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He was universally hated by his men, removed from command for incompetence, and died alone and forgotten in a veterans’ home—yet he may have been the single most important reason the most legendary unit of World War II became legendary. This is the untold story of the man who sacrificed his reputation and relationships to save lives he would never see again, and how I found personal connection to his life.
Welcome to Stuff I Learned Yesterday. I’m Darrell Darnell and this is episode 681, “In the Company of Greatness.” There’s disagreement among historians about what the “D” in D-Day stands for. Arguments include “departed,” “disembarkation,” and “decision.” But the most widely accepted explanation is that it simply stands for “day” – specifically, the day on which a combat operation or attack is to be launched. And I believe that if you aren’t learning, you aren’t living.
Band of Brothers is a 10 episode mini-series that first aired on HBO in the fall of 2001. The series was created by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, and it’s based on Stephen Ambrose’s non-fiction book by the same name. The series follows the history of “Easy” Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division during World War II.
Over the course of the 10 episodes we see the training of Easy Company, their entry into Normandy on D-Day, the Siege of (Bastone-yuh) Bastogne, the liberation of the Kaufering concentration camp, and their eventual capture of Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest compound.
I wasn’t aware of the series when it first aired. In fact it wasn’t until I started The Fringe Podcast in 2008 that I learned of it. One of the stars of Band of Brothers is Kirk Acevedo. Kirk is a fantastic actor, and was also one of the stars of Fringe. Listeners of our podcast who were familiar with Band of Brothers encouraged me to check it out.
Eventually I did watch the series and it blew me away. If you’ve never seen it, I can’t recommend it enough. Although it should go without saying, since it depicts the events of WWII, it is filled with violence and language. Each episode begins with the real survivors of Easy Company sharing stories of their experience. This adds a layer of realism to the show that powerfully connects the viewer to the events happening on screen. It’s wonderfully shot, acted, and written.
My only issue with the series was the character of Lieutenant Colonel Herbert Sobel. My issue was twofold. First, the character was portrayed by David Schwimmer, who I only knew as Ross Gellar from Friends. So I had a very hard time not seeing the character as Ross in cosplay. My other issue with the character was that he seemed incredibly incompetent and unnecessarily mean. I found him to be a very unlikeable character.
Last year I decided to watch the series again, and this time my take on Sobel was completely different. I found him to be incredibly powerful, approachable, and inspiring. Let me tell you more about him.
In March 1941, months before the United States entered World War II, Sobel joined the Military Police Corps and was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas. After volunteering for the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, at Camp Toccoa, Georgia, Sobel became the first member of Easy Company and its commanding officer.
As first lieutenant, then promoted to captain, Sobel was tasked with transforming civilian volunteers into an elite, battle-ready unit of airborne soldiers. His training methods were notoriously rigorous and harsh, earning him the nickname “the devil in jump boots” from his soldiers and “the black swan” by officers. He famously forced Easy Company to run up a three-mile logging road that wound around nearby Currahee Mountain, often leading them himself despite not being particularly athletic.
Sobel often punished his soldiers for minor infractions like getting lint on their chevrons, carrying a rusty bayonet, or even having a name he didn’t like. His punishments included forcing men to dig six-foot-by-six-foot holes in the ground and then fill them back in.
As the 506th’s departure for Europe neared, Sobel’s deficiencies as a field commander became apparent. He struggled to read maps and responded poorly to sudden changes in battlefield conditions. Perhaps most critically, he lacked the charisma and connection with his men needed to lead them successfully in combat.
The situation reached a breaking point when Easy Company’s non-commissioned officers surrendered their stripes and refused to serve under Sobel, arguing that his tactical ineptitude would place their men’s lives at excessive risk. Colonel Robert Sink, the regimental commander, punished the NCOs but removed Sobel from command and instead gave him command of a new parachute training school in England. First Lieutenant Thomas Meehan took command of Easy Company.
Contrary to popular belief fostered by the HBO series, Sobel did participate in combat operations. He jumped into Normandy on D-Day with the 101st Airborne Division as part of Regimental Headquarters Company and earned a Combat Infantry Badge. He was later assigned as the regimental S-4 (logistics) officer for Operation Market Garden and participated in the Battle of the Bulge.
During the war, Sobel earned several decorations including the Bronze Star Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with four campaign stars, World War II Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Medal, and the French Croix de guerre (“kwa duh gair”).
After the war, Sobel returned to Chicago and worked as an accountant. He married Rose, a former military nurse from South Dakota, and they raised three sons. As a civilian, Sobel was known as a devoted husband who made his wife breakfast every day, and warmed her car every winter morning. He was stern but supportive with his sons, setting aside all his savings to fund their education, which he believed was second only to raising a family in importance.
Sobel remained in the Army Reserve and was recalled to active duty during the Korean War, eventually retiring at the rank of lieutenant colonel. However, during the politically turbulent 1960s, he became estranged from his family, particularly his second son Michael, who became active in left-wing circles in Berkeley, California. This ideological conflict created a rift with his conservative father.
In 1970, Sobel attempted suicide by shooting himself in the head with a small-caliber pistol. The bullet entered his left temple, passed behind his eyes, and exited the other side, severing his optic nerves and rendering him permanently blind. For the final 17 years of his life, Sobel lived in a dilapidated Veterans Affairs nursing home in Waukegan, Illinois, where he died of malnutrition on September 30, 1987, at age 75. His family was not by his side and no funeral services were held for him.
To me it’s a heartbreakingly tragic ending to the life of a man who should have been regarded as a hero. Here’s why.
Despite being almost universally disliked during training, many Easy Company veterans later credited Sobel with the unit’s cohesion and success. His son Michael became his most faithful defender, maintaining that his father’s harsh methods were deliberately designed to forge the men into an ironclad company by giving them a common enemy to unite against. Michael Sobel said, “I believe that the men understand what my father’s function was and how he operated.”
Several Easy Company veterans offered tribute to Sobel’s contributions. Donald Malarkey wrote, “You got the idea he was hardening us for tougher times to come. When the war ended, I wondered if he wasn’t a big reason some of us were still alive.” Other veterans acknowledged that Sobel’s training methods, while harsh, had prepared them for the brutal realities of combat and contributed significantly to their survival and success in battles like D-Day, the Battle of the Bulge, and their eventual occupation of Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest. Richard Winters recalled, “One of the reasons that Easy Company excelled was undoubtedly Captain Sobel.”
Here’s what I learned.
When I went back and rewatched Band of Brothers knowing what I just shared with you about Lieutenant Colonel Sobel, I connected with his story in a very personal way. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to compare my achievements, hardships, or efforts to those of the great Lieutenant Colonel Sobel. He and those who endured unthinkable hardships, forged incredible courage, and sacrificed all personal gain to liberate the world of arguably the worst dictator in the history of the world are, in fact, the greatest generation. I am not those men. I only hope to live a life worthy of their sacrifice.
But, I did find a parallel in our lives and I found it to be incredibly inspiring.
Like Sobel, I had a dream and worked hard in my career to achieve that dream. That dream was to become a buyer and work out of our company’s main office. One day, I achieved that dream. That’s a story I’ve shared in previous episodes. However, once I was promoted to that position, I found myself there for only a short time. I made a series of errors that led to me being removed and reassigned.
Like Sobel, I was devastated. I felt like a failure, lost my confidence, and was unclear about my future. I was still happy to have a job, but it wasn’t what I dreamed for.
And I think that’s something that many of us can relate to. We have a dream, we work to get it, and either it never comes or we get there and it doesn’t work out. But legacies are often found when they are forged in failure. In fact, what is viewed as failure is often found to be the best possible thing once time and perspective are brought into the picture.
The truth is Sobel did far more good as an instructor than he ever would have in the field. Was that role as glorifying as he wanted? I doubt it. But he was a highly gifted instructor and that’s what those men needed at the core of their skillset in order to be successful in the field.
It’s been said that those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.” It implies that teaching is for those who have failed in other professions. But having the ability to know information well enough to teach and equip others is an incredibly praiseworthy position, and frankly, not many can do it well.
When I failed at being a buyer, I still took from that experience skills that uniquely qualified me for the next chapter in my life, one that I never could have seen coming and was far better than what I’d initially dreamed for.
So embrace failure. Ask yourself, “What does this make possible?” Keep your head up, and understand that, regardless of your circumstances, you have the opportunity to make the most of your situation and turn any situation into an opportunity for a better tomorrow.
I’m Darrell Darnell, and this has been Stuff I Learned Yesterday.
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