Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Charles Speirs was a United States Army officer who served in the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division during World War II. He was initially assigned as a platoon leader in B Company of the 1st Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment.

Did Ronald Speirs really run through Foy?

Speirs' sprint through Foy is lifted straight from Stephen A. Ambrose's non-fiction book Band of Brothers, upon which the HBO miniseries was based. ... While some of the stories about Speirs might be exaggerated or glamorized, the depiction of his fearless run across Foy is true.

What happened to Captain Speirs?

He retired from the Army in 1964 as a Lieutenant Colonel and stayed with his family in California. Speirs died in Montana on 11 April 2007.

Who plays Speer in Band of Brothers?

Jeffrey Matthew Settle (born September 17, 1969) is an American actor. He is known for playing Captain Ronald Speirs on the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers and Rufus Humphrey on the CW teen drama series Gossip Girl.

Was there a real Lt Speirs?

Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Charles Speirs (20 April 1920 – 11 April 2007) was a United States Army officer who served in the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division during World War II. ... He retired as a lieutenant colonel.

The Life and Sad Ending of Ronald Speirs - Band of Brothers Tribute

Why did Sobel shoot himself?

Sobel had some mental problems from his war experience, and he was found to be bitter at life and at Easy Company. For an unknown reason, in the late 1960s, Sobel attempted suicide by shooting himself through his temple, but the shot only severed his optic nerves, blinding him for life.

Did Speirs shoot the German prisoners?

With no means of managing the prisoners and needing to reach their military objective, Speirs gave the order to shoot them. ... A few hours later four more German soldiers were encountered and this time Speirs shot all of them himself.

Was Sobel really that bad?

But even though he worked hard, Sobel was hated by almost every man in Easy. Steven Ambrose described Sobel as a “ petty tyrant”. His arrogance was also marked upon as he gained complete control over Easy. He was strict and harsh against any breach of command, even if it was imaginary.

Was Lt Sobel real?

Herbert Maxwell Sobel Sr. (26 January 1912 – 30 September 1987) was an American commissioned officer with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division during World War II. Sobel was portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by David Schwimmer.

Is anyone alive from Band of Brothers?

Of the Easy Company paratroopers depicted in Band of Brothers, only two are still alive today: 1st Lieutenant Ed Shames, who was played by Joseph May in the miniseries, and PFC Bradford Freeman, who was played in a non-speaking role by James Farmer. Freeman celebrated his 96th birthday in September 2020.

Why was Nixon demoted?

He was the focus of an episode, which was set there and titled "Why We Fight". He was eventually demoted to Battalion S-3 because of his fondness for liquor. During the occupation, he got a letter saying his wife was divorcing him, and that she was taking everything.

What Band of Brothers got wrong?

A serious WWII history buff could point out dozens of small mistakes in “Band of Brothers” like the inaccuracies of a German Jagdpanther at Bloody Gulch, the wearing of the 101st Screaming Eagle patch during the Battle of the Bulge, or the anachronistic headset worn by a C-47 pilot taking off from England.

Is Easy Company still active?

Although the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment is still in service as a training unit of the U.S. Army, the direct lineage of E Company is today inactive.

Why is easy company so famous?

Immortalised in the television series 'Band of Brothers', Dick Winters and the men of E (generally known as Easy) Company, part of the 2nd battalion of the 506th Infantry Regiment in the 101st Airborne Division of the US Army, were rightly acclaimed for their bravery and daring, as well as their loyalty to each other.

How much of Band of Brothers is true?

What seems to have passed them by is the fact that the story is, for the most part, true. Band Of Brothers is based on a book by the prolific American historian Stephen E Ambrose, who compiled the story from extensive interviews with veterans of the "Easy Company", the Airborne's 506th Regiment.

Who are the real soldiers in Band of Brothers?

The real “Band of Brothers” existed long before the book. They were the men of E Company, 506^th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101^st Airborne Division (the 506^th PIR). These men joined with millions of others in uniform in answering the call of their nation.

Who shot himself in Band of Brothers?

Band of Brothers

The scene where Hoobler accidentally shot himself was reproduced in the miniseries. In the TV miniseries Hoobler obtained a luger pistol from a German soldier he shot down, and later accidentally shot himself with that gun.

Did Easy Company NCO mutiny?

Harris, along with Mike Ranney, were the two NCOs to start the mutiny against Easy Company's commander Captain Herbert Sobel. They convinced other NCOs to participate and the NCOs threatened to resign their posts unless Sobel was removed. The next day Harris and Ranney were arrested by military police.

Did Lewis Nixon ever shoot his gun?

Nixon saw the defeat of Germany and ended World War II with the rank of captain. Nixon never fired a shot in combat, though he spent much time on the front lines during intense close fighting. He returned home in September 1945.

What did Lewis Nixon drink?

VAT 69 is a famous old brand of blended whisky, chosen by Sir Ernest Shackleton to accompany him on his Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914 'for medicinal and celebratory purposes', and also famously the favourite whisky of Captain Lewis Nixon of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, immortalised in the book ...

Was Nixon in the army?

He served on active duty in the Naval Reserves during World War II. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1946. His pursuit of the Hiss Case established his reputation as a leading anti-Communist which elevated him to national prominence.