Herbert Sobel
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| Herbert M. Sobel | |
|---|---|
| 26 January 1912 - 30 September 1987 | |
 Herbert Sobel in Aldbourne, England |
|
| Nickname | Son of Abraham, Jumpy, Black Swan |
| Place of birth | Chicago, Illinois |
| Years of service | 1940-1947 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | Company E 506 P.I.R., 101st Airborne Division Chilton Foliat Jump School |
| Awards | - World War II Victory Medal - Purple Heart |
| Other work | Accountant |
Captain Herbert M. Sobel (January 26, 1912 - September 30, 1987) was a captain in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was initially the commanding officer of E, or "Easy", Company in the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, the company that is the subject of the book Band of Brothers by author Stephen Ambrose. In the BBC/HBO miniseries adaptation of the book, Captain Sobel was portrayed by actor David Schwimmer.
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[edit] Early life
Herbert Sobel was a clothing salesman after attending Military school at the highly regarded Culver Military Academy. Rumors that he attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY are untrue. Sobel volunteered for the Paratroops soon after the outbreak of World War II and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant for the infantry.
[edit] World War II
As a 1st lieutenant, Sobel commanded Company E for all of their basic training, and was credited with having the finest company in the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. He was promoted to the rank of captain in recognition of his perceived ability as a trainer. According to the book Band of Brothers, Sobel was disliked by the soldiers of Company E, and though he was mentally strong, Sobel often had difficulties with physical activities, including combat training. He also had a tendency to rely heavily on senior subordinates to assist him with minor tasks most officers were capable of doing themselves. For example, Sobel had substantial trouble reading a map (as depicted in the Band of Brothers miniseries episode "Currahee") and his grasp of tactics was apparently poor.
After a period of training in the United Kingdom, Captain Sobel was removed from command of Company E after several of the company's non-commissioned officers refused to fight under him, believing him to be an incompetent commander who would get many men killed. Herbert Sobel was transferred to command the Chilton Foliat jump school. Thomas Meehan replaced Sobel, and was one of several officers (including Richard Winters) to succeed him in that post before the war was over.
After the invasion of Normandy, Sobel was again moved to a combat assignment, where he was wounded by enemy machine gun fire.
Shortly before Easy Company took part in Operation Market Garden, Sobel was assigned to the 506th once again, this time as the regimental S-4 (supply officer).
Though Sobel was considered an incompetent combat leader, many veterans of Easy Company have stated that they believe they would not have survived the war without the tough training Sobel gave the men. Others credit Sobel's hard training regimen for saving lives later on in combat. There is no evidence in the public record regarding Sobel's performance at the jump school or as Regimental S-4. His duties in those positions would have relied on skill sets quite different from command of a rifle company.
[edit] After World War II
Sobel returned home for a short time, and became an accountant before being called back into service during the Korean War. It is unknown if he actually fought in Korea or remained in the US. He remained in the National Guard, eventually retiring at the rank of Lt. Col.
Sobel returned to his job as an accountant for an appliance company in Chicago. He married, although he was later divorced, and had two sons. After the television series portrayed Sobel as a petty tyrant, his son Michael, unhappy with the new public opinion of his father, attended a reunion of E/506 and talked about his memories of Herbert Sobel as a good father.
Herbert Sobel is known to have attempted suicide in the 1970's, and to have lived the rest of his days in a veterans' hospital, until he died in 1987.
[edit] References
- Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest, Stephen Ambrose, Simon & Schuster, 1992. ISBN 0-7434-6411-7
- Image of training at Toccoa ... Courtesy of Susan Finn, used without permission
