Band of Brothers

Band of Brothers is the Shakespearean reference to the men of Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, during World War II.  The descriptive phrase “Band of Brothers” was popularized in the title of a book by historian Stephen Ambrose, recounting the war experiences of the unit.  The Band of Brothers parachuted into Normandy on D-Day and subsequently participated in Operation Market-Garden, the Battle of the Bulge, and the capture of Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest at the end of the war in Europe.

101st Airborne Division troopers, backed by Sherman tanks, battle the Germans in the woods surrounding Bloody Gulch in Normandy, June 1944, where Lieutenant Ronald Speirs and his men fought. The paratroopers had only rifles, machine guns, and grenades with which to conduct the battle until armored forces arrived.

Band of Brothers

Ronald Speirs: ‘Imperfect But Daring Leader’

By Jared Frederick & Erik Dorr

Swirls of black smoke billowed high above the steeples and splintered roofs as Lieutenant Ronald Speirs surveyed the stucco exteriors of storefronts and dwellings pocked by the scars of urban battle. Read more

battle of carentan

Band of Brothers

The Battle of Carentan: “You’re Gonna Die Here!”

By Kevin M. Hymel

“Move out!” shouted Lieutenant Richard “Dick” Winters to the men of Easy Company. It was 6 o’clock on the morning of June 12, 1944, and Easy Company’s paratroopers braced themselves to attack the southern section of Carentan. Read more

Band of Brothers

Paratrooper Brawl at Carentan

By William F. Floyd, Jr.

The two exits from the American landing zones at Utah Beach were entrusted to the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. Read more

Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg are working on a third HBO series about World War II. based on Donald L. Miller's acclaimed book, "Masters of the Air."

Band of Brothers

HBO Working on “Band of Brothers In The Sky”

Thirteen years after completing “Band of Brothers” and four years after its companion series, “The Pacific,” Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg are teaming up again for a new World War II HBO series: “Masters of the Air.” Read more

Several of them arriving aboard a jeep, troopers of the 101st Airborne Division enter the important Norman town of Carentan on June 14, 1944. The fighting at Carentan was heavy, and the Americans withstood several German counterattacks.

Band of Brothers

Band of Brothers’ Buck Compton: One Man’s Call of Duty

By Flint Whitlock

Thanks to the late historian Stephen Ambrose, his book Band of Brothers, and the HBO series of the same title, the legendary, extraordinary exploits of Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), 101st Airborne Division, have become well known to a whole new generation. Read more

Band of Brothers

Interview with a Screaming Eagle

By Brandt Heatherington

Reginald Alexander was born in Gardnerville, Nevada, in 1924 to Scottish émigré parents who were originally from Westcolvin, Scotland. Read more

Taking advantage of the minimal cover afforded by their foxhole, a pair of American soldiers provides suppressing fire in an effort to dislodge a German sniper

Band of Brothers

Major Dick Winters: The Island In His Own Words

By Dick Winters

Now that Uden was secured, Easy Company and the remainder of the 101st Airborne Division received orders to move to the “Island,” a long narrow area north of Nijmegen between the Lower Rhine and the Waal Rivers. Read more

Captain Dick Winters: The Island

Band of Brothers

Captain Dick Winters: The Island

By Kevin M. Hymel

Airborne divisions were designed as light troops, relying on the shock value of landing to the enemy’s rear, and giving the Allies a third dimension of attack. Read more

There is much to see when touring the Battle of the Bulge, though 70 years on, some of it may be hard to find.

Band of Brothers

Touring the Battle of the Bulge

By Kevin M. Hymel

The Battle of the Bulge lasted an entire month, and was fought over almost the entire Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and half of Belgium, yet finding all of the battlefields and historic sights is a bit more difficult than locating the D-day beaches. Read more

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