Summary

• "Band of Brothers" is a bittersweet war drama that tells the true stories of Easy Company and highlights resilience, tragedy, and brotherhood.
• The series showcases the fates of Easy Company after the war, with some struggling with alcoholism, while others had successful careers and families.
• The ending of the series includes real-life events such as capturing Hitler's Eagle's Nest and discovering the Nazi's alcohol stores, showcasing both joy and dark consequences.

The final episode of the 2001 war miniseries Band of Brothers offers a bittersweet ending that is only fitting for real-life soldiers at the end of a real-life war. The series, created by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, tells the true stories of World War II's Easy Company, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, U.S. Army. Band of Brothers first originated as a book by Stephen A. Ambrose, in which he gathered s of the war from real World War II soldiers, and ultimately, it became a story of resilience, tragedy, and brotherhood. It is considered one of the best war dramas of all time.

Band of Brothers follows Easy Company from basic training at Camp Toccoa all the way through the end of the war. Throughout the series, an ensemble of unique and distinct soldiers is introduced, and each one gets their own slice of spotlight, whether for good or bad reasons. Arguably though, the Band of Brothers cast is lead by Damian Lewis as the heroic Major Richard Winters. Band of Brothers also sees major events within World War II such as D-Day, the Siege of the Bastogne, and the revelation of the Nazi's concentration camps. All in all, the series delves deep into the men's real and complicated experiences of war.

What Happens To Easy Company's After Band Of Brothers

In the Band of Brothers finale, the series showcases the fates of Easy Company after the war. What happened to Easy Company following the Band of Brothers finale is both sad and uplifting, as each man followed their own unique path. First and foremost, Major Winters survived World War II and went on to work at Lewis Nixon's family business, Nixon Nitration Works. He also married and had children. In 1951, Winters was briefly called back to service during the Korean War, though fortunately, he saw no combat. In the end, Winters settled in the foothills of the Blue Mountains and later, helped Stephen Ambrose write "Band of Brothers."

Lewis Nixon struggled with alcoholism and failed marriages post-war, but eventually fell in love with a Japanese-American woman and traveled the world. Buck Compton had a flourishing career after the war, going from being a police officer with the LAPD to retiring as Associate Justice of the California Court of Appeal in 1990. Bill Guarnere and Joe Toye, men who both lost legs during the Siege of Bastogne, lived long lives wherein they married, had children, and helped organize Easy Company reunions. Other Easy Company soldiers such as Moose Heyliger, Harry Welsh, Clarence Hester and Bob Strayer continued to attend these reunions until at least 1980.

How Close Is Band Of Brothers' Ending To The True Story Of Easy Company & Eagle's Nest

In the final episode of Band of Brothers, Easy Company captures Hitler's base of command, the Eagle's Nest. After seeing the atrocity of a Nazi concentration camp in the previous episode, the men do not hesitate in removing grand items from the house. For example, Alton More swipes Hitler's personal photo album. The best part about these scenes in the series is that they are entirely real. Easy Company was really stationed in Berchtesgaden and given orders to take Eagle's Nest. The men drank Hitler's alcohol and took photographs. Surprisingly, Alton More truly did snag Hitler's photo albums, and later, his widow sold them, likely to a private collection.

Why Easy Company Stole From The Nazis (& The True Story Behind It)

Another moment of joy for Easy Company that occurs in the final episode, and in real life, is when Winters brings Nixon to the abandoned house of Hermann Goring and presents him with a fully stocked and impressive liquor cellar. As it turns out, this discovery of liquor in Berchtesgaden was incredibly common. According to the National World War II Museum, French soldiers found "an estimated half million bottles of the finest wine, champagne, and cognac imaginable," at Eagle's Nest, including countless bottles of one of the most expensive wines in the world.

Ultimately, this surplus of alcohol led to plenty of festivities and celebrations among the solider, but also some serious danger. In the Band of Brothers finale, a soldier from a different company drank way too much and accidentally shot Easy Company's Charles Grant in the head. Though Grant survives, it is a horrifying blow that never should have happened. When Easy Company eventually found Grant's shooter, they beat him up for what he had done. Therefore, while the discovery of the Nazi's alcohol stores was a seemingly good thing, in Band of Brothers, its dark side was shown as well.

The Meaning Of The Baseball Game In Band Of Brothers' Ending (& Did It Really Happen?)

When the men of Easy Company find out the war is over, they play a game of baseball to celebrate. This is a particularly touching scene because that, despite the violence they saw and participated in, these soldiers are still young men. Through the darkness, they can find light. Plus, the baseball game is meaningful because, for most of the episode, the soldiers believed that most of them would be sent to Japan to fight. However, with the war over, they were free to enjoy a good, old-fashioned American baseball game. Unfortunately though, it seems that said baseball game never actually happened in real life.

Winters Demanding Respecting From Sobel In Band Of Brothers' Finale Explained

A very memorable moment from the Band of Brothers finale is when Major Winters runs into Captain Sobel, and in his own way, gets revenge for Sobel's awful behavior during basic training. In the scene, Winters and Sobel cross paths at the end of the war, and Sobel looks away, so he won't have to engage with Winters. However, Winters confronts Sobel and says "We salute the rank, not the man," echoing a previous conflict between them. Sobel begrudgingly salutes him. This is an incredibly gratifying moment that brings the show full circle in some ways. But it is even better because it truly happened.

Are Any Easy Company Still Alive Today?

There are no longer any living of Easy Company. 1st Lieutenant Ed Shames celebrated his 100th birthday in June 2021, and unfortunately, ed away at the end of that year. The final living member of Easy Company was PFC Bradford Freeman, who ed away in July 2022 at the age of 97. Major Winters died in 2011 at the age of 92, Lewis Nixon in 1995, and Buck Compton in 2012 at the age of 90. Although the real men of Easy Company are no longer living, their story lives on through Band of Brothers, and fortunately, many of them were able to see themselves memorialized before their deaths.

How The Pacific Connects To Band Of Brothers

The legacy of Band of Brothers did not end in 2001 with the miniseries' final episode. In 2010, Hanks and Spielberg returned to the war genre with The Pacific. The series, like Band of Brothers, follows the true stories of real soldiers during World War II, however this time, the show takes place in the Pacific Theater rather than the European Theater. Additionally, The Pacific focuses on three specific stories: those of Robert Leckie, Eugene Sledge, and John Basilone. Despite their differences though, The Pacific is just as successful as Band of Brothers in portraying the complex feelings and issues that came with being a soldier during World War II.