Part Nine: Why We Fight

I'm doing this post early as I am going out tonight so my whole day is being shifted forward as when I get back it's straight to bed for poor, little Dan. 


Last night I watched the saddest thing anyone can ever watch. I've watched it many times before and each time it gets to me. Episode nine of Band of Brothers. 
It's the penultimate episode so the war in Europe is coming to a close and with that comes time to reflect. That generates its own sadness because you can see all the faces that are missing and all the effects the war has had on each person. 

This particular episode focuses on Nixon. 
I like Nixon. 
He may be my favourite because of all his flaws. He's an alcoholic and cares little about his rank, this is shown when he is demoted but doesn't bat an eyelid as he is trying to work out what to write to the parents of men who died. Winters tells him to say they died as heroes but Nixon no longer believes this. Especially as these men died on a plane before they ever got to fight. 
Nixon and Winters are a perfect pairing of officers. A yin and yang, Alpha and Omega. Winters who is always crisp and clean, doesn't drink and cares so much about Easy Company. At the beginning of the series Winters is the perfect commanding officer, but with all his promotions throughout the war he seems to get tunnel vision. Though he still cares and is an incredible man, he becomes more of a rank than a man and will say what is expected so much so that he might actually be believing the words he says. 
Nixon however, just in appearance he is the complete opposite. Unshaven and a uniform worn without pride. He still has the pressures of being an officer but will rarely be seen trying to impress those above him. 

I'm glad that this episode followed Nixon because this lets his personal effects of the war become our own too. This episode is where we find a concentration camp. 
For me, I forget about this side to the war as I watch the series. For most the series it is an impersonal war as far as the enemy goes, the fighting is fast and there is never pause for thought. 
But the war is coming to a close and there is much pause for thought. Then we find the concentration camp and that brings lots of emotion. 
As chance would have it Liebgott, the interpreter, is Jewish. He is the one who has to talk to the camp so we get to see his ordeal when we find out 
they are all their just because they are Jewish.
At this point you feel your heart has been ripped out as you look at the 
starving, half dead inmates of the camp. 
But oh no, this was merely a tug on the heartstrings because then Liebgott has to tell everyone that they are being locked up again because they need 
their medical and food intake to be monitored, so they still need to be kept 
together. 
Yep, at this point you do feel as if your heart has been taken on a serious 
ride only to be taken further by us seeing Liebgott break down and cry. 
It's by far the saddest thing I have ever seen. 

I shall share a sad song now because hopefully you are sad. I don't say 
hopefully in a sadistic way, I say it because I hope you are all in 
agreement that Hitler was...well, I can't think of any combination of 
words to describe him. 
Yet it seems that some people don't think that way. Just look at the BNP. 
And if any of you vote BNP I will curb stomp you until you have no more 
racist, fascist and Nazi-sympathising teeth left.
So yes, that song.
I chose this one because it balances on top of strings giving it a beautiful 
trance-like quality. 
And what they are singing about is somewhat of a trance-like situation.

I've talked lots about nothing today.
But just you wait until I watch Band of Brothers again, then you get to look 
forward to a commentary of every episode!
Can't wait!?! I know!!