Band of Brothers Epi 8 "The Last Patrol" 

Winters stepping up and telling them to get a full night's sleep and report an unsuccessful "patrol" in the morning is such a good example of shielding your troops from the BS. Not always possible, but amazing when you can.

You see Webster briefly in one or two of the basic training scenes from the first episode, but he’s not featured prominently, it’s literally blink and you’ll miss him. He has a speaking role in Ep 4 “Replacements” as the soldier who translates that the old man is yelling “away!” at them from the window of his house as they’re taking up positions in the town. I also think he was in the scene where they give the little boy chocolate. In Ep 5 “Crossroads” they show him being wounded. He’s the one who yells “my god, they got me!” when he’s hit, and later when they’re dressing his wound, he expresses embarrassment over his reaction to it.

Major Dick Winters wrote a book years after the series aired on HBO, “Beyond Band of Brothers “. He said he received so many letters from all over the world he decided to write the book to attempt to answer some of the questions. It is an easy read, to me it was like sitting with your grandfather and him telling you about his time in the war. If you want to know more about Dick Winters this book is definitely recommended.

"Eugene Jackson was 20 years old. He’d lied about his age when he joined the Army at 16. His family, I’m sure, got a telegram from the War Department saying he died a hero on an important mission that would help win the war. In fact, Eugene lost his life on a stretcher in a dank basement in Haguenau crying out in agony while his friends looked on helplessly. He was just one more casualty in a war that was supposed to be all but over." One of the more gut wrenching lines in the show for my money.

Webster was the guy that said "They got me!" in the Crossroads episode (Ep. 5). Then afterwards he was like "They got me. Can you believe I said that?" He is also the one who gave the little Dutch boy the chocolate bar inthe Replacements episode (Ep. 4).

"Soon they would be entering Germany." I've always gotten chills from that line. It's like Frodo and Sam, after their long journey, finally entering Mordor.

I practically live for your reactions to BoB, Ames. You feel so much and empathize with these amazing men deeply and I (we) really appreciate that. Keep up the great work. You're a star.

To see a woman like you respect appreciate and love men for what we have to do to keep the world safe is so heart warming thank you for celebrating these men

Webster gave the little boy his first taste of chocolate!

Nothing like being a fresh rookie Lieutenant for a group of battle hardened soldiers.

The writers didn't do Webster any favors with how they wrote him for this episode. Men were actually happy to see him back, and said he should be grateful he missed Bastogne, they weren't mad at him about it. But, as with a few stories told in this series, they changed stuff. Webster wasn't even on this patrol in real life, he was manning a machine gun to cover their retreat.

I love how we're given another example of Winter's leadership in this episode, with the decision to not send out a second patrol. It clarifies that one of a leader's objective, maybe even the primary objective, is to keep his men safe. Sometimes, most of the time, it's about keeping them safe from the enemy, as best he could. But now and then, it's also to keep his men safe from the higher ups in their own army.

Webster was the guy that gave the Dutch kid chocolate

These guys were real men . I own the series watch it every two years . I first saw this almost twenty years ago

When you watch the series again, you will be amazed by how much you understand and how much you know. After 100 rewatches I always learn more. Can't wait for the last two episodes, The Pacific, then Masters of Air in January

Part of the reason Winters called off the second patrol was that it had snowed and it had gotten colder between the two days. He knew that the frozen ground would be crunching with every step with a clear sky to make the moonlight an even bigger risk than it had been before. Sink was there to observe but there was a bottle of whiskey among the staff he was with. Winters knew that soon enough Sink, whose behind his back nickname was Bourbon Bob, would be ready for bed and would effectively sleep through anything.

Cobb (the drunk soldier) was actually court martialed for those events. An Easter egg at the end of the episode: You can see him being taken away by Military Police in one of the jeeps.

The opening comments from the veterans talking about how you started to think you might survive make me think of my grandfather. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge, I think he was about 19 at the time. It's wild to me, looking back, and realizing that his survival in the war (he was a gunner on a troop transport) is the reason I'm here typing this right now.

Shifty was blacking out the sights on his rifle to remove any shine that might interfere with aiming at a target. Not using helmets was probably to prevent any noise in case of one being dropped. Helmets are mostly for protection from shrapnel anyway. Nixon's helmet had the bullet go in and out in the replacements episode. My dad had a bullet come in under his helmet, over his ear, and out through the back without touching him!

"Yeah, we already know, Web told us". Poor Webster, totally set up but hilarious. Next episode, not violent but heart wrenching, have the tissues ready. Still makes me tear up every time. Till next time, Peace miss A. ❤

Loved your reaction to Winters instructions for the second patrol.

I’ve always been impressed by how every episode has its own feel, almost it’s own personality, even the two in Bastogne had different feels. Yet in the end, they all weave together into a cohesive story where every minute contributed something to the whole. It truly is a masterpiece of filmmaking, one for the ages, we owe a debt to those men, I hope humans see this and give them their due credit for centuries to come. This is episode 8, you’re getting close to the end, but it’s not going to let up. At all. Get the tissues ready.

I've read a couple books by and about Maj. Dick Winters, and the man was just 100% soldier at a DNA level. He was smart, levelj-headed, clever, and infinitely useful to his COs, not to mention a gold-plated hero. "Beyond Band of Brothers" is required reading for anyone who wants the deeper story of Maj. Winters. It is fascinating. I've been enjoying this series of videos, young lady. Very nicely done.

After BoB came out, I was working in talk radio and I set out to book Winters. HBO put a tight hold on interviewing people the year after but I tracked him down. They wouldn't let him come on our air but I had the pleasure of speaking to him for a couple hours one day from his farm. He was, as you'll see later watching this series exactly what you'd think he'd be like. I've been in TV and Radio for 25 years, he was my favorite guest I never got on the air.

My Dad, Bill Young, was a Sargent in the U.S. Army 1st infantry division and served from Feb 1941 to Oct 1945. He went overseas about the same time Easy would have been beginning their training at Camp Tacoa. He always said that when he left to go overseas he never expected to get home alive. But he did obviously. He taught and was wounded in North Africa. Then after a few weeks in hospital in Morocco he went on to fight through France, Belgium, Holand, Luxembourg,and Germany.

Thank you again for watching this series. Very important to always remember.

The screams are the most vivid memories I still have.

Cobb was court martialed for his actions. At the very end when they are getting in trucks to leave town you'll notice, if you pause and look closely, that Cobb is in the back of a MP jeep with 2 MPs in front.

Can't wait to see your reactions to "Why We Fight" and "Points". The two most emotional episodes for me -each for different reasons. I'm a 62 year old man, and I still cry every time I watch the last two eps. Thanks, Ames, for taking us on this journey with you.

Hello, I am from Iraq. I had friends from the American Army❤❤❤

Absolutely spot on about Winters. Hang in there with the last two. Hard to watch, but probably two of the most important pieces of film ever.

I also got Webster and Speirs mixed up my first SEVERAL watches. They seriously look so similar!!

Tom Hanks even enlisted his own son into the War, that's commitment...This is when Winters essentially "Dad arms" and protects his men of Easy Company in anyway he can, even by lying to command. I love the way they express so visually the soldiers experiences by the appearance of their uniforms. Webster's guilt is what leads him to volunteer for the patrol and earn respect from the men again... Currahee ♠

Ames - Yes, Webster WAS that one in Holland when the guy in the window tried to warn them, saying "Away...away". But he wasn't injured until later (in the Winters Episode); Webster get's shot then shouts, "They Got me"! He also gave chocolate to that Dutch kid in the Holland episode. And he DOES look like Speirs. This episode was definitely a bit of a relief, especially with Winters orders at the end; love him. Such a contrast between (Webster) a well fed & rested soldier, and the worn out and heavy laden heroes of Bastogne, after weeks on the line (I really like how you put it - sort of an insider become outsider looking in). David Webster's book was actually source material for parts of this series. Many times, with the camera angle, it really feels like you're experiencing this thru his eyes. Makes me wonder if all of those scenes were directly from the book, or every time he narrated. Great job by Eoin Bailey portraying Webster. Also, I really liked how Collin Hanks played this; he hit it just right for me.

Its always the last two episodes I wait for. Two rollercoaster episodes.

all your movie/tv reactions are amazing... your emotions are so pure ❤💥... "last patrol" is my fav. episode because we see more of Ssgt. Johnny Martin (the actor Dexter Fletcher is awesome and also a director for e.g. Rocketman 🤩🤗)... Love from Germany 🥰🧡

Webster's narration in this episode is taken directly from a book he wrote about his wartime experiences, which became an important source for the Stephen Ambrose book that the series is based on. As a result, of all the dialogue in the entire series, this is the most authentic because they're Webster's actual words

*Another excellent reaction video, Ames!* 👍 My father (born in 1924; I was born in 1954) was a sergeant in General Patton's Third Army during WWII. He was in France, Belgium, and Germany. He wasn't a combat soldier (he was in Ordnance) but he was there and he did his duty. I still have his army uniform that he wore when coming home after the war. It's a small, tangible piece of history. Cheers!

I just love your reactions. Your empathy is so apparent, you seem like a really good person.

Yes, Webster was the one who translated for the old man yelling "Away! Away!" from his window in episode four. He was also the one who gave the little kid his first taste of chocolate in the same episode. He was injured in episode five, getting hit in the leg with shrapnel from friendly mortar fire.

It's been over 20 years since this masterpiece and it remains to this day my favorite tv show ever. I loved The Pacific but it didn't take BoB's place. Can't wait for Masters of the Air coming out in January.

"How could anyone ever know of the price paid by soldiers in agony, terror and bloodshed if they've never been to places like Normandy, Bastogne, and Haguenau?"- Pvt. Webster

Webster was the trooper who gave the little Dutch boy his 1st block/taste of chocolate in the "Replacements" ep. Webster also kept well detailed diary entries and sent lots of letter's home. He and his literary legacy were a prolific source of information for Stephen Ambrose research for the book (the Ambrose book is well worth the read, we suggest you check it out and compare it to what we see here, there is so much more clarity and many small, chronological differences, as with ALL screen adaptations of factual/historical biographies) prior to the ease of research available to us nowadays 😉🤙

I’m literally on knives edge waiting for you to watch the next episodes of Band of Brothers. It’s my favorite depiction WWII and Easy Company ever made. Your next reaction video can’t come fast enough!!

You are absolutely awesome! Thank you for doing this and making an old Army man cry along with you.

As they say,- "What a BOSS!" Frigging Winters. Another wonderful reaction too. Hold on for the next episode.

This episode is not entirely fair to Webster especially when it comes to the grief he got for not “breaking out of the hospital” to join them in Bastogne. In real life Webster was much more seriously wounded in Holland than what the show displays. As I understand it, he was cut down by an MG42 in Holland and nearly died. His wounds were serious enough that he was evacuated all the way back to Enlgand to heal and recover. Going AWOL from a field hospital in France to rejoin your unit was one thing. Going AWOL from a rear hospital in England, getting to the English coast, crossing the channel and hiking across France to rejoin you unit, all while dodging the MPs? Yeah, that was nearly impossible to pull off. I won’t say any more about that at this time for fear of spoliers. But another thing that I will say is that during the real patrol, Webster was actually manning one of the machine guns on the river bank.

Thank you for this playlist and your genuine reaction to this amazing series! You gained a subscriber!

I just discovered you, and had been watching since Band of Brothers E01. It's touching to see your raw emotions while watching this. I'm hooked. I try to watch BoB every year around June 6th. IMO, it is the best war "movie" ever made. One thing that totally amazes me - and it can't be quite captured in this production - is the fact that the majority of these enlisted soldiers were late teens (some younger). The officers were early 20's. Think about the "men" of today, of that age range. How many would be willing to drop everything and sign up? Pray we never have another WW.

I met the actor who played Doc Roe, Shane Taylor, at a Band of Brothers reunion in Bastogne in 2016. I love that you mentioned him, specifically. He is warm, interesting man. We saw Webster get wounded in the leg during the battle at the crossroads. "They got me. Can you believe I said that?"

When you said 'get in the god damn house' all I could think of was Elliott Gould in Ocean's 11, when he says that to Matt Damon. Almost sounded like the accent too.

Another excellent reaction Ames. I hope you are able to do the Pacific after you've finished the documentary. The third Spielberg and Hanks War miniseries, Masters of the Air, is coming at the end of January next year.

For all that this episode is a far lighter episode than 7, I have to admit that one of my favorite lines of the entire series is Webster at the end, and him asking if people would ever understand. I'll say it again, as a Veteran, thank you for doing this series. I look forward to seeing you do The Pacific as well.

Good on you for hanging in and continuing your reaction from my last observation from the School Of Rock post and your kind reply 😊 "Hang - tough" as was Winters mantra & hang - in, especially to see Ep 11 " We Stand Alone Together" - it's a journey, this series and it's fantastic to see this and other well portrayed offerings so well received and appreciated by a new generation because we all owe our respective freedoms to the "greatest generatiom" Kindest regards from Lottie, Desiree, Gina and dad from Tuckombil via Alstonville and East Ballina 800km north of Sydney. MATE 😉 🤙

Gotta give credit to Colin Hanks. During the scene where he was trying to restrain the Allied soldier who was going to shoot the German POWS you can see that the actor actually headbutted him by accident and you can see him register the impact but he carries on with the scene. What a trooper

The fact the interviews get you every time gives me reasons to keep coming back. I can tell you’re truly caring about the stories. Great reaction as always

This is just a really tough series to get through. But it's so valuable to get one little corner of a fingernail out of the whole world of hardship they faced.

Another great reaction. I'm really enjoying taking this journey with you. The respect I had for Richard Winters was doubled after watching this episode. I feel that he and commanders like him should've been awarded the medal of honor for the lives they saved because of the decisions they made throughout the war. Looking forward to watching the next one with you.👍👍

It’s one of those series you watching 3-4 times. Each time you watch it you realize you missed something important.

Episode 8 is one of my favorites, and I feel emotionally difficult. Its not the goriest, its not the most intense of battles or the most historically important moments. But because you're on the ground floor of it all, far below the officers, its so...personal, so intense. Its a single patrol over a single night. Its tense, its nerve wracking, and I view Jackson's death as one of the hardest, not because he was a well known character, but because of how chaotic and painful it was. Other deaths were BOOM, dead. or BOOM injured and moving on. Jackson's was 5mins of 20+ veteran soldiers who can do absolutely nothing while this child chokes to death from lung damage from a grenade. Great reaction as always! ....maybe have a drink close to hand for Episode 9. That's THE hardest episode of the entire series. Stay strong girl!

I really enjoy your reaction to the Band of Brothers series. I have seen it but seeing your reaction moves me. Watching your reaction and analyzing what is going on in the video shows me that you DO understand what these men went through. These men need to be remembered for what they did. Yes this is a movie, but it is based on real stories from the men that served. thanks for doing the video. What you are doing is a great service to the men who fought and died in this war.

Band of Brothers is my favorite show

Hello, Hold Down A, been looking through comments. Popeye returned to Easy in England, Guarnere and others returned from hospitals in Europe. Webster was hospitalized in England. No hitchhiking for him. Also, Webster had chocolate in Holland.

Winters is the definition of what a leader should be. He and Hal Moore are shining examples of military leadership.

Things I learned in the military. First indirect fire attack (artillery/rocket/mortar), you follow your training. Give it 3 months and it barely wakes you up. You can gauge by sound how close it is and go back to sleep. Then you lie when they do accountability and say you must have slept through the the sirens.

Hello Ames, I have a very special Dick Winters story I'd like to tell, but I will hold off until the final episode to share it so it isn't a spoiler. That said, please plan to check out "We Stand Alone Together" which is all about interviews with veterans and can be considered the epilogue/part 11.

I've watched this many, many times, and watched many reactions. I love watching smart people take in this beautiful piece of art and history. Don't worry about your tiny flub. You know by now who Shifty Powers is, and that's definitely good enough. You prove with every reaction that you care about these men. That's why I didn't abandon your channel at "Carentan" like I have with a number of others. Strap in and keep watching. Well done.

Thanks Ames! Last two episodes are tear jerkers

fun fact. The actor on the right is Kieran O'Brien, who also plays Pegla (the "dog" walker) in Andor.

I think you should check out the videos of the actors who talk about how much these series changed their lives. The stories they tell are incredible about meeting the families and the soldiers that they portrayed. You see men who are humbled by this experience.

Episode 8 was the calm before the storm emotionally, Ep. 9 will put a knot in your throat.

IMHO, this is tied for the greatest episode of television with “Mad Men” “The Suitcase”.

Thanks for sharing, enjoyed watching 😊👍✌️🇺🇸

I think what makes this episode particularly great is you can see how defeat and tired they are. This was the last episode they did after months of production so they really looked the part naturally 😅

I can honestly say that I wait for each new installment and am excited to see them pop up. You're doing a great job.

Love that your tackling BOB, it's an amazing show.

Terrific reaction as always. This really is an epic series. This was the (comparatively) relaxed episode all viewers would have needed after the non-stop escalation of the stakes throughout the first 7 episodes. But now they will enter Germany. Prepare yourself for a tough one again.

Another great reaction as always. It would seem that you can now read the minds of these men ☺. You have good intuition and are intelligent enough to read the situations as they are unfolding in front of you👍. It seems like ages since you watched the last episode and it's good to have you back. All the best X.

Episode 9 up next and I can't wait because oh boy it's gonna be an experience. Speaking of heart-wrenching agony...

Webster was actually the first of the men to write a memoir about his experiences. And it's a very well written book at that. Check it out!

23:55 -- RE: Easy Company, Bastogne, and POWs as Sources of Information / Intelligence; A "Fun" Fact about the Battle of the Bulge which is not often mentioned (hardly at all in Band of Brothers, for example) is that there were *many* U.S. ground personnel captured by the Germans near Bastogne before Easy had arrived and dug in. We get a little taste of it in Band of Brothers, to fully explain, at the end of the episode "Crossroads", before "Bastogne" begins. There's an army unit in retreat as Easy arrives... those are the ones who *didn't* get captured. Anyhow, among the POWs who got captured in December 1944 was science fiction writer Kurt Vonnegut. Because he was a POW, he got sent to Dresden and was there when the Dresden fire-storm occurred, an event set in motion by U.S. and British bombing. It is actually kind of weird how the Germans took so many POWs at that time and brought them back to Germany for internment; most modern entertainment would insist on them being executed, perhaps. But it does mean that we have many sub-categories of PTSD to consider, because whether a soldier was or was not captured and/or wounded in battle, if he didn't have a physical scratch on him he would still be wounded by the experience and so what we see in this episode should be understood (I think) in comparison to the POW non-combatant. Vonnegut was one of approximately 7,000 American G.I.s captured in December 1944.

If you ever watch Hook, Frank Perconte (real name James Madio) plays Don't Ask (he's a kid in that movie) And when you watch The Pacific, Eugene Sledge is Tim from Jurassic Park 1

Many forgets Webster, he was in hospital for 4 months (he wasn't the volunteering guy, so he wasn't really in a hurry to get back), he missed out on Bastogne/Foy, Battle of the Bulge, which trumps D-Day for these men, as it was unanimously considered the fiercest combat Easy faced during the entire war, it was a moment that really welded their bond and he wasn't there. When he released his book, Winters and Lipton had no idea who he was, couldn't remember him even after they found out who he was. He's the guy that gives the boy chocolate in Holland.

Webster was the one who, in the Crossroads episode, got hit by artillery and said "They got me!" He was very bummed that's what he said at that moment thinking, as a many of literature, he should've said something better/more poetic.

Thank you. This is the upload I was waiting for.

Your sensitivity to the content is admirable. It shows you care. This is splendid work you’re doing. Well… not “work” maybe. You know what I mean.

Ames, you mentioned in episode 6 about finally seeing nurses, I can suggest 2 great series about nurses of WW1. ANZAC girls and The Crimson Field. True story about the sacrifice they made and well worth the time to watch.

I've watched many many reviews of this series. I have to say...I think your's may the best. Hang on... You can do it.

One of the amazing things about Winters was he had no interest in the military. There was a one year requirement to serve so his plan was to serve, keep his head down and not put in any effort. A veteran told him not to do that but to serve his year honorably and to actually try. Then PH happened and the US joined the war and the guy who didn't want to serve ended up being one of the best leaders the military had.

"It would suck to go to war and feel like you did nothing" During WW2 for every "Grunt" soldier on the front line in combat were 4.3 soldiers who were "POG" or support personnel.

In reality Webster was welcomed back by the men, especially Joe Liebgott who was close a close friend. Joe, I believe, even said that he was glad Webster wasn't in Bastogne as he had a gut feeling that he wouldn't have survived it. Further, neither Webster nor Lt. Jones participated in the patrol to capture the Germans, if I remember correctly. However, Jones was well received by the men and was remembered as a smart, witty, and kind, and generally had their respect. He stayed with the regiment through the remainder of the war but was later assigned to other units within the European theater after the wars end. He never made it back to the states alive though as he was involved in a car crash and died during a surgery.

Great reaction and commentary. Thank you for reacting to this series.

Thx Ames, lovely reaction as always.

The second patrol is a classic example of falling victim to your own success. It happened all the time while I was in the Air Force. When someone does something so exemplary that everyone up the chain of command notices, they set the bar very high for themselves and everyone expects them to live up to that reputation all the time. It gets stressful to be put up on a pedestal in front of your peers. The problem with that second patrol was the next building was even further up from the river bank, making it much riskier. It was a bureaucratic decision made by people who were no taking those risks themselves. Winters’ decision to not follow an order that made no sense because the rewards were not worth the risk was something that could’ve ended his career with a court martial. But it was the right thing for his men.

Crazy thing about Cobb, the drunk one was that he had been in the Army for some time before he volunteered to be a paratrooper. “He had served in the army for 9 years before he joined the Parachute Infantry. In that time he took part in an assault landing in Africa with the 1st Armoured Division and survived a torpedo attack that sank the troop ship he was on when traveling back to the States.” He definitely had a chip on his shoulder by this episode.

Just rewatched BoB with my gf, what a masterpiece. Also, get about ten tissue boxes ready to go for episode 9

I recently found your reactions about Band of Brothers, it's been a long time fav of mine since my teens - yes I've seen them as a kid on HBO then was happy to have tham on VHS - and I gotta say I love your reactions with all the emotions and personal inputs you do. As an active soldier I am more than grateful for all you do and can't wait for you to finish the series. I think I can speak in everyone else's that we want you to react to The Pacific as well. Take care and see you soon I hope! Much love from Hungary!

Cant wait for next episode.. Next 2 episodes the best..

You should consider doing a counterpart to this one. Specifically, a German series called “Generation War.” Originally called “Unsere Mutters, Unsere Vaters” (Out Mothers, Our Fathers), this is often referred to as “the German Band of Brothers.” It follows five friends, two brothers, a Jewish friend, and two girls through the course of the war. Mostly taking place on the Russian front, it’s a very direct and honest look at the experience of typical Germans during the course of the war. Very well done, and very moving.

This has been a great journey with you. We're with you till the end for sure.