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Today is the 80th anniversary of Easy Company's attack into the city of Foy, Belgium...
Posted on 1/13/25 at 6:23 pm
Posted on 1/13/25 at 6:23 pm
Dramatically depicted in episode seven of Band of Brothers, the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division assaulted the small Belgian town on the morning of January 13, 1945, in the closing stages of the Battle of the Bulge. In that now famous action, Lieutenant Ronald Speirs of of Dog Company relieved Lieutenant Norman Dike after he froze up in the middle of the assault. Speirs then famously led Easy into town, ran through German defenses to link up with other American units, before running back through the Germans to rejoin Easy Company.
The YouTube channel History Underground recently visited the town of Foy as part of the 80th anniversary festivities and retraced Easy Company's assault, the area where Speirs made his mad dash, and where Shifty Powers took down a German sniper:
The YouTube channel History Underground recently visited the town of Foy as part of the 80th anniversary festivities and retraced Easy Company's assault, the area where Speirs made his mad dash, and where Shifty Powers took down a German sniper:
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Posted on 1/13/25 at 6:29 pm to RollTide1987
Ronald Speirs of of Dog Company relieved Lieutenant Norman Dike after he froze up in the middle of the assault.
—according to eyewitnesses from Easy Co, Dike was shot in the shoulder and was incapacitated. That’s when Speirs was sent in. Dike continued in the Army and served in Korea. Dr. Ambrose did Dike a disservice in the way it was portrayed in BoB.
—according to eyewitnesses from Easy Co, Dike was shot in the shoulder and was incapacitated. That’s when Speirs was sent in. Dike continued in the Army and served in Korea. Dr. Ambrose did Dike a disservice in the way it was portrayed in BoB.
Posted on 1/13/25 at 6:34 pm to RollTide1987
A very badass generation of men. Last of their kind.
Posted on 1/13/25 at 6:34 pm to cypresstiger
One of the best scenes in television history
Off topic: If anyone is interested, that guy got back from Guadalcanal and has a many ww2 videos from that island as well as Gavutu, Tanembogo, and Tulagi
Off topic: If anyone is interested, that guy got back from Guadalcanal and has a many ww2 videos from that island as well as Gavutu, Tanembogo, and Tulagi
This post was edited on 1/13/25 at 6:42 pm
Posted on 1/13/25 at 6:36 pm to cypresstiger
quote:
according to eyewitnesses from Easy Co, Dike was shot in the shoulder and was incapacitated. That’s when Speirs was sent in. Dike continued in the Army and served in Korea. Dr. Ambrose did Dike a disservice in the way it was portrayed in BoB.
There is conflicting information about the nature of Dike's "incident" outside of Foy. Some say he was wounded in the shoulder, others say he froze on the spot. What isn't in dispute, however, is the fact that throughout his tenure as Easy's commanding officer he appeared indecisive, often delegated important decisions to his subordinates, and caused frustration among his platoon and squad leaders.
Where I do agree with you, however, is the fact that Ambrose gave Dike a raw deal. The man had led soldiers into combat prior to taking command of Easy Company, receiving a bronze star for gallantry and a purple heart. My theory is the man was suffering from a heavy case of PTSD and was mentally incapable of leading troops back into combat.
Posted on 1/13/25 at 6:36 pm to RollTide1987
82nd > 101st (one of the worst)
Posted on 1/13/25 at 6:36 pm to sledgehammer
Man, every time I watch Speirs running thru that snow, I get onions.
Posted on 1/13/25 at 6:41 pm to RollTide1987
i've been in the woods overlooking foy a few times. amazing any of those dude even made it there after being outside getting shot at in that winter weather for as long as they had been by that point
Posted on 1/13/25 at 6:53 pm to cypresstiger
Don’t think Steven Ambrose was writing the scripts, but hey, you be you.
Posted on 1/13/25 at 7:20 pm to cypresstiger
quote:
Dr. Ambrose did Dike a disservice in the way it was portrayed in BoB.
You could say the same about Speirs . Obviously he was a baddass and had a distinguished career but I read somewhere after BOB came out he wouldn’t attend any reunions or anything bc he was afraid he’d be charged with war crimes over shooting the prisoners.
Posted on 1/13/25 at 7:34 pm to WheyCheddar
Don’t think Steven Ambrose was writing the scripts, but hey, you be you.
—You would be mistaken in thinking that. BoB was Ambrose’s baby, he had final say on the scripts. By the way, the 10 episodes are remarkably true to the book.
But you be you.
—You would be mistaken in thinking that. BoB was Ambrose’s baby, he had final say on the scripts. By the way, the 10 episodes are remarkably true to the book.
But you be you.
Posted on 1/13/25 at 7:51 pm to sledgehammer
quote:
One of the best scenes in television history
I rewatched it not too long ago, after not seeing it in a long time. The series still holds up today.
Posted on 1/13/25 at 7:53 pm to EvrybodysAllAmerican
quote:
Obviously he was a baddass and had a distinguished career but I read somewhere after BOB came out he wouldn’t attend any reunions or anything bc he was afraid he’d be charged with war crimes over shooting the prisoners.
He wasn’t afraid of that. He was pissed about them portraying him as a murderer.
Posted on 1/13/25 at 7:55 pm to RollTide1987
Posted on 1/13/25 at 8:06 pm to cypresstiger
quote:
according to eyewitnesses from Easy Co, Dike was shot in the shoulder and was incapacitated.
If this is the case then Band of Brothers (one of the best series ever btw) really wasn't fair to him
Weird
ETA:
quote:
There is conflicting information about the nature of Dike's "incident" outside of Foy. Some say he was wounded in the shoulder, others say he froze on the spot. What isn't in dispute, however, is the fact that throughout his tenure as Easy's commanding officer he appeared indecisive, often delegated important decisions to his subordinates, and caused frustration among his platoon and squad leaders. Where I do agree with you, however, is the fact that Ambrose gave Dike a raw deal. The man had led soldiers into combat prior to taking command of Easy Company, receiving a bronze star for gallantry and a purple heart. My theory is the man was suffering from a heavy case of PTSD and was mentally incapable of leading troops back into combat.
Now I see this, this helps make it make a little more sense
This post was edited on 1/13/25 at 8:12 pm
Posted on 1/13/25 at 8:11 pm to Wishnitwas1998
quote:
If this is the case then Band of Brothers (one of the best series ever btw) really wasn't fair to him
Ambrose was, at best, a sloppy and careless historian. More likely, he was a plagiarizing hack.
ETA: Obviously, the DVs are from fans of the miniseries. Ambrose was, in actuality, a lazy historian who played fast and loose with the facts and crediting others' work. The Dyke and Blythe accounts by Ambrose are two of the more prominent examples of him fudging easily verifiable facts.
This post was edited on 1/13/25 at 11:07 pm
Posted on 1/13/25 at 8:12 pm to RollTide1987
I haven’t rewatched BoB in two years.
This thread tells me it’s time.
ETA: Curahee!
This thread tells me it’s time.
ETA: Curahee!
This post was edited on 1/13/25 at 8:15 pm
Posted on 1/13/25 at 8:49 pm to grizzlylongcut
I think dick winters is the one that said it. Beyond band of brothers podcast goes into it. Most of the veterans interviewed said it happened but none of them thought less of him for doing it. And they were more surprised he didn’t kill the US soldier in the drunk driving incident at the end of the war.
This post was edited on 1/13/25 at 8:51 pm
Posted on 1/13/25 at 8:52 pm to cypresstiger
quote:
according to eyewitnesses from Easy Co, Dike was shot in the shoulder and was incapacitated. That’s when Speirs was sent in. Dike continued in the Army and served in Korea
BoB also got Blythe (the disoriented paratrooper) incorrect. It had him dying in 1948. He actually lived until 1968.
Posted on 1/13/25 at 8:54 pm to grizzlylongcut
I feel they did a lot of guys dirty.
Sobel was a dick and incompetent combat officer but he was a good army officer.
Dike wasn’t as weak as they made him seem.
Speirs probably shot those POWs but who cares lol it was war and they were pissed off
Poor Blythe never died either
Sobel was a dick and incompetent combat officer but he was a good army officer.
Dike wasn’t as weak as they made him seem.
Speirs probably shot those POWs but who cares lol it was war and they were pissed off
Poor Blythe never died either
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