Alone In War - Band Of Brothers Episode 4 Recap
As a reminder, these recaps are not meant to be a frame-by-frame retelling of the episode with my thoughts; rather, they are reactions to details or storylines as I view them through my lens in the Army. Enjoy!
STREAMING UPDATE - Band of Brothers is coming to Netlfix 9/15
As was common during WW2, this episode focuses on the replacement Soldiers that came to replace those men Easy Company lost in the early days of battle. This was common practice given the attrition rate during WW2 and even though it happened frequently, it never made it any easier for units. Camaraderie in war is paramount so to join a unit that trained together for 2 years, formed tight bonds, and saw battle together would be a challenge for even the most accomplished Soldiers.
Replacements
Even this early into combat, Easy had distinguished themselves as a unit that would get the job done so there is an expectation when joining a unit like theirs. Those replacements could sense the eyes on them but they showed the proper amount of deference and respect, especially when it came to the Non Commissioned Officers. NCOs are crucial to any unit, even more so in combat. It was no surprise when Wild Bill told the replacements to listen to SGT Randelman (sidenote, Bull's first name was Denver and that suits him) and said he was the smartest man in the company.
War is lonely only made lonelier if you don't have any battle buddies. I was reassigned to a unit during my deployment to serve in a new role. Thank God the other Lieutenant I had to share an office with turned out to be cool as hell and became one of my best friends to this day (shout to Rob). I would've been miserable if he sucked as a person because there wouldn't have been anyone really to hang out with because...
Officers fraternizing with Soldiers
We see 1LT Compton throwing darts with some of the Soldiers and gambling with them. There is a fine line with relationships between officers and Soldiers they are charged with leading. It is impossible to spend every day with people and not find common ground and become friendly. When you have no one to go home to, you lean on these men. Combat is a little different so long as there is a healthy level of respect between the men and the officers. But sometimes if you get too close to folks it can pose a problem when you're trying to give them orders. Easy Company didn't have this issue as the men listened to and respected Buck.
Being a jerk for the sake of being a jerk never plays
Cobb giving the replacement a hard time about wearing the unit citation because the replacement wasn't there when the unit earned the citation always rubbed me the wrong way for two reasons; first, from a regulation standpoint, if the unit you're in receives a citation, you're supposed to wear that on your uniform regardless if you were there when the citation was earned. My unit received citations for valor in Vietnam and uhh last time I checked, I wasn't around for that war. Secondly, Cobb was trying to exert some sort of bravado on these new guys and that accomplishes exactly nothing. Not to mention, he didn't even fight in the battle himself! He continues to show his true colors as the series progresses.
Looking dumb in front of Soldiers
Soldiers are always watching. Always judging. ESPECIALLY when it comes to the officers. It is very easy for Soldiers to pass judgment on an officer and that snap judgment will stick with them. When the Lieutenant asked SSG Martin to tap his leg despite being next to the jump light, he is trying to cover his ass. He doesn't want to look like a newb in front of the men. Nothing worse than becoming the guy the Soldiers make fun of behind your back.
No, I wasn't that guy. I knew that guy. I wasn't that guy.
Attention to detail
It's crazy that after all this time and countless re-watches, I still notice things for the first time. When Easy is walking through the crowded town, you notice the officers all tuck their rank into their jackets and mention snipers. Snipers want to take out the officers because in theory, taking out the leadership would cause chaos. Shiny rank is a dead giveaway that you're an officer and thus, a target. We have subdued rank now and I have to imagine this changed due in part to snipers in combat.
Kids in combat
When Webster hands the young boy his chocolate bar and you see his face light up because he tastes chocolate for the first time, I always get choked up. Kids don't grasp what is going on around them in war. Often times on patrols we would hand out candy or toys to kids and their smiles could light up the darkest of skies.
Don't be dumb
A good rule of thumb in combat is, "Don't be dumb." You would think this would be easy to adhere to but opportunities to be dumb are abundant. The Lieutenant walking WAY out ahead of the patrol, in the middle of the street mind you, was a recipe for disaster. It was no surprise he was shot. Sometimes officers will do things to prove something to their men. Other times they are dumb and don't realize how dumb they are being.
I have two such examples from my time in Iraq. One time, there was a dude digging to put a bomb in the side of the road. I took off running after him with my dismount team. My dismount team fell behind me about 25 yards but I kept charging for the dude. I chased him down, tackled him, landed on top of him with all my weight, and broke two of his ribs. Oops. The dumb part was running ahead of my men. My adrenaline was pumping and when I looked back they seemed closer than they were. Dumb dumb dumb. But, it definitely earned me respect. Another time I got moved to a remote outpost. I went for a run one day and thought I was inside our perimeter. It wasn't until one of the platoon sergeants came running toward me to scream at me to get inside the wire that I realized I was very much not inside the perimeter. Dumb dumb dumb.
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So remember kids - don't be dumb.
Bull Randelman
I'm not breaking any news here but Bull Randelman was an unreal Soldier. How scary must it have been to be alone in that town at night? You don't know if you're surrounded, if your men are returning for you, or if you will make it through the night. Sheesh.
Oh you have some shrapnel in your shoulder? Why don't I pour some vodka on it and scrape it out with a dirty bayonet. They don't make em like that any more.
Fast forward to the German finding Bull's hiding spot and you have one of the more harrowing deaths of the series. Taking another man's life after close quarters combat the way he did was both courageous and frightening. Being able to see the whites of the eyes of the man you're killing will do something to you. Let me be clear, I've never done that. I learned how to defend myself should it ever have come to that but it thankfully never did.
Upon Bull's return to the unit, he exchanges a few smiles but then it's onto the next mission. Unreal. Truly a great Soldier.
As always, ICYMI