannot wait for the series to air (Apple TV now, I think, rather than HBO). I think that book really underscored just how dangerous the air war over Europe was, and it was not always from flak or enemy fighters. Freezing temps, losing skin if you happened to touch the side of the aircraft without wearing gloves, your air hose freezing over. Yikes. I have so much respect for the men who were barely beyond being referred to as "kids" did to secure peace for all of us.

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lost all my great uncles in b-17's over europe. grandfather was in the AAC, but was deemed too good at football to go overseas, which is probably why i am here.

I'll look into it

Wow! How many great uncles are we talking? All of them?

Stive said:

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Wow! How many great uncles are we talking? All of them?

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Three.

BoydCrowder13 said:

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Watch it every year around DDay. What a stellar cast. Damien Lewis, Ron Livingston, Neal McDonough, Donnie Wahlberg, Schwimmer, Colin Hanks, etc. Cameos by Fassbender, Hardy, Simon Pegg and McAvoy.

Super humbling when you realize Winters and those guys were 26 and under during most of the show. Probably in my top 5 shows of all time.

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Simon Pegg is portraying a former student and Houstonian, btw.

I have watched BOB countless times and never realized the Simon Pegg played William Evans

DallasTeleAg said:

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Band of Brothers is definitely one of the greatest seasons of TV ever. I can't think of anything else I would put over it. Even Season 1 of True Detective would just be immediately below it for 2nd place.

Everything about this show was so exceptionally done, starting with the intro, incorporating the interviews from The Men of Easy Company, to how they focused on individual characters and their stories in each episode.

Bastogne and The Breaking Point are still the most intense depictions of war I've ever seen on screen. Yeah, the body count isn't as high as Saving Private Ryan, but the sheer fact we spend 2 full episodes on the Battle of the Bulge just made you feel it. Especially spending one episode focused on Eugene and the other focused on Lipton.

Gah, it's such a great freaking show. And this is still my favorite part of the entire series. Love how Winters just ignores Horton after being called back and yelling for Spiers and sending him in:

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what's insane is that Ronald Speirs in his real life was even more of a bad@ss than in the show!!

"a replacement Sergeant disobeyed a direct order while in a combat situation, thereby risking the lives of the other soldiers in the company. According to DiMarzio, Speirs, commanding 2nd platoon, Dog Company was given orders to halt their attack on Ste. Come-du-Mont, to hold position while regimental headquarters coordinated a rolling barrage shelling fifteen targets in the vicinity of St. Marie-du-Mont. DiMarzio, who was lying in a prone position next to a sergeant, stated he remembered the sergeant being drunk.

An order to hold position was given and relayed down the line which the sergeant refused to obey, wanting to rush forward and engage the Germans. Once again, Speirs gave him the order to hold his position. Speirs told the man that he was too drunk to perform his duties and that he should remove himself to the rear. The sergeant refused and began to reach for his rifle. Speirs again warned the sergeant, who now levelled his rifle at Speirs. Art DiMarzio says he then saw Speirs shoot the sergeant in self-defense."

In January 1945, when Easy Company's initial attack on the German-occupied town of Foy bogged down due to the commander 1st Lieutenant Norman Dike,

battalion executive officer Captain Richard Winters ordered Speirs to relieve Dike of command.

The selection of Speirs was incidental; Winters later stated that Speirs was simply the first officer he saw when he turned around.

Speirs successfully took over the assault and led Easy Company to victory. During this battle, Lt. Dike had ordered a platoon to go on a flanking mission around the rear of the town.

To countermand this order, Speirs himself ran through the town and German lines (as this platoon had no radio), linked up with the Item Company soldiers and relayed the order.

Having completed this, he then ran back through the German-occupied town. He was reassigned as commanding officer of Easy Company and remained in that position for the rest of the war.

Of the officers who commanded Easy Company during the war, Speirs commanded the longest.