By dtircuit on Monday, September 10, 2001 - 01:21 pm:
| By dtircuit on Monday, September 10, 2001 - 01:21 pm: |
Shane Taylor plays Eugene G. Roe. Captured here clowning for the camera during filming.
| By Derek D. Tircuit (Dtircuit) on Sunday, July 22, 2001 - 12:25 am: |
This shows the kind of manpower that HBO's using...
| By Derek D. Tircuit (Dtircuit) on Sunday, July 22, 2001 - 12:25 am: |
This is the building in London where we got to sneak a look at this episode.
| By dtircuit on Wednesday, September 26, 2001 - 04:44 pm: |
So. Episode Six. Here goes.
Episode Six is entitled "Bastogne" and falls in the roughest part of the winter. Easy is surrounded by Germans, and supplies are nil--Ammo, Blankets, Clothing, and Medicine are all in short supply. It’s probably one of the toughest situations Easy has been in to date. As Day of Days focused a bit on the loneliness of command felt by R.D. Winters, Bastonge focuses on how a Medic deals with having to see his “Brothers” wounded and killed in combat. If you don’t want to know what happens in the episode, (besides the stuff above that you could have gathered from any HBO release) STOP READING THIS NOW! I don’t want to spoil it for ANYONE, but for those who want to know:
Now, what I saw was an uncut episode, so some plot points could have hit the cutting room floor—I’m not sure how the final cut will appear, but just keep it in mind while reading this. Also keep in mind that I saw the episode nearly 4 months ago, so some details may be out of order. The quotes are not exact—but I think I captured the “spirit” of what was said.
Updated Sept. 28th**********************************
The other point of interest is that, after all, one of the main characters in this episode is my Grandfather. I know a lot of you reading this have the unique perspective (now) of seeing your loved ones portrayed on TV. You know, then, that sometimes, the emotional gravity of such a situation can cloud memories of exactly what happened and in what order. While I have made EVERY effort to take care and get it right, please be understanding if I've missed something...
***************************************************
The scene is one of immense cold and misery of the forest. All the men of Easy are shivering, trying to keep warm as best they can. Some soldiers make tea in their foxholes using snow for a source of water. Survival skills are really being tested here. There are minor skirmishes occasionally, but no continuous battles. Both Easy and the Germans are entrenched.
During the beginning of the episode, there is lots of focus on Doc Roe, as it follows him around scrounging for supplies. You can tell by the attitude in his voice that he’s at wit’s end, and is having difficulty dealing with things—seeing his fellow soldiers wounded and or killed, the inhumane conditions Easy Co. is going through, and the lack of supplies. Almost at each foxhole, the men mention to him that they can’t feel their toes, or they’ve lost their boots, or frostbite’s getting to their noses, ears, fingers, etc. The conditions and the fighting are running down the entire company, and Doc can tell. Over several trips back to the field hospital, dropping off wounded and gathering supplies, Roe meets a Belgian nurse. There is a brief exchange of chocolate and names, but I don’t remember hers.
At one point, early in the episode, Heffron is either talking to a group of soldiers, or talking directly to Roe, (I don’t remember which) and says something along the lines of, “Why do you always call us by our last names? Why don’t you ever use our nicknames? Nobody ever calls me Heffron, except Gene.” This illustrates that Roe didn’t want himself to get too close to these guys—since he was going to be the one having to help them if/when they got wounded, he didn’t want to be too emotionally attached to them, in order to help them better. Of course, going through months of combat with the same group of guys, there was already an emotional attachment, but Roe tried to distance himself at least a little bit by sticking to last names.
The Germans send a note to the Americans telling them that they are surrounded and demanding that they surrender. General McAuliffe simply replies, “Nuts!” to which the men of Easy cheer and rally.
The combat increases in response, and patrols are sent out to find Germans. The encounters prove dangerous, and casualties are taken. There is one point where a soldier takes fire, and is left, still alive on the battlefield. The fighting is emotional and tough to watch.
On another trip to the field hospital, Roe witnesses a soldier close to death, and plunges his hand into the chest wound, apparently to massage the heart and save the life of the soldier. It’s too late, and you can see the disgust in Roe’s eyes at seeing another life extinguish. Later, outside, the Nurse and Roe sit on some rubble, and discuss how each other deals with having to see so much death and injury. It’s clear that they share a commitment to help the wounded, and shock and horror at how many (and how badly) are wounded.
The big battle comes now, when German tanks advance and take Easy on. The fighting is fierce. In the battle, several characters are wounded—unfortunately, I don’t remember which ones—at the point I saw the episode, I didn’t have the character development that the other episodes have given me now. I do remember that it’s big players. In any case, the medics get very busy, patching up the badly wounded men of Easy.
At the end of the episode, Heffron gets a wound to the hand, and Roe pops into his foxhole to bandage him up. After the bandaging, Roe turns to Heffron and says, “Take care of those feet, Babe.” Heffron, surprised at Roe, says, “Hey, Doc, you called me ‘Babe’!” It’s clear that in spite of the names he uses, and the distance he tries to keep, Roe still has grown to love the men he serves with. Finally, Roe returns to the field hospital with more casualties to get more supplies, only to see it in ruins, with no signs of life. As he looks down, he finds the scarf the Belgian nurse wore amongst the rubble.
That's all I can remember clearly at this point. I'll update this page as I remember plot points.
| By Derek D. Tircuit (Dtircuit) (216.78.134.241 - 216.78.134.241) on Tuesday, November 06, 2001 - 03:02 pm: |
This was originally posted by Pmintzer on the HBO bulletin boards. I reposted it here without his permission. If he has a problem with it, He can contact me directly. I reposted it, because it's the most eloquent way of summarizing this episode I've ever seen.
Thanks, PM!
--DDT
Episode 6 is nothing short of poetry. There, I've said it. As a former English Professor, I do not use the word poetry lightly. I have watched this episode four or five times this week, and each viewing brings some new revelation, some new subtlety. The character of Doc Roe (and I'm speaking only about the character since I know nothing about the person) is, in my opinion, one of the great creations in American literature.
So, first of all, to Mr McKenna, Mr Taylor, the director, the editors, the sound people--Thank You.
Some of my favorite moments:
THE OPENING. Doc Roe sheds the first blood of the episode when he pricks his finger. A wonderful symbolic moment that doesn't hit you over the head in the least.
THE TWO FLARES.
My literary training tells me that a flare going off twice means Pay Attention. Something important is happening, and the two events are probably related.
After the first flare, Roe recites his own version of St Francis' prayer. If you don't know the prayer, you're going to have a hard time understanding what he's saying, which is (pretty much): "Lord, grant that I shall not seek so much to be comforted as to comfort, to be understood as to understand all, to be loved as to love with all my heart, with all my heart." The "all my heart" part seems to be pure Roe.
I think that this quiet, mumbled moment may be the most deeply spiritual moment in all of cinema. Here you have this sensitive guy caught in the middle of hell. Almost anybody in this situation would clamp down on his heart in order to survive. Roe decides to do the opposite and open his heart up as far as it'll go.
Shane Taylor carries this off brilliantly. His whole body language changes after this scene. He no longer moves in a crouch, seeking shelter from the gunfire as he advances. Now he moves fully upright, runs into the thick of it. Bullets fly madly around him, and he doesn't flinch.
But what is that in his hands as he recites the prayer. A Rosary? Doesn't look like one if you look at it closely. It appears to be a tourniquet. Is Roe taking a little consolation in morphine? Like an image in poetry, that is subtly suggested, but never stated. Would we begrudge him? And if he IS using it, he certainly isn't taking anything away from the men who need it--there always seems to be enough for them.
When the second flare goes off, Roe is in the trench with Babe and Spina (the other medic--I hope I have the name right). In this episode we discover that Roe's grandmother was a 'traiteuse', a healer. We also learn that she used to pray a lot as a way of releasing the pain she took from others in the course of the healings. Now Roe's prayer after the first flare begins to make a lot more sense.
Renee tells Roe that the ability she has to calm with her hands is not a gift from God, because God would never give anything so painful. She doesn't know the mystical truth which Roe has picked up--that immense pain can be taken on with all one's heart, if there is a way to release it into the immensity of the Universe from which it sprang. (This is the essence of the often misunderstood Tibetan Buddhist practice of
Tonglen--taking and giving--taking on suffering and giving back peace and happiness. It can only be done for any period of time if there's a way to drop the suffering into the Infinite).
There are levels and levels here. The spirituality is clear, but is Roe also perhaps allowing himself a more mundane form of foxhole comfort? Are those little gasps and eye movements of his just a function of the cold. Or is something being subtly suggested once again without being stated. (Before you call me crazy on this one, look at the scene again, and particularly watch the subtle double take Spina does as he turns to speak to Roe across Babe's sleeping body. What catches his eye like that?)
One of the points that I went on to make about the Morphine was that Roe ALWAYS has enough for the men. All that I was trying to say is that the presentation of the character on the screen allowed that interpretation. The possibility makes him more complex, more ambiguous--sort of like life.
You say it may have been the director. Maybe. But I think I'll stick with DH Lawrence and trust the tale rather than the author. e.g. "Hide your syrettes, guys." "Hey Roe, you using this stuff yourself."
Don't get me wrong. If you say you didn't mean it, then you didn't mean it. BUT...
The author who is totlly in control of what he writes can be very good. But only the author who gets out of the way of his own (call it subconscious) genius can achieve greatness. And I think you did achieve greatness in this episode(along with all those who collaborated with you). Perhaps the occasional 'writerly' critic needs to come along every now and then and send someone back to a work with renewed interest, or say to an author:'Hey, look at what you made."
P.S. I never do postings and rarely have an unqualified piece of praise for anything, literary or cinematic. You're ruining my record, man.
| By JANE SEABURG (Jane) (195.93.50.178 - 195.93.50.178) on Tuesday, November 06, 2001 - 04:30 pm: |
I agree the summary of episode six is superb...I thought SHANE TAYLOR was (well words fail me actually) he just played the roll so brilliantly, he is such a good actor....Another thing I'd like to know is how come Damian Lewis has got so many fan sites (on the internet) its unreal!!
and Shane doesn't seem to have any at all?...
Keep up the good work
Jane (In the dark and slightly damp south of England)
| By Derek D. Tircuit (Dtircuit) (216.78.134.241 - 216.78.134.241) on Tuesday, November 06, 2001 - 05:41 pm: |
Hey, Jane, check this out:
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/shanetaylorfanclub
DDT
| By T.G. (Turtlegirl) (64.12.105.177 - 64.12.105.177) on Tuesday, November 06, 2001 - 08:22 pm: |
Wow that was great (the analysis)!!! I hadn't thought about it like that, but that makes so much sense... Why didn't I think of taping it... Oh well.
| By JANE SEABURG (Jane) (195.93.32.181 - 195.93.32.181) on Wednesday, November 07, 2001 - 09:00 am: |
DDT,
Thanks very much for that info.
Jane, still wet in the south of England!!
| By Alexis Tin (Lexie_Uk) (195.92.168.163 - 195.92.168.163) on Wednesday, November 07, 2001 - 02:12 pm: |
I know I wish I taped it too. I hope it comes out on Video.
| By JANE SEABURG (Jane) (195.93.32.178 - 195.93.32.178) on Wednesday, November 07, 2001 - 05:18 pm: |
Alexis,
Fancy not tapeing it, I always tape the first showing on Friday AND the repeat on Wednesday
(On two different tapes, just in case one gets
broken I've still got the other one!!-good eh?)
hey..its WEDNESDAY...better get that tape out NOW!!!!!!
JANE (got soaked feeding the horses!)
| By Peter Williamson (Citronelle) (62.31.64.2 - 62.31.64.2) on Saturday, November 10, 2001 - 02:39 pm: |
I have been really impressed with this series, really impressed ! My late uncle was in 51st Highland Division with the Gordons on the Meuse near Bastogne. He told me it was hell, and he had been at Falaise. To see the 101st. in the thick of this encirclement and the closeness of combat, and the mashing of human beings, is to see what our generation can only describe as extraordinary feats of courage from ordinary men.
I watched the film Stalingrad and found a place I am glad my generation never had to find itself; in Bastogne, I found another. WE have been lucky, but they were men who had no choice and coped with adversity - I wonder how we would cope ? If you have no choice, I suppose you do - and look to your team - "a band of brothers"
| By emma scott (Hope_N_Glory) (195.92.168.168 - 195.92.168.168) on Sunday, November 11, 2001 - 02:31 pm: |
I absolutely loved shane taylor in episode six. He played doc roe excellently. I cant imagine wot it must hav been like for him or ne of the other soldiers. The bond the soldiers had the truly were a "band of brothers" joined by their trust and pride in ech other.
emma (cold in the north of england after going to see to her horse)
| By Christine Ciraolo (Creo09) (63.208.246.90 - 63.208.246.90) on Sunday, November 11, 2001 - 11:43 pm: |
I’ve never posted anything in my life, but after reading the posted summary of episode 6 I just had to … there’s no way I’ll be as eloquent, and since I agree with and can completely see everything he wrote about I won’t bother repeating his sentiments. The posting says everything I've been trying to explain to people about this particular episode and have been having a hard time expressing. I was a literature major/history minor in college and actually had to read "Band of Brothers" twice - in one semester no less – and loved it. I was delighted to hear a mini-series was being adapted from the book. Three of my 4 grandparents are WWII vets and every week I tape the episodes to bring to my mom's folks (they don't have cable) so we can watch together. I'm really impressed by how well done the series is. My grandparents swear it's the most realistic depiction of war they've seen on screen since "All Quiet on the Western Front." My mom’s mom was an army nurse stationed in the Pacific Theater (where she met gramps – an Army Capt. - after he was injured … how sweet is that?) and my dad’s dad was a medic with the Italian army stationed throughout Europe and in Africa. Needless to say, I have been touched deeply by episode 6 and must say bravo to Bruce McKenna, David Leland, and especially Shane Taylor!
Although all the actors did a marvelous job throughout the series, no actor’s performance shined like Shane Taylor’s depiction of Medic Roe. Now, I never met Medic Roe, or claim to know much about him … but the sincerity, grace and subtlety with which Mr. Taylor portrayed him speaks volumes about both men … Taylor’s performance was … well, understatedly beautiful, if that makes sense. Leland and McKenna gave us an hour to see Easy and the war through the eyes of this battle-weary medic, Eugene Roe. The rest was up to Taylor. He was able to say more in some of his quiet moments with a few gestures and facial expressions than most actors could with a hundred lines. He took an historical, heroic figure seen by most only in a book, and brought him down to earth … made him real … and for the first time in the series, the audience was given a chance to really get to know a man from Easy. He took a guy who was just as cold, hungry, exhausted, and scared as the other soldiers; a guy who had to carry the extra weight of constantly running into harm’s way to tend to wounded men, and gave him this calm, almost angelic demeanor. At the same time we were allowed to see this fragile and human side of a soldier who otherwise didn’t seem to let much in, including the men around him. You could really see in the actor’s eyes how beat-down, frustrated, and I think, how lonely he felt.
I often wonder about my grandfather and the things he endured as a medic in the Italian army in WWII. He never spoke about being a medic (other than to say that it was just a job he once did), much less the war except for an occasional funny anecdote about drunken exploits or girls. I know he wasn’t there, but I tried picturing him in Bastogne, tried placing him in Shane Taylor/Medic Roe’s shoes … what would it have been like for him to frantically try to help those around him with little more than morphine and a bandage? What would it have felt like to see his men – his friends - suffer and/or die, over and over again? I cannot even begin to imagine … but I think Mr. Taylor’s performance gave everyone a good idea what it could have been like and how it really was for one very brave and kind soldier.
Well, I’ve rambled on long enough … basically I wanted to say thank you to the people responsible for putting this episode (and the series) together and for doing such an outstanding job. And good luck to Shane Taylor, I’ve never seen him in anything before, but here’s to a long and successful career for a fine actor.
Sincerely,
Christine Ciraolo
P.S. To the folks who run this site: Though I am sad to hear that Eugene Roe has passed, what a wonderful tribute you have given him and the men of Easy. I hope whatever he did after the war that he was blessed and happy … Cheers to you and yours, thanks for creating this place and opening up your family history and sharing images and thoughts of the men of Easy with the world around you.
| By JANE SEABURG (Jane) (195.93.34.159 - 195.93.34.159) on Monday, November 12, 2001 - 03:06 am: |
Christine...I totally agree, I think Shane really
portrayed Eugene in the most wonderful way. Your message was spot on! And I think this site is the best way to pay tribute to all those brave men that many of us hadn't heard of before B.O.B but now will remain in our hearts FOREVER.
Jane
(P.S. I dedicated a prayer to all the brave men in Easy Company at our war memorial ceremony in our village)
| By Alexis T (Lexie_Uk) (195.92.194.19 - 195.92.194.19) on Monday, November 12, 2001 - 02:53 pm: |
I also thought about the men of easy who died in the war and those who went home, on rememberence day on sunday, aswell as my great uncle who was killed at anzio in 1944, we only just discovered where he was buried and hope to visit his grave soon.
So aswell as wearing my poppy with pride for my great uncle and all those who died i also wore it with pride for the men of easy, i don't think it matters that i'm not american.
The young are truly grateful to you all.
| By emma scott (Hope_N_Glory) (195.92.168.164 - 195.92.168.164) on Monday, November 12, 2001 - 05:08 pm: |
God im nearly in tears after reading some of the words u guys have written. Shane Taylor played Eugene so well. He said his lines with feelings and half the time he need not have spoken as u could sort of tell wot he was thinking or feeling just by looking into his eyes. I also remebered the men of easy on sunday as well as my great grandfather who was a world war 1 vet and my grandads brother who was in the raf during world war 2. Often when i visit my grandads brother i catch him staring at the sky out the window. its as if he is remebering or sumthing. I dont know bout ne 1 else but i love listhening 2 my grandad tell me stories from the war. He bulit tanks with a company called vickers. Not sure if ne english people have heard of the company. He tells me stories of the home guards and the northumberland fusilers. Hes great to listhen 2. So is my grandma she was in the land army and although she looks as if butter wouldnt melt in her mouth she had her wild times.
| By Bonni-Lynn Sawyer (Poppygirl) (213.122.64.58 - 213.122.64.58) on Tuesday, November 13, 2001 - 08:00 am: |
First time on this board, so hey ho here I go... Just to add to the praises of Shane Taylor's portrayal of Eugene Roe (and Shane Taylor in general really), I don't know the last time I saw such a heart-felt performance, it was all or nothing and i'm glad we got all. I only hope he doesn't disappear into obscurity now - way too much talent for that.
The morphine thing is interesting, it kind of passed through my mind but Roe's purity seemed too much to warrant that line of thought. I'm going to watch the episode again to check it out in a bit more detail, but either way he was a hero as were all the others and my thoughts were with them all on Rememberance Day amongst those for passed relatives. If BoB has done one thing it has made people think and remember and be grateful. What a wonderful memorial for the thousands.
| By algernon (Algernon) (64.12.107.49 - 64.12.107.49) on Thursday, November 15, 2001 - 12:04 pm: |
Hello to everyone from Shanes hometown of Dover Kent England, as Shanes uncle i cannot begin to tell you how proud we all are of Shane, we knew Shane would give us a good performance but it just took my breath away , not only Shanes portrayal of Mr Eugene Roe, but the stunning effects of the film itself ,congratulations are in order for all the hard work that went into this production to bring home not only the horrors of war, but the heartbreak and anguish of the men not only of E-Coy, but for all the Allied combatants of not only this war, but for the human sacrifice of men such as these have made down through our modern history,that allow us to live our lives in relative peace today.(of course the current sitution which is on going is a stark reminder to us all that war is far reaching,my absoulute sincere condolances to families invovled in the horror of Sept 11.)
| By algernon (Algernon) (64.12.107.49 - 64.12.107.49) on Thursday, November 15, 2001 - 12:10 pm: |
Hi again
just one other thought springs to mind,as we all witnessed in BoB, medics such as Mr Eugene Roe, were in the thick of the battle under fire saving lives ,putting their own lives in peril, often unnoticed or recorded, yet very few were awarded medals for bravery , for all this was carried out ---while they were -------un-armed!
| By Alexis T (Lexie_Uk) (195.92.168.165 - 195.92.168.165) on Friday, November 16, 2001 - 03:01 am: |
Yeah, i noticed that too, i've not seen the medics with a weapon. Why is that? Oh and Shane Taylor is your nephew, he is one amazing actor!
p.s. I've now limited myself to the pages i can read in Ambroses's Band of Brothers because I don't want it to finish yet!!!
| By emma scott (Hope_N_Glory) (195.92.168.173 - 195.92.168.173) on Friday, November 16, 2001 - 05:28 pm: |
I cant believe Shane Taylor is your nephew. He was absolutely amazing in episode 6. Ive just seen episode 8 on bbc. Im kinda gutted coz its gonna be finished soon. does ne 1 know when it is gonna be released ova here in sunny england?
| By alan james o'reilly (Alanor) (62.254.64.5 - 62.254.64.5) on Saturday, November 17, 2001 - 07:55 pm: |
Re: Bravery of medics, such as Eugene 'Doc' Roe. (The name is also that of a deer and Shane Taylor certainly shows 'Doc' Roe running like one under fire to aid the wounded!) Sometimes their bravery was recognised. Corporal Frederick George Topham, 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, 6th British Airborne Division, was awarded the Victoria Cross (equivalent to the Medal of Honour)for service east of the Rhine on March 24th, 1945 - while 'Easy' was headed for Hitler's lair. He saw to a casualty lying in the open after 2 of his fellow medics had been killed trying to help this man. Corporal Topham was shot in the face but got the man back to safety and tended casualties for the next 2 hours before allowing his own wound to be treated. He refused evacuation and returned to his company, where despite enemy fire and exploding ammunition, he rescued three men trapped in a burning weapons carrier, 2 of whom survived. He was said to have shown "gallantry of the highest order" and was one of but three British paras to receive the award in WW2 (the others posthumously). See "The Red Beret" by Hilary St. George Saunders, Michael Joseph, p 329-330.
| By Bonni-Lynn Sawyer (Poppygirl) (213.122.41.212 - 213.122.41.212) on Wednesday, November 28, 2001 - 06:52 am: |
Many of the medics were non combatant consciencious objectors so didn't have to bear arms. They saved lives but would not take them, but ran the same risks as the men they cared for. The enemy was meant to respect the medic's arm band but in truth they were regarded by many as a running target.
Whether Roe was an objector I don't think needs debating,the work he and his fellow medics performed throughout the war was done through a belief in humanity, what more can be said - except maybe, thank you.
| By robyn (Robyn) (64.231.20.25 - 64.231.20.25) on Wednesday, December 12, 2001 - 07:17 pm: |
Hello! I have been to this site several times and thought I would add a comment. When the series premiered I watched the first episode and then after sept 11 I had a hard time watching much of anything. I finally sat down and watched episode 6 and was hooked. I found it very touching and riveting, and continued with the series until the end. Fortunately, I was able to catch the first episodes when thst were rerun around our "Rememberance Day." (I am from Canada)
So I want to say thank you to all the actors who did a spectacular job and all those involved.
| By nina rose berden (Schyler) (192.169.39.69 - 192.169.39.69) on Saturday, December 22, 2001 - 10:36 am: |
ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE EPISODES...mainly because SHANE TAYLOR did one terrific job in portraying DOC ROE...he played it so well he's become my 2nd favorite "brother" next to Damian Lewis' WINTERS...and to think they're both British, they were so good in doing an American accent...
Ep6-BASTOGNE showed a different approach to bravery...by being there for your "brother", giving him the best help you can offer...Shane Taylor pulled it off excellently 
| By samantha race (Samrace) (212.134.225.227) on Sunday, March 03, 2002 - 12:19 pm: |
hi i just wanted to say that all of easy and the story has made me humble beyond belief. We can all learn a lesson from people such as the men from easy. i am truly grateful and proud. thank you
P.S i live in england, does anyone know when the video will be out or where i can get the soundtrack?
thanks
| By alan james o'reilly (Alanor) (62.254.64.5) on Saturday, March 09, 2002 - 06:29 pm: |
Hello Samantha
This web site will enable you to access the soundtrack, including the theme tune to the series, which I think we'd all agree is a most evocative piece of music.
http://www.hbo.com/band/landing/currahee.html
The site is actually linked to the 506th Association web page, to which this site is linked.
Regards
Alan O'Reilly
North Yorkshire
| By Caroline Fallin (Tree) (216.12.43.59) on Tuesday, March 12, 2002 - 05:51 am: |
For anyone who is interested in the career of Shane Taylor, please visit www.shanetaylor.moonfruit.com. This is his official website and includes many screencaptures of his portrayal of Eugene Roe. It is also Shane's birthday Wed, March 13, so if you would like, you can visit the message board to leave birthday wishes.
Warmest,
tree fallin
| By samantha van beurden (Samantha) (80.56.205.127) on Sunday, March 17, 2002 - 11:54 am: |
I'm 14 years old and I'm from Holland. Tonight I'll be seeing the last episode of Band of Brothers. Medic Roe, the real Medic will always be my Role model. I've always wanted to help people in anyway and I've been wanting to become a doctor for a very long time. I also wanted to be in the army. Now that I've seen the series, and especially episode 6, I'm really sure that I'll do my very best at school so I will have a chance at saving peoples lives when i'm older. Maybe not like Medic Roe in the war, I hope it won't be in a war, but I do hope that the persons which I will help will respect me just like the persons, who were saved by Medic Roe, which respected Medic Roe.
He and all the others who fought for freedom should be remembered be every one of us and they should never and I really mean NEVER be forgotten
I'm sorry if you don't understand some of my english.
Samantha
| By JANE Southern England (Jane) (195.93.32.176) on Saturday, March 30, 2002 - 09:49 am: |
Extracts from 'Battle of the Bulge' by C.B.MacDonald.
"Renee Lemarie...had studied and trained for four years at the Brugmann Hospital in Brussels to become a visiting nurse and then worked under the auspieces of the Ixelles Hospital in Brussels.
Close to Christmas 1943, Renee met Joseph, the son of an elderly widower for whom she was providing nursing care. They discovered mutual interests - both adored playing the piano and Renee loved to sing while Joseph played - soon they were in love and planning marriage.
Near the end of February 1944, Renee was on night duty, afterwards she went to Joseph's house..she learned from the neighbours that the Gestapo had taken Joseph and his father away. They were Jews.
Devastated, Renee continued her work, in late fall 1944 she obtained permission to spend time with her family in Bastogne, where her father, Gustave had a hardware store, her mother, an older sister, Gisele and younger sister, Maggy were also there.
The Lemaires welcomed the American soldiers..One soldier, Jimmy, started coming often to the house...On December 17, Jimmy's unit had sudden orders to leave, but he promised to be back.
As the fighting drew close, the Lemaires retreated to their cellar. Renee was asked by a medic, Frank, with the 10th Armored Division's CCB if she would help at his aid station....She worked long hours, together with another young woman, an immigrant from the Belgian Congo, Augusta Chiwy. Their presence, noted the surgeon, Maj John T. Prior, was "a morale factor of the highest order"...
By December 22, all aid stations had become makeshift hospitals, and since nobody could be evacuated, the wounded piled up..In the Sarma, where Renee was helping, there were close to a hundred patients, thirty of them seriously wounded. There were no beds, the men lay on blankets on the floor..
...December 23, the unmistakeable hum of the C-47 planes could be heard..241 planes had dropped 144 tons of supplies, but the resupply failed to meet all needs.
...December 24, one of the soldiers gave a white silk parachute to Renee, who planned to take it home and eventually make it into a wedding dress.
Around eight thirty on Christmas Eve, the bombing started, first came magnesium flare that made the night seem brighter than day...The first fell near a railroad overpass..In a building next to the Sarma, Maj Prior was preparing to go to the aid station to write a letter for a young lietenant who was dying of a chest wound,..there was a screeching sound, he threw himself on the floor....In the aid station, along with a number of medics, Renee was in the kitchen, as the bomb hit, the blast threw them through a large plate glass window and buried those in the cellar.. Maj Prior and others gathered in the street and pulled anyone they could from the ruins.
Days later, men dug the bodies from the debris, and Maj Prior himself carried Renee to her parents, encased in the silk folds of a white parachute.
(this was taken from one of many books my late father posessed regarding 101st Airborne, he was too young to serve in WWII, but joined the army when he was old enough and was stationed in Aldershot, England and also in various locations in Germany)
Jane
| By Chris Langlois (Chrisdfw) (12.239.86.117) on Saturday, March 30, 2002 - 04:55 pm: |
The nurse who worked in Bastogne from "Battle of the Bulge" by C.B.MacDonald.
Thanks to Jane
| By Chris Langlois (Chrisdfw) (12.239.86.117) on Sunday, April 28, 2002 - 01:57 pm: |
The original German surrender demand at Bastogne. It was probably written on a captured American typewriter since the diacritical marks have been inserted by hand.
The Germans also sent along this English translation of their surrender demand. "The German Commander" was Lt. Gen. Heinrich von Luttwitz, CG of XXXXVII Panzer Corps.
Information from "Rendezvous with Destiny" by Leonard Rapport and Arthur Northwood, Jr.
| By Chris Langlois (Chrisdfw) (12.239.86.117) on Thursday, May 02, 2002 - 09:56 pm: |
From the set during episode 6
Courtesy of Ian & Colin Dewey
| By Chris Langlois (Chrisdfw) (12.239.86.117) on Monday, May 06, 2002 - 02:59 pm: |
A HUGE FAN - Low temperatures kept breath misty, while massive fans distributed artificial snow -- and ruined sound takes.
Image Credit: Daniel Smith
| By irene vrinte (Gijoe) (62.251.0.23) on Sunday, May 12, 2002 - 06:04 am: |
hi there samantha
sorry i'm replying to your post so late. i only read it this morning and just wanted to say a few things to you. i hope you still come here every now and then and that you'll read this.
i read you are 14 years old and want to become a doctor and maybe even go in the army, huh?
this year i started my first year in med school at the catholic university in Nijmegen. i too have had a wish to become a doctor since i was about 11 or something. i worked really hard and had an average 8 at my exams. (now then people who are not from Holland won't understand this but i'm pretty sure samantha will ). so i got the chance to go to med school and even decide at which university. i chose for the city of Nijmegen and have no regrets AT ALL. 'geneeskunde' is an absolutely wonderful study, the people surrounding you are interested and motivated. further more; Nijmegen is the greatest. very friendly people, a nice history and a great location. i don't know if you live near the city, but in my opinion you should really consider the possibility of going to university there!
anyway, i guess you are in 3 or 4 VWO by now, aren't you? just wanted to say; if you really want to achieve becoming a doctor; GO FOR IT! work hard in school and i'll tell you it will pay off when you go to university. i'm having the time of my life right now and i'm studying to become a doctor (which will hopefully be in 2012 or something, haha).
all the best to you,
irene vrinte, nijmegen
ps yeah i know BoB is such a WONDERFUL series it impressed me so much and i can't wait for the reruns to start (if they ever go there on sbs6) or for the series to come out on video in the stores!
| By Jane Lindholm (Jlindholm) (204.48.134.39) on Tuesday, May 21, 2002 - 12:51 am: |
Gene prays in desperate times.
| By Jane Lindholm (Jlindholm) (204.48.134.39) on Tuesday, May 21, 2002 - 01:19 am: |
Gene [Shane Taylor] is grateful for any help he can get.
Gene admonishes a soldier to move around to avoid trench foot
Gene is told by a medic the injured cannot be evacuated as Bastogne has been cut off.
Thanks to Chris for explaining to me how to post pics! This is sooo cool!
Jane L.
| By Jane Lindholm (Jlindholm) (204.48.134.39) on Tuesday, May 21, 2002 - 01:27 am: |
Wayne ‘Skinny’ Sisk [Phillip Barrantini] accepts a glass of brandy from Rene Lemaire [Lucie Jeanne] and exclaims, ‘I’m in heaven, Doc’. 
This amuses Gene.
| By Jane Lindholm (Jlindholm) (204.48.134.39) on Tuesday, May 21, 2002 - 01:41 am: |
Gene and Rene Lemaire become acquainted while sharing supplies.
Gene warns Joe Toye he must take care or risk gangrene.
Babe Heffron continues to blame himself for the death of replacement John Julian
| By samantha van beurden (Samantha) (213.93.128.42) on Tuesday, May 21, 2002 - 09:27 am: |
thanks irene
Yeah i'm in the end of 3VWO right now and have to choose right now what i want to do
"N&G natuur en gezondheid"
I hope It isn't to hard
But I'll try cause i really want to do it
Lots of Love and Kisses
Samantha =)
PS. Veel suc6 op de Universiteit
| By irene vrinte (Gijoe) (131.174.244.2) on Tuesday, May 21, 2002 - 01:01 pm: |
hi there samantha
well we'll just keep typing in english!!!!
it was nice to hear from you i didn't think you ever came here any more, so it was kind of a surprise but a pleasant one!
so you are choosing your 'richting' right now, huh? i don't know if it's even called like that because i am totally not into the 'tweede fase' thing at all. i just had a 'vakkenpakket' (haha imagine how all these words must sound to people who don't understand them ).
i had
dutch, english, 'natuurkunde', 'scheikunde', biology, latin, 'wiskunde a' and history.
glad of it, too because i wouldn't take 'wiskunde b' for the world!
my sister has 'tweede fase' anyway i and hear things from her every now and then. she has chosen nr 4, by the way so that's completely different from what you're about the face. she's in 5VWO now and doing great. saying 'tweede fase' is not as hard as they say.
i think that if you'll do your best you can do it! just go for it!
good luck,
regards, irene
ps if you ever have any questions about 'geneeskunde' you can always ask me; i'll be around!
pps
just something i'd like to share with you because i know it will make you even more enthousiastic about the study. i'll say it in dutch because i don't think it will be understandable if i try to explain it in english.
ik ben nu in het laatste blok (elk blok heeft 4 weken en je hebt er 10 in een jaar) bezig van het eerste jaar en dat is het lopen van een verpleegstage van 4 weken. je wordt door de uni ingedeeld. dat kan zijn in een verpleegtehuis voor ouderen, maar ook gewoon op een ziekenhuisafdeling. ik ben SUPERblij want ik heb vandaag juist gehoord dat ik vanaf 3 juni 4 weken mag gaan meelopen op de kinderafdeling hart, nieren en urologie van het radboudziekenhuis hier in nijmegen! voor kinderen 0-1 jaar!!!!! super he??????
ppps
hey who was your favourite character in BoB?!
| By Ilja Buschman (Bobandluzfan) (212.129.207.209) on Monday, May 27, 2002 - 03:48 am: |
i agree the 'tweede fase' is not as hard as everybody says. I am now in '5 havo' and i am almost finished with my 'eindexamen'.
Veel succes op de universiteit en in de tweede fase
| By Ilja Buschman (Bobandluzfan) (212.129.207.209) on Monday, May 27, 2002 - 03:48 am: |
i agree the 'tweede fase' is not as hard as everybody says. I am now in '5 havo' and i am almost finished with my 'eindexamen'.
Veel succes op de universiteit en in de tweede fase
| By irene vrinte (Gijoe) (131.174.220.182) on Monday, May 27, 2002 - 04:41 am: |
hee ilja
let us know if and when you graduate!
good luck, you must be nearly done by now!
regards, irene
| By Ilja Buschman (Bobandluzfan) (212.129.207.209) on Monday, May 27, 2002 - 05:34 am: |
yeah, i got the results on june 14th
| By irene vrinte (Gijoe) (131.174.244.2) on Tuesday, May 28, 2002 - 04:16 am: |
ok then i'll ask you again by that time!
which exams do you still have ahead of you? i remember my last exam was dutch. and chemistry. i think. (i don't remember exactly).
anyway what are you going to do after highschool?
irene
| By Ilja Buschman (Bobandluzfan) (212.129.207.209) on Tuesday, May 28, 2002 - 07:25 am: |
today i finished M en O and tomorrow i got my last which is English.
After this im going to the 'Haagse Hoge school'
Im gonna study commercial economics there
| By irene vrinte (Gijoe) (131.174.244.2) on Thursday, May 30, 2002 - 07:10 am: |
sounds interesting!
have a nice holiday! you deserve it after those terrible exams, i think!
irene
| By jan dawn doronila (Potatomasher) (202.57.109.159) on Thursday, May 30, 2002 - 07:33 am: |
Hi!
I'm 17. I will be in college this June (June 3 to be exact!). And guess what course I will be taking, nursing. I love episode six that it made me more thrilled to be in the nursing profession. Of course, I want to be a medic ( if there are some ways to be one, I hope so), but my parents think that it is not the time to engage myself in such misty fantasy.
Still, I love episode six because of these...
-- When Medic Roe told Renee that she has beautiful hands ;that it's a gift from God.
-- That Eugene Roe is a decendant of a cajun healer ( is this true?)
-- The snow, the beautiful snow gently falling on the Bois Jacques grounds and the flares that bursted an ominous light in the white surrouindings.
| By Chris Langlois (Chrisdfw) (12.239.86.117) on Tuesday, June 04, 2002 - 12:03 am: |
10) Renee LEMAIRE, Neufchâteau Street, a plate affixed on the wall of the house n°21 points out the memory of Renee LEMAIRE, Bastogne nurse
who served the American troops. A German bomb having reached the hospital installed here, Renee Lemaire succeeded in evacuating several casualties before succumbing to the flames.
10) Renée LEMAIRE
Rue de Neufchâteau, une plaque apposée sur le mur de la maison n°21 rappelle la mémoire de Renée LEMAIRE, infirmière bastognarde au service des troupes américaines. Une bombe allemande ayant atteint l'hôpital installé en ces lieux, Renée Lemaire réussit à évacuer plusieurs blessés avant de rester prisonnière des flammes.
Thanks to ChgoRed for finding this and translating
http://www.bastogne.be/histoire/histoire.htm#M10
| By Jane Lindholm (Jlindholm) (204.48.169.252) on Sunday, June 30, 2002 - 06:18 pm: |
This is a portion of the BOB Cast Listing created by Easygroup. Here's what we found on Lucie Jean, who plays Renee....
What looks to be a semi-official website [it is all in French]- Lucie makes some contributions:
http://www.ifrance.com/luciej/
Thank you Darlene for suggesting the
www.dictionary.com site!
Lucie’s comments on BOB:
-She describes it as a minicomputer-series; yes, obviously something is lost in the translation, but I found this interesting nonetheless.
- ‘The most incredible turning of my life. I did not believe there, when I learned that I had been retained for this role. I thought that it was an error! An incredible decoration, incredible means, it is enough to go on the site of HBO to realize of the extent of the project’ [the manner in which she continues to use ‘turning’ shows this to mean ‘filming’].
Jane
Easygroup Moderator
| By just someone (Eve) (212.179.239.40) on Sunday, September 01, 2002 - 08:25 pm: |
i'm new in this site, and the reason I'm writing is because I can't recall when was the last time I was so touched by the way a character is represented.I was surprised to see how many peope was amazed to watch ep. 6 like I did. The unexplainable nature of the army is the sacrifice young people are willing to do when they fight for something they beliebe to be more important then their own ccomfort-and lives. Two people-a doc and a nurse from different worlds meet in a dark place that carries the vision of death, and that few pure moments expose the best of them. this is the meaning of being a soldier -feer, anger, desperation,insanity, vonrability. being traped. all of these I find in the sweet-bitter "bastonge" ep..The willing to give and take whithout negotiation, without the certainty of the future. Bastonge is a link to something bigger than WW2, it is a link for the universial simple soldiers who just know that their contribution is bigger than it's parts. in the army/war, one can feel he had known a person for his hole life after a short period. just like roe and the nurse. all this mentioned above makes me think about that random and yet realistic moments in "bastonge" till today.
| By Michael Wisotzkey (Afireinside) (24.171.107.160) on Sunday, November 17, 2002 - 06:05 pm: |
That was so sad when Buck dropped his helmet when he saw Guanere and Toye laying there.
A true moment in BoB that is a tear jerker.
| By Michael Wisotzkey (Afireinside) (24.171.107.160) on Sunday, November 17, 2002 - 06:07 pm: |
Does anyone have a pic of Bucks expression in that scene?
Post it or email me.
iburninside@hotmail.com
| By Iines (Iines) (195.197.126.88) on Monday, November 18, 2002 - 02:48 pm: |
Yes, he probably thought they were dead. So did i
I was so happy when i saw they were alive.
It was so sad that they took Buck out of the line. We lost so many beloved men in episode 6 and 7. It was very nice to see Buck again in ep.10, playing baseball and smiling
Iines
| By Michael Wisotzkey (Afireinside) (24.171.107.160) on Friday, November 22, 2002 - 07:05 pm: |
Yes it was. I forgot the name of the man, but whoever played Buck was, in my opinion, one of the best actors in the show. He was so emotional. Hes a great guy.
| By Marigold Papa (Marigold) (203.160.183.79) on Friday, November 22, 2002 - 10:31 pm: |
Michael, it's Neal McDonough
gold
| By Michael Wisotzkey (Afireinside) (24.171.107.160) on Saturday, November 23, 2002 - 01:47 pm: |
PLEASE
Does anyone have a pic of Buck dropping the helmet? I want to make a background from it.
Ty
xoxo
Michael
| By Ewa Molik (Layyla) (212.182.63.102) on Thursday, January 09, 2003 - 09:27 am: |
everything that could be said about this episode has been already said by all of you.i need to express my thoughts though..
the two summaries - one by the literature teacher and second by the italian christine say it all. i was fascinated by shane portraing doc-emotional,passionate and so true.it moved me so so much. absolutely a performance to remember.
word do fail at expressing everything that i feel about it.
a great thank you to shane for giving us a possibility to admire his play and to get to know such a wonderfull person like doc.
my true respect to the man itself
and if the family of shane still vistites this site please tell him that he is a wonderfull actor and it was really when i saw this ep taht i started to fall in love with the series
greeting to all shane fans
layla
| By Chris Langlois (Chrisdfw) (12.239.81.247) on Tuesday, February 25, 2003 - 11:09 pm: |
Found an old review:
David Leland, who also directed the WWII drama The Land Girls, took the helm for "Bastogne," the sixth installment of the painstakingly realistic HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. The script, by Bruce C. McKenna, does a superb job of capturing the small details that effect the lives of the men of Easy Company. Through the eyes of medic Eugene Roe (Shane Taylor), the audience sees the vital importance of basic medical supplies like the morphine and scissors that Roe spends much of the episode searching for, and the brief pleasures offered by such items as the pack of Lucky Strikes one soldier passes around on Christmas, and the chocolate bar Roe gives to the guilt-stricken Babe Heffron (Robin Laing). The creators of the series have obviously gone to great lengths in the name of verisimilitude. For this installment, massive, heavily detailed sets were constructed to represent the town of Bastogne and the nearby woods where combat occurs. So it may seem strange that for this episode they've added a fictional character in the form of Renee (Lucie Jeanne), the Belgian nurse that Roe has a few quietly touching moments with. But these moments are presented in such a low-key, and realistic manner that it doesn't detract from the overall tone of the series. In fact, it gives the audience a welcome respite from the testosterone-drenched brutality that has comprised mu