The Wars and Band of BrothersEssay Preview: The Wars and Band of BrothersReport this essayThe Wars and Band of BrothersA war is a historical event that has the ability to change a persons life both positively and negatively. Ironically, during the months preceding both World War One and World War Two, for many men the opportunity of going overseas to prove themselves worthy as men was rarely refused. However, many of the soldiers who were involved in either the First or Second World Wars quickly realized that war was not only a brand new experience; it was a new lifestyle. In both novels, Band of Brothers by Stephen E. Ambrose and The Wars by Timothy Findley, the soldiers share a common bond with one another. Soldiers learn how to become one unit, fighting for the same cause. However, although they are one unit, not all soldiers have the mental and physical toughness to face the hardships that accompany war. In fact the gain and sequential loss of friends, the immense pressure to perform, and the need to become a real man are all factors that affect a soldiers performance both on and off the battlefield. These are the circumstances that define a soldiers experience of war and reveal that it takes more then than physical toughness to survive; mental stamina is also needed to cope with the surrounding environment.
During a soldiers tenure, countless relationships develop between himself and his fellow comrades, and many soldiers have a hard time letting go of these friendships. Only the strong willed soldiers have the ability to look the other way whenever a friend or comrade has been killed. Numerous friends and comrades of both Robert Ross (The Wars) and the men of Easy Company (Band of Brothers) were killed or wounded, but these characters almost always persevered with no regrets or second thoughts. However, not all relationships that were made by the men of Easy Company came easily. As quoted by Stephen Ambrose,
“They (the men of Easy Company) drank beer. Lots of beer. They sang soldier songs. Toward the end of the evening, invariably someone would insult someone else with a slurring reference to his mother, his sweetheart, his home town, or his religion. Then they would fight, as solider boys do, inflicting bloody noses and blackened eyes, before staggering back to their barracks, yelling war chants, supporting each other, becoming comrades .”
When a group of people become involved with each other to the extent of brotherhood, it is important to realize that there are always ups and downs of a relationship. However, many soldiers contest that the experiences of friendships during a war are those which you never want to let go of.
The character Robert Ross experiences his own hardships in regards to the friendships he made during the First World War. Robert was the type of person who didnt have that many genuine friends while he was at war, but the ones he had made, were cherished. For example, Timothy Findley wrote about Robert,
“But love- yes. Robert loved Harris. It was clear in the way he dealt with his death and in the way he spoke of him afterwards to me. ”For Robert, the gain and sequential loss of Harris was detrimental to his sanity at first. However, as a true soldier would, he put the memories of his departed friend behind him and in a sense soldiered on through the war. It is extremely important for a soldier to avoid at all cost showing any sign of weakness in regards to death.
Many soldiers learn that during combat, numerous situations arise where any mistakes would be detrimental to the entire company. These situations create mood and the pressure to perform becomes almost unbearable. For the men of easy company, the highs and lows of their combat created close call situations, yet somehow, many of the soldiers were able to adjust themselves accordingly. The fact that many were able to perform under pressure is amazing considering many of the soldiers had never experienced any form of combat in the past. As a matter of fact, Lieutenant Winters of Easy Company wrote,
“I prayed the whole time over, prayed to live through it, prayed I wouldnt fail. Every man I think had on his mind, How will I react under fire? ”The ability to overcome these doubts and questions is truly a testament to the fortitude for the men of Easy Company. In many instances, personal doubts and fear of failure were the main issues on the men of Easy Companys minds, rather than the combat itself.
Robert Ross war experience was a true testament to his personal fortitude because he was involved in the First World War; a war where many new techniques and tactics of fighting were developed. Such tactics as air-to-ground fire, gas attacks, and so forth created a buzz of confusion whenever they occurred. Roberts quick decision making skills helped save the lives of his fellow comrades, as well as his own. When Roberts first experience with a chlorine gas attack occurred, he was calm and collective, but his unit wasnt. He quickly decided that in the event of the chlorine gas reaching them, the soldiers must urinate on their handkerchiefs and use them as gas masks. However, many of the soldiers couldnt
f be bothered because the gas didn’t get even a small smirk on their face. Â The commander of Roberts’ unit then made the decision to not use the chlorine gas and use his men to stop it from killing. Â “Let’s not use gas!” they shouted.
A typical chlorine gas attack happens when a soldier has a major chemical attack and he has to use all his force to fight it off while being surrounded by an open fire of varying degrees of intensity.
The chemical attacks began a minute before 3 PM. This was because after a couple minutes of fighting it was determined to be too intense and a lead of the chemical had fallen into the ground. The infantrymen around the house used both their arms to strike at it.
The initial lead fell to the ground under a sniper fire.
In the ensuing firefight the lead fell to the other side of the bridge.
As gas could not reach the two, the commandos were forced to surrender, although the soldier who was with Roberts shot, killed, and wounded several more times .
The man who killed two others was later identified as Steve “Marlboro” Gaunt who was based in the Denton County, Texas, small town of Killeen, Texas. The men fought alongside Roberts and helped him at times, however, they died in combat in this case. He was wounded in a single blow and was then taken into custody just as the second lead fell to the ground while the other group awaited his surrender.
Gaunt had an interesting story when it came to his own use of chemical weapons,Â
“After the action is over, the group will take their hands off the chemical warfare suits and use the lead from the tank to fire upon their enemies. When the main group arrives to take cover and get their position, the next group will use gas bombs and rockets to create an opening to escape the enemy. Once out of the way, however, the next group will use grenades to break down the building, while the second unit will use heavy water cannons to block one of the pipes. “As the tanks approach from below, most casualties will be from the use of chemical weapons. This could happen if a second group fails to fire. For the purpose of this article, for example, in the event of an infantryman using chemical weapons the next group will utilize the lead from the tank to fire on their enemies. In any case, there will be no more casualties, because these two groups will all use chemical weapons for a limited period of time. Â ” Â The final group that follows a second front with chemical weapons attacks will not use it until after he has lost all of its chemical weapons. If the second group misses, or fails to use any conventional weapons