This Band Of Brothers Premiers Tonight...Will It Tell The Truth?

My own & HBO | 9-10-01 | timydnuc

[timydnuc]

Tonight they will premire a progam that my father lived and fought through. I heard the stories, I knew the man. I wonder if they will give him the respect that he, and his buddies, so richly deserve. I doubt it, but I'll reserve judgemant until I see the presentation.

My father was one of those 101st Airborne landed behind the lines on D-day. He was one of those glorious troops that survived the whole war. He won 1 Purple Heart, and a Silver Star, with a cluster during that war. I was 101st Airborne in the Nam.

The show is about to come on...I need to go! What do you think?

[jocwhales]

God bless him. Thank you for sharing.

[technochick99]

I wonder if this was done on purpose, so as to convey the idea that these men were really soldiers, not 'movie stars'..

I read an interview where Hanks said that since it took so long to film, no big 'star' would dedicate that much time to a project. He felt he had to go with unknowns.

[verity]

Team Yankee [1987] by Harold Coyle is a superb book.

Everything written by him since then is a "must read".

[andysandmikesmom]

Thanks for that bit of info...I actually think that it is better with no big stars....no big 'star' face to pop up, among all the others...

[andysandmikesmom]

My husband just recently retired from the military....for all these long years, he has had short, short hair...yet before he went into the military, he had what I would call medium length hair...I am now curious, now that he is a civilian again, if he keeps his short, short haircut, or if he will let it grow a little longer again....I do know he is contemplating growing his moustache longer and adding a beard...

If he does grow his hair longer, grow a longer moustache, and adds a beard, I may have a whole new husband...

[andysandmikesmom]

You are welcome... When grandpa Carl landed, it was June 6...somehow appropriate that our first son, and Carls first grandson was born on June 6th, 1970...

[Centurion2000]

What kind of color film did they use? I noticed that it was sort of toned down. Actually I like that color they used. And the cinematography in general was great too.

A filmmaker or cinematographer I am not; it was a good film though. Now that you mention the film colors it did remind of of sepia ink and how it fades to brown with age.

[The Westerner]

I don't know very much about the Battle of the Bulge. But when my Dad was dying, he dictated a little memoir. He states that on Christmas eve of 1944 his squad company E of the 75th Infantry Division participated in what was to be the first attack of any portion of the 290th Regimen. Their job was to take a town occupied by the Germans in some corner of Belgium. Most of the men ended up shell shocked after one night in the forest. My dad survived because he was the radio man and since the walkie-talkie didn't work (big surprise), he volunteered to return to the Major at Base camp for help. My Dad explained something to me when I was little. He said, "I was never a hero, I was only doing my job." And he meant it, for he was just about the last person possible to be recruited at the end of the war, being 4F with glasses.

[dts32041]

Wouldyou like the list, my two favorites The Ten Thousand and God's Children.

[poet]

Hollywood telling the truth???????? Dream on. Itt was done by spielberg wasn't it?

[poet]

Hollywood telling the truth???????? Dream on. Itt was done by spielberg wasn't it?

[noloveforlibs]

I have read every one of Stephen Ambrose's books on WWII. If he's involved believe me, this series will be no joke. Spielberg and Hanks are flaming liberals but they have great respect for The Greatest Generation. As for the first episode, I was greatly impressed.

[Rastus]

Ambrose took a shot at John Wayne on CSPAN the other day - to paraphrase - for fighting the war from Hollywood while real men like George McGovern risked their lives in combat. Much like the criticism by the Left of the Gipper's war service.
I thought the putdown was unnecessary & given Wayne was such a conservative betrayed a snide liberalism I was disappointed to hear coming from Ambrose.

He was also on Charlie Rose fawning over McGovern and bashing Bush. Paraphrasing:

Charlie Rose: "So, now that you've covered the European theater, will you move on to the Pacific?"

Stephen Ambrose: "No. I'm going to focus on the environment. This president is making a huge mistake by wanting to drill in Alaska. We need to start looking at wind, water and solar power."

Like all those nifty windmills in California? Geez. Rose asked him about nuclear power, citing the good safety record of European nuclear plants. He was dismissive of the idea, naturally.

But, that's not the main thing. The thing for which he will never be forgiven in my eyes is his role in the Historians in Defense of the Constitution debacle. This was the petition signed by "prominent historians" stating that to impeach, convict and remove Clinton would "strike a blow at the intergrity of the Constitution." Bah. I don't know if he was one of the framers of this document or merely a signer, but I'll never read one of his books. Nor will I read any of the historians who put their name to that trash. Humorously enough, Joseph Ellis signed. Gotta love that.

[kidd]

I just finished watching all ten episodes (I rented the DVDs). I watched each episode twice. I don't know what to say...

Your father has my most sincere respect.

Would you be willing to give some details about your father's involvement? Thanks.