Colonel Robert F Sink - The Sadistic Godfather of Easy Company & The 506th PIR (Band of Brothers) 

Here is a quote from Sun Tzu in his book "The Art of War," ch. "On the March" (written roughly 500 b.c.) regarding Leadership: "A general who punishes his troops before he has won them over, will never be accepted by them and they will be useless to him. If he has already won them over but does not punish them when appropriate, they will still be useless. So you must bring your troops together with humane treatment, and bind them with discipline - this is the path to invincibility. Enact consistency in orders and instruction and the men will be loyal to you; if there is no consistency, they will not."

You can see what the Army thought of Sink by his career. He was the only regimental commander in the 101st to Command his regiment throughout the war. After the war, while promoted, he didn't get command of an active-duty division; he got reserve divisions.

Did Sink ever find out his order was ignored? Not during the war but in life? That reaction would've been gold 😂😂

Sink sounds very similar to Sobel. Ater hearing this it makes more sense that Sobel was selected as a Captain in the 506th. Also, I cant even begin to imagine how pissed off Col. Sink was when the NCO’s refused to serve under Captain Sobel.

It’s occurred to me that Sink’s conduct of inflicting Captain Sobel on the men of Easy Company, having the hated Captain do all the dirty work then eventually removing Sobel had a Machiavellian flavour. Colonel Sink was able to assert his authority and present himself as a saviour even though Sobel’s harshness would have met with Sink’s approval at virtually all material times.

Since they had Dale Dye play him in Band of Brothers I always liked him.

I’ve seen it written that Colonel sink turned down promotion after promotion in order to stay the regimental commander at the 506th. It seems to me that this can be looked at under two lights. The first, that he was dedicated to this unit that he had created and did not want to entrust it to anybody else. However as a professional officer with 28 years of military service; part of me wonders if he was afraid to leave the comfort of the bubble that he had created. If you never leave the area that is eliminated by the unit’s light, he would never have had to venture into the dark! Part of my assessment….well, it seems to me that he was afraid adventuring into the dark and insulated himself with “his regiment”. I may be wrong…. maybe. But my assessment comes from the fact that 24 of my 28 years was in airborne units; 14 were in special forces units, 10 were in other Special Operations units; it never once occurred to me to hide out in a unit and not progress.

Hopefully, the men that were kicked out of the 506th for being late found a place in the 82nd.

I was an infantryman in Vietnam. I would have hated serving under Sink and Sobel. He's the kind of officer who would have rejected Audie Murphy because he was too young and too small. He would have tried to imprison Desmond Dawes.

It was certainly a sobering video. It’s also enlightening to learn the opinions of a variety of characters from Private David Webster to Winters and Speirs. Thank you for providing so many anecdotes from a variety of sources!

In the modern Army and I am talking from the 60's to the present day the rule has always been to praise in public, admonish or punish in private. I also understand that this was supposed to be the practice even back in the 40's. Taking pictures of the men being drummed out of the regiment. Very poor leadership. Taking the wings and the patches is a display of public humiliation. They may have been stripped of their patches in formation, but they still were airborne qualified and most certainly put them back on at the next unit. They probably stayed in the division.

Having spent 30 years in the Army and commanded at company, battalion and brigade level I can safely say that leadership and command is on the job training. If your on time then your late. If I was in Sink's situation would I have done the same. Probably not. Would I and my CSM take corrective action yes. My reason for this is I was taught to look at the whole soldier not one point in time. Did Sink's junior commanders disapprove of Sink's order's? Maybe but no one had the gumption to disagree. At the end, Sink's directive to drum out those who were late was legal and it enforced the standard. If you don't enforce the standards then the machine breaks down. This is not good for the soldiers or the unit. Sink's directive could have been challenged by MG Taylor or by the soldiers themselves. But apparently no body did. On Sobel. If i was him i would have requested transfer from the regiment. If I am good enough to command a company but yet you replace me for doing what you taught me then why should I stay? This leads to my last point. I am not sure that Sink was well thought off by HQ 101st. Thats my assumption. Sink was a tool. His officers were tools. Ever wonder why Winters did not pin on LTC? Hes the only battalion commander in the division as a major? Did Sink not push to get him promoted? Why is Nixon still a captain? If Sink is going to place Winters in the CO position then work on getting him promoted. You owe that to Winters. Maybe at the end we are ALL TOOLs.

I was a founding member of the 2/506 when they reactivated it at Ft Campbell in 05, all the easy company guys that were still able to travel were there And I talked with them all at one point, never mentioned Sink and nor do I recall any of the unit history mentioning his name. I’m sure Brigade HQ had his picture up somewhere but if it weren’t for the show I’d never know who he was. My BN commander however was the worst officer I have ever met in 20 years of service.

How despicable. Not only was Sink punishing his men for something they had no control over but he was punishing them for spending what little free time they had been given to be with their families. Many for the last time.

The men knew Col. Sink's behavior and preferences for punishment on the 'harsh' side of strict. When he warned them not to be late returning from furlough that was a warning and not a suggestion. I suspect he knew at least one 'example' would present itself and be removed as another object lesson, fulfilling his tactical and strategic objectives. The 'tip of the spear' was to be kept razor sharp and any and all 'burrs' to be removed. Col. Sink was probably a Sociopathic personality but that is what the role required to be both victorious and alive at the end of the war.

Sounds like my Dad's WWII Marine boot camp stories.

Interesting. In Band of Brothers, Sink is given a mostly positive portrayal. About the only time he was shown negatively, is in regards to “The Last Patrol” which you covered.

Typical officer, if they need you you’re God’s gift. If you need something you’re trash.

My father was Deputy Provost Marshall in the 18th A/B Corp at Fort Bragg when Gen. Sink was Post Commander. I personally shook hands with him three times. What your film left out was the fact that Sink was ordered to train a Regiment as tough as the German SS. I think he did a pretty good job. Also the military experts all said that the Airborne was a suicide mission, but look at the number of men who survived. I cannot say anything bad about the man.

History may be written by the victors, but it is most certainly maintained by efforts such as this. Great vid

I am at a loss as to why Colonel Sink was so draconian in his dismissal of the 9 men for returning late from furlough (leave as we call it in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧), he was right about them being disciplined as they should have returned early, by a day maybe 2, the men knew that the United States 🇺🇸 transportation system was in a mess and that they couldn’t guarantee getting to base on time, military personnel (especially in units that are supposedly the best in their respective country)are supposed to have the brains to realise that and should not rely upon a timetable, they should be able to Improvise, Adapt and Overcome, and those men didn’t do that, however, after all the cost of training and equipping them I would have thought that the military brass (except Colonel Sink) would not want to flush the cost down the toilet, yes they made a mistake but I don’t think it warranted the action that Sink took. Surely those men should have been brought up on charges before he did what he did, and they should have had their opportunity to defend themselves, but so far @ 6:02 it doesn’t appear that they did, and even though they didn’t I’m sure that given the choice of being drummed out of the regiment and some other form of punishment like doing basic training all over again, maybe doing some other physical punishment that would ingrain into them that failing to do exactly or more than any orders given and on time, they would have accepted that, they could have been made to wear the uniform of their previous unit until they were deemed to have been punished enough. I’m sure that some people would disagree with me, and that is fine, but I stand by my opinion 100%, other paratroopers would think that they could be drummed out for the slightest infraction of military law, or worse, Colonel Sinks personal list of infractions and disciplinary measures, and that would hurt morale and the determination to be the best of the best, unit cohesion in such a special, and relatively small, regiment is almost certainly going to have a breakdown in that respect. I think that Colonel Sinks behaviour would have been outside of his authority and would have needed support from the military brass who were further up the command chain, otherwise he would have left himself open to criticism at best, and disciplinary action at worst. I watched your episode about the pathfinder jump into Bastogne last night, and I think Colonel Sink got that question of the Silver star wrong as well.

Mcnasty needs more love I've only heard you and the fat electrician talk about him in pretty good detail

I understand Sink, I would not like his actions, but I understand him. Sink was someone focused solely on end results and he viewed his troops as tools to get there. I witnessed and experienced that same mentality when I was in the Marines. I understand it, but don't agree it should be one's sole focus. I believe in: Mission, People, & Performance in that order. First and foremost, you have to get the job done. You then have to take care of your people along the way, and finally look at how to do the job Better, Faster, Cheaper. Just my two cents worth .......

Your points are well taken, although I think "sadistic" might be a little strong. There is no evidence that he gained pleasure from inflicting his brutal methods. I think it's a case of an officer having the right motives, but employing the wrong methods. As far as Spiers goes, he was obviously an unusually brave guy, but he also murdered POWs, so I think his right to judge anyone is suspect.

I just finished, "Band of Brothers," a couple of months ago - over 20 years after its first airing. It deserves its reputation. I know it was, "Hollywoodized," to some extent. Seeing clips of David Schwimmer playing Herbert Sobel probably drew me in. I've respected Dale Dye - who played Robert Sink - for years as a technical advisor and actor. I always felt that Herbert Sobel was unfairly tarred by the series. If your profile of Col. Sink is accurate, I can see why Sobel came across as a tyrant: he was emulating his superior.

Nixon was not demoted by position. Regimental Intelligence Officer to Battalion Ops officer is a step up and put him 3rd in the line of succession to the battalion commander.

Like Sobel, the Sinks of the World are everywhere. Sadly many are from West Point and Annapolis. Guys like Sink are only as successful as the men under them. Sink was rich with talent and therefore could afford to play games. Concerning Sobel and Winters. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. Excellent work here!!!!!! Thank you 🙏

General George S. Patton, Jr, famously stated that “a pint of sweat will save a gallon of blood.” Calling Sink a sadist is silly shows a misunderstanding of psychology. Did he take sexual pleasure in hard training? Speaking of hard training, have you ever spoken somebody who's been to ranger school or the Q Course?

Commanding officers develop a specific leadership style if they are fortunate and successful enough to merit promotion. The typical styles are authoritative and authoritarian. Sinks seems to be of the latter.

Dick Winters seemed to think highly of Sink, according to his memoirs.

Seems harsh but that sort of thing teaches you lessons that may keep you alive. I had some harsh commanders in my day that seemed over the top. As I grow older I kinda get where they were coming from. I also had commanders who had a superiority complex that I still think were idiots and would like to tell them should I ever run into them. Keep in mind they were trying to find ways to drum people out in order to get to the required strength. The only thing I can think of about Sink that has always irked me was those patrols he ordered at the end of fighting. Absolutely no need and a son didn't go home because of it. And an enemy soldier lay wounded on a river and later died. No excuse for that whatsoever. It's your job to get your soldiers home alive and taking unneeded risks at the end of a war is unforgivable.

Colonel Sink may have been "sadistic", and no I don't agree with all of his decisions - but the discipline he instilled on the troops was valuable, just look at what they were able to accomplish! And if you think that is sadistic, try joining the Ranger Regiment, then completing Ranger School! - 2/75 RLTW

Herbert Sobel deserves respect and not the derision he's gotten since Stephen E Ambrose's book came out. He did his bit, served in combat, was awarded citations for bravery.

Another enjoyable and interesting post 👍

As a soldier I am so glad I never had to serve under an officer like Sink. He was a tyrant and an ass.

According to other accounts he was also known as “Bourbon” Bob because of his prodigious drinking. Ed Shames related meeting with Sink once and said he smelled of whiskey.

I can tell that you aren't Airborne.... Sink was a pussy compared to some commanders in the 82d I served under. They were ALL tempered by outstanding SGM's and XO's. That's why you have a COMMAND TEAM, not a single commander making all of the calls. Who was Sink's SGM? No one talks about one.

From what I read about the drumming-out of the "late" soldiers, it wasn't that they were late but he got rid of the person who showed up last in each company. They all could have been on time but the last one there still would have been done.

Great episode. Your story is no surprise. Sink was a clown, probably the least effective parachute regimental commander of the war, and in reality, commanded probably the least accomplished parachute regiment in Europe. Sink was largely responsible for the failure of the infamous Bridge Too Far in Operation Market-Garden. To capture the Wilhelmina Canal at Son in Holland, Sink was handed orders to jump the 506 PIR south of the Canal. But despite that the 501 PIR and 504 PIR insisting on being jumped on either side of their objective bridges, Sink conversely refused, and instead demanded the 506 PIR be jumped together with the 502 PIR north of the Canal. The 506 PIR then took far too long assembling and reaching the bridge from the north, and it was subsequently destroyed by the enemy. It was the first bridge in succession of 7 targeted bridges, and the only bridge not captured in Market-Garden, leaving Sink's 506 PIR the only regiment to fail in its mission. Loss of the Wilhelmina Canal bridge delayed the advancing ground armor for at least 36 hours, a fatal delay in reaching the paratroopers at Arnhem. I could go on. Breacourt Manor in Normandy is grossly overrated, particularly given contemporary Normandy actions by the 501, 502, 505, 507 PIRs, and most notably the 325 GIR. And speaking of overrated, the record shows the 506 PIR played the least part of the 101 Airborne's regiments in both Carentan and the Bulge. Despite the great Band of Brothers series, Sink actually paled greatly in personal and professional comparison with the legendary parachute regimental commanders, luminaries like the 501's Howard Johnson, 503's George Jones, 504's Reuben Tucker, 505's Jim Gavin, and even iconic parachute battalion commanders like the 509's Edson Raff and Doyle Yardley, and the 551's Wood Joerg. It is no surprise to learn from you that Sink was also a petty tyrant, and quite possibly based on your reporting, a little unstable. One thing though, those 506 PIR members you reported Sink expelling from the paratroops most certainly is not accurate. Sink lacked the authority to do so, and most certainly lacked the authority to remover their jump wings. He may have drummed them from the 506 PIR, but in mid 1943, they were definitely scooped up by another regiment, or shipped overseas as replacements to the 82d Airborne, which already had two combat jumps and campaigns under its belt, and rather appreciated the independed minded who may miss a train.

Sink was to the Army what Michael P Downs was to the Marine Corps. Downs married Chesty Pullers daughter and had become the Regimental C O of the 7th Marines in 29 Palms. He had been the hero of the Battle of Hue City in Viet Nam. On the other hand from what I heard many Marines died needlessly as he received his medals. He was a hot head leading from emotion rather than facts. Firing good officers and SNCOS due to feelings. I was on his staff and one of the lucky ones that got out of there without a sign it twice fitness report. How many young enlisted men die needlessly due to Sinks and Downs. My dad and brother were enlisted Marines so I always had a heart for young enlisted men.

And today the Drill Sergeants can’t swear, touch, or demean trainees. They actually give “Time Out” cards for infractions at some training centers. 😂🤣😂🤣

I am not a military expert, but at the amateur level do think I’m pretty well read on WWII history in general and the BOB in particular. It seems a poor decision to summarily (and in an exceedingly humiliating manner) to drum several qualified paratroopers out of the 506th at a time when the US Military was still forming global strategy with the British and our other allies and when the army was still recruiting and drafting what would ultimately be a combined force of millions (with other branches). These were, as you stated, elite troops, and very considerable resources had been invested in their training. For Colonel Sink to regard them as expendable (while still stateside!) seems shortsighted and strategically wrong. IMO America needed every trooper it could muster, especially in 1942. Further, as you also pointed out, the reason many troopers returned from leave late was due to circumstances beyond their control, such as a connecting train arriving late. Should the men have been denied the opportunity to return to their families, some for possibly the last time, as to not risk reporting back to duty on time? I think not. IMO the most such paratroopers deserved was a reprimand. One topic I didn’t hear you discuss was Sink’s reaction to the NCO revolt, so vividly portrayed by the great actor (and military veteran) Dale Dye. In the series, Col. Sink is shown stating, “I ought to have you all shot. This is nothing less than an act of mutiny…”. I don’t know how historically accurate that scene is, but it does make one wonder what type of leader he was. At least from E Company’s POV it got Sobel transferred to Chilton Foliate. TY for the video.

It can be said that the Sink, Sobel and Strayer team we very good training officers. Even the Easy company men admit to that. Had they not been as brutal as they were, they wouldn’t have got through what they did…

Rather than criticize any officers of the 101st, I will ask if the 1st Special Service Force under Col. Frederick or other elite combat units suffered from martinets? In my career I've known a few men and women I would not care to go to war with, but they were an extreme minority. Since I did not outrank them, I looked for ways to work around them if necessary.

Him being from West Point and others I have known in my own life that went to a service academy, Sinks actions and personality match the ones I know.

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Obviously he wanted the best So being rather strict he weeded out the unreliable As for the marrieds its not fair on the families to be in a Forthcoming combat situation So singles only should have Been enforced!

Good video! Sounds like Sink and Sobell were cut from the same 'cloth'.

Winters shouldve handed the watch in to Sink

Col synk was trash, but he made General, so it’s okay. Trash human, trash soldier.

Oh how easy it is to disrespect and degrade from the future!

My father, 94, made both combat jumps in Korea with the 187th RCT, 11th Airborne.

Weird how they depicted him like he was in his 50s or sixties in the show. But if he was commissioned in 1927, he would have been 22/23... he would have been under 40 during the time he's shown in band of brothers. Kind of interesting given how faithful they were when casting other roles.

There has to be a back story to the furlough incident. Soldiers had travel orders and it was easy to check and see if anyone was lying by checking when he was ticketed for the return trip. If travel was that unpredictable, Sink knew it, and should have never granted leave to begin with, knowing some would be late. There has to be some facts missing in that story.

There was another commander in vietnam Who may have qualified For the same description The hamburger hill attack No strategic value!

You got to give it to him he got those boys ready for everything and the kitchen Sink 😂😂😂😂😂

I live about a mile from where Sink was raised

I'm not sure it's very fair calling the bronze star "an encouragement award" mate. The recipients of that decoration might be a bit put out by the comment, rightly so, there were a number issued for the actions of E company at Brecourt after all 😒

Overall he was good for the unit. Eventually he made questionable decisions out of bad information or judgement. It angered others. But that is not his whole whole contribution. Things like extra training or patrols are minor compared to the rest of what was going on. When there is a candy bar floating in the public pool, that is all you see.

"Moto"?? LOL

Sounds like a tough leader. Sounds a bit like Grandpa. Thanks for the episode, take care.

I agree with Sink.

10:06 my opinion of Colonel Robert Sink is that his portrayal by Captain Dale Dye acts as a through line loosely connecting three of the greatest war movies of the past 40 years: Platoon, Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers

I wonder why that never made it to Band of Brothers ? Despicable.

If you've served in any military in the world, you've likely experienced similar behaviour to Sink and Sobels. I recall a petty, martinet of a corporal being promoted to sergeant 'so they could (supposedly) keep an eye on him', but to that NCO, the promotion meant his actions were correct and justified, so he became worse! We were all volunteers, our morale was high, and if there was a job needed doing, it got done quickly and efficiently so we could relax. We didn't need the attentions of a petty bullying NCO to 'hold our hands.' That sergeant broke the troops morale and spirit, and we stopped attending the Citizen Force unit. Three years later I heard the sergeant had left the unit, so I rejoined.

Great work. Great narration. Little bias. Well researched. You're running series has been a perfect fit as I re-watch the HBO Series.

Hi W & T! It is very easy for us to judge this man. He carried the heaviest responsibility of trying to bring discipline to an unheard-of level to American troops. You quote Winters that Sink was unfair because he accepted no excuses. Yet Winters himself, on taped interviews, always wondered if he had trained his men harder would more men have come home. In the many special forces units, Rangers, Green Baret, only 1 to 3 out of 100 make the grade. Sink was far from perfect, but he was trying something that had never been done before. There were no templates. I am sure he knew that failure was not an option. In combat the stakes are high. The mission is all that matters. Another excellent video.

Actually many volunteers Parachuted into dienbienphu Without jump training Injuries were no more than Trained ones At night as well with flak Everywhere!

First of all, Robert F. Sink's legacy is the 506th PIR, and how the men in the regiment conducted themselves during the war. Second, being a Full Bird Colonel in the US Army is a big deal. And it seems like it is true he turned down promotions to stay with his regiment, thus earning the nickname "Five-oh-Sink", but third: He did eventually get his star, and then one more, and another, so he retired a Lieutenant general.

As i was stationed in Germany in 1981 and trained with the 101st airborne Rangers sink was still talked about with the paratroopers who there for the 1980s reunions and infact got to meet some of the Easy CO veterens for VE day!! Sink and sobal weren't thought of very highly of all thoes years ago!!

There’s 2 sides to every story. I think it was the Band of Brothers that said a tough leader like Sobel united all the men together in a common struggle. You also need hardened, determined and angry paratroopers, who want to take their aggression out on the enemy / mission. From my experience in the military if you give your subordinates an inch, they’ll take a mile. And they’ll go soft, lazy and indisciplined. Some kids always complain about the jobs they don’t want to do, like clean up after themselves. If a Serviceman stops complaining, check his pulse and airway.

COL Sink would make a fine politician these days or executive in one of today's Fortune 500 companies

If Sink was such a good regimental commander and graduated West Point in 27 odd that he did not move up during the war. I see he rose well during peacetime. While transferring men out of Paratroopers seems extreme it may have instilled much to the men. It was a different time back then, now you would get a jag lawyer and fight it:) Nixon getting bounced really most would wonder why he was allowed to be in his position as long as he was:) Regardless how well you do your job alcoholism is seldom embraced in the military unless you are U.S.Grant or at least wear a star. Great vlog!

Bourbon Bob.

Kind of puts a new spin on the Sobel/NCO's situation, doesn't it? If he's ripping off patches for guys being late, he must have known how unfit for combat Sobel was going to be and so he took the opportunity to get rid of him. The NCO's got off lightly because Sink knew it.

Sink had huge ego,Winters said that when Easy was assigned a mission when they got back Sink would bring a high ranking officer in and have Winters tell the man how they did it,then Sink would say "thats how we do it",he loved to brag.

Part of me thinks that Sink knew the value in having someone the men could unite in disliking how harsh he was. His men clearly respected him just that they didnt particularly like him.

Turned down medals for hero’s but always took his promotions.

The man, Sink, strict as hell including Sobel. Gotta hand it to them including Strayer, they achieved their objective and got results.

The drumming out was a waste of training resources.

Great comments. Thanks

Sink was does replaceable has anyone else maybe more so. Men like Winters who were closer to the men actually doing the action add maneuvering those small units in men play a more vital role.

Sink, was out for himself firstk, and then the men. There is never a time to denigrate men for no factual reason. He did it time and again to effect his exalted ego.

Sink was "sadistic" and possibly even "extreme"? Sobel was well known to be vindictive and brutally tough. And yet these two officers were the company and battalion commanders of a company that achieved as much or more than any of the other elite units in the US Army. A company that achieved a degree of battlefield excellence such that classes are still taught at West Point about their actions on D-Day. Perhaps Sink was training his men for a brutal war that was expected to take many of their lives and that their training would either get most of them through this cauldron or leave them dead. I never liked Sobel but knowing what this video attempted, and failed, to prove and also Sobel's later career, which was a good one, I wonder if all the pearl clutching about "sadistic Sink" might be a bit over done.

How about researching Lt. Edward S. Mehosky, 1st Platon, Company H, 3rd Bn., 506th PIR, 101st Airborne; Normandy; Holland....Col. Sink had him take over as Company Commander, C Company in Holland, and his work at Neville and Bastogne...written about in "The Story Of A Soldier," by Ivan Mehosky

He was a man with a vision who started a job and wanted to see it through to completion. That meant VG Day. 🇺🇸

to all those brave men we give thanks, they all had parts, we won ffs

If you look beyond the things of sink you can be blessed with the hardship of who was its give the men a focus to endure everything that the enemy gives them ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

Let me tell you something pal, my Father was awarded a Bronze Star with the V' for Valor device for his actions at Omaha Beach on D-Day with the first Infantry Division. It had nothing to do with being a God damn 'encouragement award' either. Total bull...

none of this was in the show. he was portrayed just as a cool officer.

War is hell and so are the men condemned to fight and conduct it

I believe since all , not just one or two , of the sergeants were so much against following Sobel into battle made Sink think about the situation. I believe Sink definitely didn’t want to admit that Sobel wasn’t capable of being the officer in charge in battle . In my opinion that’s what kept those sergeant’s from being executed and also I think it was also since they were the only NCO’s that had been trained with the 101st , new the men and because the plan for D-Day was so close . If Sobel not being able to read maps as was depicted in the movie he would definitely not have been the one to make decisions for offending or defending an area.

Hate to pick a nit, but Taccoa is not pronounced like taco, but “tuh KOW uh.” It’s a long O sound.

Throwing someone out of the Paratroops after completing training because they were late getting back makes no sense. We were at war and needed every man. Disciplinary action, yes, but not a washout once finished with training.

I've heard he was very able . . . .

The reason Easy did not want to serve under Sobel was not because of the Discipline, it was because of the fact that Sobel was crap at logistics.

He was a product of his time.

You got a new subscriber … outstanding videos!

Well for a Marinette like sink frag/snipers are bad around these here part. A forgotten little man.

I have a real problem with a lot of what you said about Col. Sink in this video, and why did you use an image of modern day reenactors to portray the Filthy 13 instead of using a period photo? I have interviewed many 506th veterans, and had a few as very close friends. They all had nothing but respect for Col. Sink. Some mentioned that he was very strict, but they had no particular complaints and felt that he was a great commander. Many of the criticisms you made are clearly being done without knowing all the facts and from the point of view of an armchair general. Col. Sink was correct in his denial of the Silver Stars for the Filthy 13, they were just doing their jobs. Many other troopers did even more heroic things and never got the Silver Star, he had to turn down many requests. The patrols in Haggenau were clearly not Col. Sinks idea since other units besides the 506th were required to do them as well. You also need to keep in mind that the 506th was a grand experiment. It was the first time the US Army had taken new recruits off the street to try to turn them into a highly trained fighting force. That is why they put them on the hills of Georgia, so if it didn't work out, nobody would really know. It was up to Col. Sink to make sure the experiment suceeded, and it (he) did. I find this video to be very disrespectful and in really poor taste.